Line scan alternative

Ever wondered why a copier, scanner or fax machine can’t do double duty as a line scan camera? Well the simple answer is that it can. “CMOS Sensor Inc.,” of Cupertino, California, have a family of cameras that are really just the sensors from such scanning devices, although they call them “industrial line scan cameras.”

(Make sure to check out the video showing the sensor in operation!)

What you give up with this kind of camera is the freedom to select the optics to suit your particular job: you’ll need to mount the camera at a preset working distance from the target surface, and you’ll also find that your lighting options are limited. But with that rider, this sure looks like a neat way of obtaining a distortion-free image.