To sustain the growth of technology, the use of lenses and optical imaging for manufacturing has been standard on the factory floor for more than 60 years. Early on, manufacturers of close tolerance products depended on a highly skilled technician to acquire non contact magnified images and take simple measurements. Those applications were analog, the computer was the brain of a person, motion was controlled by hand and the image receptor was the eye of the craft man or a film camera. Memory was the notes on the log sheet with a number two pencil. The optical comparator and microscope were the primary tools used to magnify the image of the part feature. The operation of optical instruments almost always follows the applications steps of image, measure, analyze, move and repeat. The sequence has not changed much over time. But, since 1980s, each of these individual steps has been steadily enhanced by the advent of the personal computer. Non contact video measuring systems are one example of a product that has improved these process steps. Video-based products used the PC and computer numerical control mechanics to automate these repetitive functions and improve productivity. Up to date advances in optical imaging, computers and wireless communications are creating a new digital-to-data revolution that affects how products are manufactured. Digital products are everywhere.

Devices such as cell phones, jump drives and digital cameras that run them, fuel the appetites of people for cheaper, better and faster products. To meet these insatiable customer needs, suppliers continuously create new manufacturing processes and products with improved performance at a lower cost. But where does it go from here? When it comes to technology, it starts again, redefined in another form, in another new product. Video measuring grew as a hybrid mix of several products including the PC, coordinate measuring machines, measuring microscope, optical comparators and the TV camera. The advantage of these instruments is in allowing the PC to do a good job at increasing speed of motion and analyzing video edge detection. Variation induced by human interpretation also is greatly reduced with the VMS, particularly during measuring and analysis. CNC stage and auto focus, also controlled by the PC, increase the speed of image acquisition as well as repetitive moves. With this automation, optics, computers and CCD devices are programmed to measure parts quickly and accurately. During the past 15 years, the use of these tools in manufacturing has grown exponentially. Growth continues to accelerate because of the rapid advances in computer speed, memory, digital camera and lens designs. Coordinate video measuring and non contact inspection has been validated by the video generation. On The next stage, manufacturers are producing parts with smaller and more precise features than ever before.

To keep pace, the video-based measuring instruments must move to the next level and improve precision, capabilities and digitally communicate larger amounts of high-resolution data. Suppliers of optical and video measuring instruments face the challenge to develop digitized image processing, increase optical resolutions, improve lens and illumination designs, increase mechanical precision and improve Z-axis measuring capabilities to make necessary changes. Computers that accompany these tools must have speed, large memory and intelligent software with a graphical user interface capable of connecting people effectively with the data they need. The optical lens systems for those early video measuring instruments were designed primarily to produce high contrast images so the PC could process a repeatable edge because PC frame-grabber boards often required high contrast to work accurately. This no longer is the case. The newer frame-grabber image boards have been improving swiftly over time, and the PC now can read low contrast edges and give great results. Because contrast and the frame-grabber board no longer are such a limiting factor, high resolution becomes the dominating specification to press on optical measuring to the next level.