Editing Smart camera

{{short description|Machine vision system}}
{{Distinguish|Smart digital camera|Dynamic vision sensor|Traffic enforcement camera}}
[[File:MicroScanner VC smartcamera.jpg|right|frame|Early smart camera (ca. 1985, in red) with an 8MHz Z80 compared to a modern device featuring Texas Instruments' C64 @1GHz]]
A '''smart camera''' is a [[machine vision]] system which, in addition to image capture circuitry, is capable of extracting application-specific information from the captured images, along with generating event descriptions or making decisions that are used in an intelligent and automated system.<ref>{{cite book | title = Smart Cameras | editor = Ahmed Nabil Belbachir  | publisher = Springer | year = 2009 | isbn = 978-1-4419-0952-7 | url = https://www.springer.com/engineering/signals/book/978-1-4419-0952-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title = Handbook of Machine Vision | author = Alexander Hornberg | publisher = Wiley-VCH | year = 2006 | isbn = 3-527-40584-4 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=KOBE93z4Eu4C&q=vision-sensor+smart-camera&pg=PA703 }}</ref> A smart camera is a self-contained, standalone vision system with built-in [[image sensor]] in the housing of an industrial video camera. It is also known as an '''intelligent camera''', a '''(smart) vision sensor''', an '''intelligent vision sensor''', a '''smart optical sensor''', an '''intelligent optical sensor''', a '''smart visual sensor''', or an '''intelligent visual sensor'''. 

The vision system and the image sensor can be integrated into one single piece of hardware known as '''intelligent image sensor''' or '''smart image sensor'''. It contains all necessary communication interfaces, ''e.g.'' Ethernet, as well as industry-proof 24V I/O lines for connection to a [[Programmable logic controller|PLC]], actuators, relays or pneumatic valves,
and can be either static or mobile.<ref>
{{cite journal
| last1      = Rinner
| first1     = Bernhard
| last2      = Wolf
| first2     = Wayne
| date       = 2018-10-17
| title      = An Introduction to Distributed Smart Cameras
| url        = https://doi.org/10.1109/JPROC.2008.928742
| journal    = Proceedings of the IEEE
| volume     = 96
| issue      = 10
| pages      = 1565–1575
| doi        = 10.1109/JPROC.2008.928742
| s2cid = 22637359
| access-date = 2021-09-13
| url-access= subscription
}}
</ref>
It is not necessarily larger than an industrial or [[surveillance camera]]. A capability in [[machine vision]] generally means a degree of development such that these capabilities are ready for use on individual applications.  This architecture has the advantage of a more compact volume compared to PC-based vision systems and often achieves lower cost, at the expense of a somewhat simpler (or omitted) [[user interface]]. Smart cameras are also referred to by the more general term '''smart sensors'''.<ref>{{cite journal |title=DreamCam: A modular FPGA-based smart camera architecture |journal=Journal of Systems Architecture |date=2014 |volume=60 |issue=6 |pages=519–527 |doi=10.1016/j.sysarc.2014.01.006 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1383762114000228 |access-date=15 May 2021 |language=en |issn=1383-7621|last1=Birem |first1=Merwan |last2=Berry |first2=François |s2cid=2095590 }}</ref>

==History==
{{importance section}}
The first publication of the term ''smart camera'' was in 1975<ref>{{cite journal |last1=SCHNEIDERMAN |first1=R |last2=R |first2=SCHNEIDERMAN |title=SMART CAMERAS CLICKING WITH ELECTRONIC FUNCTIONS |journal=Electronics |volume=48 |issue=17 |pages=74–81 |date=1975 |url=https://pascal-francis.inist.fr/vibad/index.php?action=getRecordDetail&idt=PASCAL7630003809 |access-date=27 June 2021}}</ref> as according to Belbachir et al.<ref>{{cite book |title=Smart Cameras |date=2010 |doi=10.1007/978-1-4419-0953-4 |isbn=978-1-4419-0954-1 |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4419-0953-4 |access-date=27 June 2021 |language=en-gb|editor1-last=Belbachir |editor1-first=Ahmed Nabil }}</ref> In 1976, the [[General Electric]]'s Electronic Systems Division indicated requirements of two industrial firms for ''smart cameras'' in a report for [[National Technical Information Service]].<ref>{{cite web |author1=[[General Electric]]|title=SOLID STATE TELEVISION CAMERA (CID) |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19770003454/downloads/19770003454.pdf?attachment=true |publisher=NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE |access-date=15 May 2021 |date=1976}}</ref> Authors affiliated in [[HRL Laboratories]] defined a ''smart camera'' as ''"a camera that could process its pictures before recording them"'' in 1976.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Reif |first1=P. G. |last2=Jacobson |first2=A. D. |last3=Bleha |first3=W. P. |last4=Grinberg |first4=J. |editor1-first=David P |editor1-last=Casasent |editor2-first=Alexander A |editor2-last=Sawchuk |title=HYBRID LIQUID CRYSTAL LIGHT VALVE -IMAGE TUBE DEVICES FOR OPTICAL DATA PROCESSING |journal=Optical Information Processing: Real Time Devices & Novel Techniques |date=12 January 1977 |volume=0083 |pages=34–43 |doi=10.1117/12.954897 |url=https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/0083/0000/HYBRID-LIQUID-CRYSTAL-LIGHT-VALVE--IMAGE-TUBE-DEVICES-FOR/10.1117/12.954897.short?SSO=1 |access-date=15 May 2021 |publisher=International Society for Optics and Photonics|s2cid=110882955 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> One of the first mentions of ''smart optical sensors'' appeared in a concept evaluation for [[satellite]]s by [[NASA]] and [[General Electric Space Division]] from 1977.<ref>{{cite web |title=POST LANDSAT D ADVANCED CONCEPT EVALUATION |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/42875015.pdf |website=core.ac.uk/ |publisher=[[NASA]] |access-date=15 May 2021 |date=1977}}</ref> They were suggested as a means for intelligent on-board editing and reduction of data.

