Glossary · Machine vision
Image acquisition
Also known as: Image capture, Image grabbing
German: Bilderfassung
In machine vision, image acquisition is the process of capturing an image and making it available to the processing software, including triggering, exposure, sensor readout and transfer over the camera interface.
- Machine vision
In one sentence
Image acquisition captures an image and transfers it to the processing software, covering trigger, exposure, readout and interface.
Example
A light barrier triggers image acquisition when a part reaches the inspection position, and the strobe fires in sync with the exposure.
How it applies
- Engineering: Acquisition is the first step of the vision chain: trigger, lighting, exposure, readout and transfer. Standards such as GenICam, GigE Vision and USB3 Vision standardize camera control and data transfer. Hardware triggers give more predictable timing than software triggers sent over the network.
- Commissioning: Trigger timing, strobe synchronization and part position are checked with the running line; many vision problems are acquisition problems.
- Documentation: The documentation team should document trigger sources, delays, lighting control and interface settings, and whether images carry a Timestamp or part ID for traceability.
Image acquisition vs. image processing
Acquisition produces the image; Image processing extracts information from it. No algorithm compensates for a poorly acquired image.