Glossary · Machine vision
Strobe lighting
Also known as: Strobed illumination, Flash lighting
German: Blitzbeleuchtung
In machine vision, strobe lighting is illumination that emits short, intense light pulses synchronized with the camera exposure, freezing the motion of moving objects and suppressing ambient light.
- Machine vision
In one sentence
Strobe lighting emits short, bright light pulses in sync with the camera, freezing motion and suppressing ambient light.
Example
LED strobe lighting with 20-microsecond pulses lets the camera capture sharp images of caps on a line running 1,000 bottles per minute.
How it applies
- Engineering: Strobed LEDs can be overdriven for short pulses, producing more light than continuous operation. Pulse timing must be synchronized with the camera trigger. The lighting controller limits duty cycle so that overdriven LEDs are not damaged.
- Operation: Visible flashing can disturb or tire workers; shielding or infrared and other non-visible wavelengths are options. Flash frequencies may matter for people sensitive to flicker.
- Documentation: The documentation team should document pulse settings, trigger wiring and shielding, and address visible flashing or high-intensity light in the operating instructions where workers are exposed.
Strobe lighting vs. continuous lighting
Continuous lighting is simpler and suits slow or stationary scenes. Strobe lighting freezes motion and reduces the influence of ambient light, at the cost of synchronization effort.