Editing Optical flow (section)

==Optical flow sensor{{anchor|flow}}==
{{distinguish|Optical flowmeter}}

Various configurations of optical flow sensors exist. One configuration is an image sensor chip connected to a processor programmed to run an optical flow algorithm. Another configuration uses a vision chip, which is an integrated circuit having both the [[image sensor]] and the processor on the same die, allowing for a compact implementation.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Vision Chips |last=Moini |first=Alireza |date=2000 |publisher=Springer US |isbn=9781461552673 |location=Boston, MA |oclc=851803922}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Analog VLSI and neural systems |last=Mead |first=Carver |date=1989 |publisher=Addison-Wesley |isbn=0201059924 |location=Reading, Mass. |oclc=17954003 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/analogvlsineural00mead}}</ref> An example of this is a generic optical mouse sensor used in an [[optical mouse]]. In some cases the processing circuitry may be implemented using analog or mixed-signal circuits to enable fast optical flow computation using minimal current consumption.

One area of contemporary research is the use of [[neuromorphic engineering]] techniques to implement circuits that respond to optical flow, and thus may be appropriate for use in an optical flow sensor.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Analog VLSI circuits for the perception of visual motion |last=Stocker |first=Alan A. |date=2006 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=0470034882 |location=Chichester, England |oclc=71521689}}</ref> Such circuits may draw inspiration from biological neural circuitry that similarly responds to optical flow.

Optical flow sensors are used extensively in computer [[optical mouse|optical mice]], as the main sensing component for measuring the motion of the mouse across a surface.

Optical flow sensors are also being used in [[robotics]] applications, primarily where there is a need to measure visual motion or relative motion between the robot and other objects in the vicinity of the robot. The use of optical flow sensors in [[unmanned aerial vehicle| unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)]], for stability and obstacle avoidance, is also an area of current research.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Flying insects and robots |date=2009 |publisher=Springer |isbn=9783540893936 |editor-last=Floreano |editor-first=Dario |location=Heidelberg |oclc=495477442 |editor-last2=Zufferey |editor-first2=Jean-Christophe |editor-last3=Srinivasan |editor-first3=Mandyam V. |editor-last4=Ellington |editor-first4=Charlie}}</ref>