Industrial Machine Vision for Robotics Inspection

A customer approached VA Imaging looking for a high-performance machine vision camera for their tractor-mounted agricultural system. The camera was mounted on a long beam to capture clear, high-speed images while moving through the field, detecting obstacles, crop issues in real time.

• With the right machine vision solution, the customer was able to improve field monitoring and precision agriculture operations, making their workflow more efficient and reliable.

Selecting the right industrial machine vision camera is key to achieving accurate results in precision inspection for agricultural robotics and field systems. The right camera enables reliable detection of obstacles, defects, and boundaries, even in dynamic or challenging environments, allowing detailed analysis of seeds, coatings, and other small components.

Key factors to consider include:

• Resolution: High-resolution imaging is essential for detecting fine details. For seed and coating inspection, a minimum of 2000 x 1000 pixels is recommended, calculated at three pixels per smallest feature.
• Shutter Type: A global shutter is necessary when components move intermittently, preventing motion blur and ensuring precise image capture.
• Color Imaging: A color camera helps visualize subtle differences in materials and coatings, which is critical for detailed analysis.
• Environmental Protection: Even if not strictly required, an IP67-rated housing can safeguard the sensor against dust, humidity, and other industrial conditions, improving reliability and performance over time.

By looking at these factors, anyone developing a tractor-mounted or field inspection system can choose the right camera for accurate, real-time monitoring.

• Our recommendation is the VEN-302-56U3C-M06, which supports autonomous navigation, obstacle detection, and precision agriculture tasks reliably and efficiently.
  
  

Once you know the required camera resolution, selecting the right lens is essential to capture clear, detailed images.

For applications such as seed or coating inspection, small parts analysis, or agricultural robotics, consider the following factors:

• Focal Length & Field of View (FOV): Choose a lens that provides the right balance between coverage area and detail. Shorter focal lengths give wider FOVs, while longer focal lengths capture finer detail in a smaller area.
• Manual Iris & Focus Control: Lenses with adjustable iris and focus allow you to fine-tune brightness and sharpness for different working distances and lighting conditions, which is critical when inspecting reflective or textured surfaces.
• Optical Quality & Resolution Match: Ensure the lens supports your camera’s sensor resolution. Look for low distortion (<1%) and high resolving power to capture small defects, edges, or subtle features accurately.
• Working Distance Flexibility: Consider the minimum and maximum object distances you need. A lens with a suitable working distance ensures you can inspect objects at varying distances without losing image quality.
• Close-Up Adjustments: Some lenses allow additional fine-tuning with close-up rings to slightly modify the FOV, which can help when inspecting very small objects or achieving a precise frame.

Tip: For precision agricultural inspection, combining high-resolution imaging with a lens that balances FOV, sharpness, and flexibility will provide reliable, repeatable results in dynamic field conditions.

Use our online lens calculator to find the right lens for your application.

• Our recommendation for this application, considering the points mentioned above the VA LCM-5MP-08MM-F1.4-015 lens, is the best fit.

For this type of robotics inspection application, a single-camera configuration mounted on a metal beam can provide reliable imaging with minimal complexity. The camera and lens should be chosen to deliver high-resolution, high-quality images suitable for detecting small objects, obstacles, or surface defects.

• Connectivity should be considered when planning the setup; for example, a 1-meter USB3 cable can maintain signal integrity and reduce space requirements.
• Stability and precise alignment are also critical; using a mounting plate helps secure the camera and lens, ensuring consistent image capture and repeatable inspection results.

For applications requiring different layouts or custom configurations, explore alternative mounting options to adapt your machine vision system to specific field or robotics requirements.

While our cameras, lenses, and lighting provide robust hardware, specific applications may require advanced software integration. Our cameras are GenICam-compatible and work seamlessly with third-party programs like:

• NI LabVIEW
• MvTec Halcon
• Cognex VisionPro
• Matlab
• OpenCV

We also offer a free Software Development Kit (SDK) for initial programming, compatible with ARM platforms (e.g., Raspberry Pi, NVIDIA TX series) and operating systems like Android, Linux, and Windows. For this robotics application, the customer utilized our SDK, which is also suitable for your unique needs.