In “Great Vision-Guided Robotics Video” posted yesterday I grumbled that there was not much info about the cameras used. An attentive reader picked up on that and commented that the camera brand is irrelevant.
If that’s true, then it means that all cameras using the same sensor will deliver the same performance, effectively turning cameras into commodity products. However, I know that most camera makers will argue that their product is superior owing to some features that they have incorporated into either the electronics or the software. I’ve also heard the sensor makers make the same argument.
So I’m curious to know what experience other people have had. Does it really matter what brand of camera you use, or are they all the same?
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I think I have to explain my motives behind this "irrelevant" statement.
In robot picking applications, pure technical camera performance isn't always top priority, because requirements aren't too high:
1. Image framerate is very slow, it can be something like 0.5 - 1 second between images, or even slower if photo sensor is used to trigger camera "on demand".
2. Image quality is not the greatest concern. If the illumination is right, you get the distinction between black and white (or between any other color when there's enough contrast), which is often enought for simple position detection applications.
3. There's no usually unique features in cameras which could be used in this kind of applications. Smart cameras are of course different.
The camera manufacturer comes in concern if the products are not as stable as one expects standard industrial equipment to be, eg there's overheating problems or electric interface is not robust enough. Also the software interface needs be usable, but once that's has been implemented I bet most "good name" brands will work without problems.
When I see interesting vision application things I find interesting are:
1. What's software/algorithm used
2. What's the performance, how much time for analyzing one image
3. How the lights are designed, what kind of lights are used
4. What are the limitations, what the vision system can detect and what it cannot detect
5. What's the resolution, what kind of lens is used.
6. How powerful hardware is needed for image processing
7. The price, maybe for earch component if they're sold separately.
The CCD/CMOS and the electronics around it is only fractional part of whole system. Of course the camera should be up to standards and flawless, but after all camera brand has not been an issue for me. Usually they just work, or I haven't bumped into any problematic cameras.
"Same anonymous as before"
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