A Survey of Automated Visual Inspection

Abstract In this paper, we survey the automated visual inspection systems and techniques that have been reported in the literature from 1988 to 1993. Several earlier systems are also discussed. In the survey, a taxonomy of inspection systems based on their sensory input is presented. The general benefits and feasibility of automated visual inspection are also discussed. We present common approaches to visual inspection and also consider the specification and analysis of dimensional tolerances and their influence on the inspection task(s). One of the recent developments in automated visual inspection, namely the expanded role of computer-aided design (CAD) data in many systems, is examined in detail.