Smart cameras have been marketed since the mid 80s.  In the 21st century they have reached widespread use, since technology allowed their size to be reduced and their processing power reached several thousand MIPS (devices with 1&nbsp;GHz processors and up to 8000MIPS are available as of end of 2006).

[[Artificial intelligence]] and [[photonics]] boost each other.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Goda |first1=Keisuke |last2=Jalali |first2=Bahram |last3=Lei |first3=Cheng |last4=Situ |first4=Guohai |last5=Westbrook |first5=Paul |title=AI boosts photonics and vice versa |journal=APL Photonics |date=2020-07-01 |volume=5 |issue=7 |pages=070401 |doi=10.1063/5.0017902 |bibcode=2020APLP....5g0401G |s2cid=225783016 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Photonics accelerates the process of data collection for AI and AI improves the spectrum of applications of photinics. In 2020, [[Sony]] has launched the first intelligent vision sensors with AI [[edge computing]] capabilies.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lorbeer/pi |first1=Klaus |title=Sony launcht weltweit erste Intelligent-Vision-Sensoren mit KI-Verarbeitung |url=https://computerwelt.at/news/sony-launcht-weltweit-ersten-intelligent-vision-sensoren-mit-ki-verarbeitung/ |access-date=15 May 2021 |work=computerwelt.at |date=14 May 2020 |language=de-DE |archive-date=15 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515120305/https://computerwelt.at/news/sony-launcht-weltweit-ersten-intelligent-vision-sensoren-mit-ki-verarbeitung/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is a further development of [[Exmor]] technology.

==Components==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2021}}
A smart camera usually consists of several (but not necessarily all) of the following components:

* Image sensor (matrix or linear, [[Charge-coupled device|CCD]]- or [[CMOS]])
* Image [[Digitize|digitization]] circuitry
* Image memory
* [[central processing unit|processor]] (often a [[digital signal processor|DSP]] or suitably powerful processor)
* program- and data memory (RAM, nonvolatile FLASH)
* Communication interface ([[RS-232]], [[Ethernet]])
* [[Input/output|I/O]] lines (often opto-isolated)
* Lens holder or built in lens (usually C, CS or M-mount)
* Built in illumination device (usually [[LED]])
* Purpose developed real-time operating system (For example VCRT)
* Optional video output (e.g. [[VGA]] or [[SVGA]])
* Energy supply by e.g. [[energy harvesting]]

== Fields of application ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2021}}
Having a dedicated processor in each unit, smart cameras are especially suited for applications where several cameras must operate independently and often asynchronously, or when distributed vision is required (multiple inspection or surveillance points along a production line or within an assembly machine). In general smart cameras can be used for the same kind of applications where more complex vision systems are used, and can additionally be applied in some applications where volume, pricing or reliability constraints forbid use of bulkier devices and PC's.

Typical fields of application are:
* [[automated inspection]] for [[quality assurance]] (detection of defects, flaws, missing parts...)
* non contact measurements.
* part sorting and identification.
* code reading and verification ([[barcode]], [[Data Matrix]], [[Optical character recognition|alphanumeric]] etc.)
* web inspection (inspection of continuously flowing materials such as coils, tubes, wires, extruded plastic) for defect detection and dimensional gauging.
* detection of position and rotation of parts for [[robot]] guidance and automated picking
* unattended [[surveillance]] (detection of intruders, fire or smoke detection)
* [[biometrics|biometric]] recognition and access control ([[Facial recognition system|face]], [[fingerprint]], [[Iris scan|iris]] recognition)
* [[visual sensor network]]s and [[smartdust]]
* [[robot]] guidance
* nearly any [[machine vision]] application

Developers can purchase smart cameras and develop their own programs for special, custom made applications, or they can purchase ready made [[application software]] from the camera manufacturer or from [[Third-party source|third party]] sources.
Custom programs can be developed by programming in various languages (typically [[C programming language|C]] or [[C++]]) or by using more intuitive, albeit somewhat less flexible, [[Visual programming language|visual development tools]] where existing functionalities (often called tool or blocks) can be connected in a list (a sequence or a bi-dimensional flowchart) that describes the desired [[Dataflow|flow of operations]] without any need to write program code.
The main advantage of the visual approach versus programming is the shorter and somewhat easier development process, available also to non-programmers.
Other development tools are available with relatively few but comparatively high level functionalities, which can be configured and deployed with very limited effort.

== See also ==
* [[Camera trap]]
* [[Digital camera]]
* [[Event camera]]
* [[INDECT]]
* [[Mobile phone accessories]]
* [[Smartdust]]
* [[Vision processing unit]]
* [[Videography#Videographers|Videograph]]
* [[Home automation|Smart Home]]
* [[Internet of things|IoT]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Smart Camera}}
[[Category:Smart devices]]
[[Category:Applications of computer vision]]
[[Category:Image sensor technology in computer vision]]
[[Category:Machine vision]]