Machine vision (MV) is the technology and methods used to provide imaging-based automatic inspection and analysis for such applications as surface inspection, process control, and robot guidance, usually in industry.

For instance, in machine vision surface quality inspection, micro-optics play a key role. The key for machine vision inspection is capturing a high-quality image by CCD, which demands for high uniformity light field from the illumination.

Focuslight micro-optic homogenizers and diffusers using glass refractive optical elements (ROE) technology can disperse laser light in one direction up to a full illumination angle ranging from a few mrad to over 160°. When combined with a second functional surface, the light field can also be shaped at any desired angle in the other direction, making it possible to obtain a homogeneous line or rectangular field with a steep edge slope and a user-defined size, for instance 125° x 25°. These different angles illuminate the target area precisely and uniformly (95%), while a surface structure defined for the customer’s application delivers a consistent intensity distribution for the specific application. This is beneficial for noise reduction and increases the signal-to-noise ratio, which provide high uniformity and high-resolution illumination system for CCD/CMOS imaging and surface inspection system. This enables faster and more precise recording of measured values, increasing throughput and efficiency.

Another example: With the development of rail transit, protecting the safe and stable operation of high-speed railway, highway and subway has become the key. In these scenes, it is an effective approach to capture the clear image of high-speed train and detect the integrity and defects of the train through image processing and intelligent algorithm.

Focuslight’s Flux series line laser source lens adopts advanced micro-optical beam shaping solutions and manufacturing process and offers the advantages of zero maintenance need, high reliability and uniform beam energy distribution. As active lighting source in the high-speed detection machine vision system, they are widely used in the surface defect detection of rail transit, roads, bridges and more.