Innovative Machine Vision Lenses and Trends

Machine vision technology is evolving remarkably, driven by the increasing complexity of industrial automation, AI-powered applications, and the increasing need for high-resolution imaging precision. Machine vision is at the heart of countless innovations, from quality control in manufacturing to advancements in autonomous vehicles and medical diagnostics. At its core lies the lens — an often underestimated component that directly impacts these advanced systems' clarity, accuracy, and overall performance.

Recent trends in machine vision lenses are transforming how industries approach automation and visual inspection.

Key Trends in Machine Vision Lenses

High-Resolution Lenses for AI-Powered Vision Systems

As AI and machine learning become integral to industrial automation, the demand for high-resolution lenses to feed detailed images into these systems has surged. Companies like Computar,  KoWa, and Fujinon are at the forefront of developing lenses that support resolutions of 8K and beyond, allowing AI-driven systems to analyze intricate details more accurately.

Computar's MPX 16MP 2/3" Machine Vision Lens Series represents the next step in high-resolution imaging, specifically designed to meet the needs of AI-powered vision systems. The C-mount MPX lenses are lightweight, compact, and fully compatible with a pixel size of 2μm or less. In addition, the MPX's focus rotation angle is five times wider than that of conventional lenses, allowing for precise focus adjustment. These lenses deliver crisp, clear images, making them ideal for advanced inspection systems in the electronics and automotive manufacturing industries.

Kowa's 4/3" XC series lenses provide a large image format of Φ23mm (C-mount), ensuring compatibility with high-resolution sensors. These high-precision aspherical lenses significantly reduce distortion, producing a high-definition image with exceptional clarity. The XC lenses maintain megapixel resolution across the entire image, even when the iris is fully open, delivering consistent performance in AI-powered vision systems. Kowa’s wide-band multi-coating also reduces glare and refraction, enhancing image quality in demanding industrial environments. This makes the XC series ideal for factory automation and quality control AI applications, where precision and clarity are critical for accurate decision-making.

Ruggedized Lenses for Harsh Environments

Many industries, including automotive and manufacturing, require machine vision lenses that withstand harsh environmental conditions such as extreme temperatures, dust, and vibrations. FUJIFILM’S Fujinon ruggedized lenses are designed to perform reliably in such situations, offering high-resolution imaging for various applications. Their ZA series includes the CF8ZA-1S, CF12ZA-1S, CF16ZA-1S, CF25ZA-1S, CF35ZA-1S, and CF50ZA-1S models, which are all C-mount lenses supporting up to 12MP resolution with a 1.1” sensor. These lenses have focal lengths ranging from 8mm to 50mm, with aperture sizes of F1.8 to F16 for most models and F2.4 to F16 for the CF50ZA-1S. Fujinon ruggedized lenses are built for stability, enduring harsh temperatures and conditions while providing consistent performance in industrial environments.

Opto Engineering has introduced telecentric lenses for applications demanding extreme precision and rugged durability. Their TC12M series includes lenses like the TC12M308-F, a high-resolution telecentric lens for sensors up to APS-H, with a magnification of 0.100x and a working F-number of wF/# 8, utilizing an F-mount. For those requiring the M42x1 FD 12 mount, the TC12M308-J offers the same specs. Opto Engineering also offers the TC16M series, optimized for sensors up to 43.3mm. The TC16M308 magnifies 0.116x, making it an excellent choice for 8k line scan cameras. These telecentric lenses are widely used in high-accuracy visual inspections, especially in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries, where precision and reliability are critical.

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Liquid Lenses for High-Speed, Versatile Imaging

Liquid lenses are revolutionizing the machine vision industry by offering faster response times, electrical tunability, and the ability to focus without mechanical movement. Unlike traditional lenses, which require manual or mechanical adjustments, liquid lenses adapt quickly to changing focal lengths, making them ideal for applications requiring rapid focus shifts, such as barcode inspection and package sorting. This quick autofocus solution is exemplified in Edmund Optics' TECHSPEC® Liquid Lens M12 Imaging Lenses, which combine a compact, high-resolution imaging design with the flexibility of a liquid lens for fast, electronic focusing. These lenses are well-suited for high-speed machine vision applications. 

One of the key advantages of liquid lenses is their compact size, which eliminates the bulkiness of traditional lens assemblies. For example, OPT Machine Vision’s liquid lens features a design with no moving parts, making it ideal for miniaturized or space-constrained automation equipment. The compact size of these lenses allows for use in a wide range of high-precision applications, though their small aperture limits them to sensors no larger than 1/1.8 inches. Despite this limitation, liquid lenses remain a top choice for industries that require precise, high-speed focusing, such as semiconductor and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Multispectral and Hyperspectral Imaging

Beyond the visible spectrum, machine vision is expanding into multispectral and hyperspectral imaging, allowing industries such as agriculture, healthcare, and mining to detect wavelengths beyond what the human eye can see. Moritex is a key player in developing optical solutions, including line scan lenses with high-resolution imaging and broad wavelength sensitivity, typically covering the visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectrum, ranging from approximately 350 nm to 1,000 nm. These lenses are suitable for crop health monitoring, disease detection, and mineral analysis, where capturing specific wavelengths is crucial for precise inspection and analysis. While Moritex’s line scan lenses are not explicitly marketed as multispectral or hyperspectral lenses, their broad wavelength sensitivity makes them adaptable to advanced imaging needs in various industries.

Read more about this advanced imaging technology in our previous blog, “Hyperspectral and Multispectral Remote Sensing in Industrial Automation.” 

The Future of Machine Vision Lenses 

As machine vision evolves, advanced lenses enhance industrial automation, quality control, and AI-driven applications. Innovations like high-resolution lenses, liquid lenses, and ruggedized designs are transforming how industries approach inspection, production, and decision-making.

AI integration with high-resolution lenses enables faster, more precise visual inspections, while ruggedized lenses support stable imaging in harsh environments, such as automotive and manufacturing sectors. Liquid lenses offer rapid focus adjustments, ideal for dynamic applications like logistics and pharmaceuticals. Meanwhile, multispectral and hyperspectral imaging will continue revolutionizing agriculture, healthcare, and mining by detecting wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum.

As machine vision technology continues to evolve, the importance of selecting the right lens for your application cannot be overstated. From high-resolution lenses to ruggedized designs, these advancements are driving industries forward.

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