Machine Vision Innovation in Outdoor Applications

Implementing machine vision systems in outdoor applications has proved uniquely challenging. By nature, machine vision operates most effectively in a consistent, controlled environment. In outdoor applications, there are a large number of variables and it’s impossible to control them all.

New technology is stepping up to the plate, however, and the use of machine vision in outdoor applications is becoming more and more realistic.

Challenges to Machine Vision in Outdoor Applications

The challenges that face machine vision technology in outdoor applications include:

• Lighting: The sun is not a constant or consistent source of light, creating high and low light environments.
• Temperature: Machine vision components are affected by variations in temperature.
• Weather: Constant changes in the weather present many challenges for machine vision, as snow, rain, fog and mist all significantly decrease visibility.
• Motion: In outdoor applications, machine vision systems have to be able to capture fast moving images, which can be difficult especially in indoor environments.

With many variations that create challenges for machine vision outdoors, new technology is being developed to make machine vision outdoors more effective.

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Technology Driving Outdoor Machine Vision Adoption

Technological innovation in indoor applications is making its way outdoors. A few technologies making outdoor machine vision viable include:

• Low light/high sensitivity sensors: Highly sensitive sensors for use in low light, with high dynamic range processing, are enabling better imaging in environments with variable lighting and visibility.
• Global shutters: As opposed to rolling shutters, global shutters are able to capture fast-moving images without distortion or blur.
• CMOS sensors: CMOS sensors have been gaining popularity for some time now. They are cheaper than CCD sensors and better equipped for high-speed image processing.

With the help of these technologies, outdoor machine vision systems are more effective than ever before. Outdoor machine vision and vision systems are being applied in humanoid robots, self-driving vehicles and mapping systems, as well as intelligent traffic systems, just to name a few.

There are many obstacles to outdoor machine vision applications, but several new technologies are solving these problems.