Abstract: A luminous source for illluminating targets in e.g. machine vision systems, remote manipulator systems used in outer space, etc., producing nearly constant target luminance as the target maintains various distances from the camera. This is achieved by the luminous source having a dual concentric ring shape of predetermined radii, intensity ratios and radial widths.

Abstract: A method of obtaining on-line data useful in determining the center of area or centroid of a geometrical area of unspecified shape lying in a larger x-y scan field and having its existence indicated by a level discriminated amplitude or intensity or a parameter measurable in the z-dimension comprising; scanning the x-y field in a known raster pattern and obtaining a series of discrete output voltage pulses related to elemental x-y points in the scan field and having an amplitude related to the amplitude or intensity of the said parameter; generating a series of discrete clock pulses related to elemental x-y points in the scan field; obtaining a series of x and y synchronizing pulses from and related to the x-y scan field; establishing in relation to the clock pulses and the x and y synchronizing pulses a smaller x-y scan field in the form of a rectangular window around the geometrical area in the larger x-y scan field, the boundaries as x-y co-ordinates of the said window being known; identifying, from the se