Single-chip image sensors with a digital processor array

The architectures, implementation and applications of two smart sensors, LAPP and PASIC, are described. The basic idea of these two designs is to integrate an image sensor array with a digital processor array in a single chip. The integrated camera-and-processor eliminates the bottleneck of sequential image read-out that characterizes conventional systems. They provide fast, compact and economic solutions for tasks such as industrial inspection, optical character recognition and robot vision.