Developments in electronic hardware, particularly microprocessors and
solid-state cameras, have resulted in a vast explosion in the range and
variety of applications to which intelligent processing may be applied
to yield cost-effective automation. Typical examples include automated
visual inspection and repetitive assembly. The technology required is
recent and specialized, and is thus not widely known. VISION AND
INFORMATION PROCESSING FOR AUTOMATION has arisen from a short course
given by the authors to introduce potential users to the technology. Its
content is a development and extension of material presented in the
course. The objective of the book is to introduce readers to modern
concepts and techniques basic to intelligent automation, and explain how
these are applied to prac- tical problems. Its emphasis is on machine
vision. Intelligent instrumentation is concerned with processing infor-
mation, and an appreciation of the nature of information is essential in
configuring instrumentation to handle it effiCiently. An understand- ing
of the fundamental principles of efficient computation and of the way in
which machines make decisions is vital for the same reasons. Selection
of appropriate sensing (e.g., camera type and configuration), of
illumination, of hardware for processing (microchip or parallel
processor?) to give most effective information flow, and of the most
appropriate processing algorithms is critical in obtaining an optimal
solution. Analysis of performance, to demonstrate that requirements have
been met, and to identify the causes if they have not, is also
important. All of these topics are covered in this volume.
