Abstract: A machine vision system has an illumination head (1) with seven rings of LEDs 2-8, each having a different elevational angle. Each ring is configured with a particular current level, thereby setting its intensity. Rings 3 and 4 are green and blue, the other rings being red. A controller controls illumination by varying one or a combination of elevation, azimuth quadrant (or 45° octant), intensity, and colour. For example an image may be captured with fully surrounding, North quadrant, South quadrant, East quadrant, and West quadrant illuminations. Alternatively, there may be both North-South illumination for one image and East-West for another.

Abstract: In a machine vision system, four images are acquired from overlapping fields of view. There is sub-pixel movement between images of either half pixel or third pixel. The images are combined to provide a single image of higher resolution. The camera and the object are displaced relative to each other by movement of the camera on a gantry system or by tilting the lens with respect to the camera.