If I had a hammer …

This post is meant as a word of caution. Just because you’re wielding a hammer, do not assume that every problem can be solved with nails. The expression is old, but I was reminded of it by this blog post from Ramesh Jain.

Ramesh is a leading researcher in the world of computer vision. Now computer vision is not a focus of my blog – I prefer to deal with the industrial application of the technology – but Ramesh does have a lot of interesting things to say.

His posting on the “Hammer Syndrome” is one such, and it’s a reminder to all we machine vision pros: do not fall into the trap of thinking that every problem can be solved with a vision system. It just isn’t so. Other sensors – even the humble proximity – can sometimes do the job faster, more reliably, at lower cost and with less development effort. Lasers, eddy current, ultrasound all have their place and, depending on the application, may actually be more appropriate.

So before specifying a vision system, ask yourself if the problem really needs a vision solution.