The Japan Industrial Imaging Association (JIIA) has approved the standardisation of lighting specifications for machine vision and image processing.
The standard defines the basics of lighting specifications for machine vision and image processing systems. It allows the user to determine the brightness and light-dark profiles of images based on the specifications of lighting products.
Image contrast depends on various aspects including the physical properties of the light source, lighting and observation methods, spectral characteristics of the imaged object, properties of the imaging optics, spectral characteristics of the optical sensor, and the camera's gain and response properties.
The standard makes it possible to clearly determine the brightness of lighting systems as viewed by the camera, by defining the lighting methods starting from classifying types of light returned from the object where ambiguities existed previously, to the methods of observation.
The standard also encompasses the fundamentals of lighting system design, and through clarifications of design standard for lighting systems, makes a strong case for the added-value of design processes which have historically depended on experience and intuition. The standard clearly defines the value-added processes of system design separately from lighting devices themselves, and thereby aims to improve the significant bottleneck for the expansion of machine vision systems, i.e. the operational value of the role of system integrators.
Speaking at the Automated Imaging Association's business conference on 19 January, Shigeki Masumura, advanced senior engineer at CCS and VP of JIIA, commented: 'Brightness and the contrast profile is dramatically changed by the lighting method, hence the need for a standard on brightness.'
The standard is the result of more than four years of deliberations by its Lighting Working Group (19 corporate members). Voting results by JIIA member corporations and international liaison members conducted during the past month were released prior to the approval, showing a total of 16 votes in favour, none opposed, and no abstentions.
This standard was drafted based on the G3 Agreement on standardisation by JIIA, AIA (Automated Imaging Association, US), and EMVA (European Machine Vision Association, EU). Global adoption will follow three-months after the international appeal period.
The first edition of the standard will soon be available for download from the JIIA website.
