The principles of machine vision

Machine Vision refers to the use of cameras, image sensors, and computer algorithms to equip machines with the ability to "see" and "understand and make judgments." It is widely applied in fields such as industrial inspection, autonomous driving, medical imaging, and security monitoring, enabling machines to recognize objects, measure dimensions, detect defects, and more. 　　Laser technology, with its high directivity, high brightness, and monochromatic properties, has become an essential auxiliary tool in machine vision.  　　Want to learn more about the product, Click to enter.

Laser vision vs. traditional vision:

Typical application cases 

Laser Profile Sensing (3D Line Scan) 
　　The 3D laser profile sensor, based on the principle of triangulation, is one of the most critical areas of laser technology in industrial inspection. Its primary applications include weld seam tracking and contour detection. At its core, the technology relies on projecting one or more light beams onto an object’s surface, then using a camera to capture the resulting images formed by these light patterns. From these images, the sensor calculates the object’s precise three-dimensional shape. Thanks to its non-contact measurement approach, combined with high precision and fast processing speeds, 3D line-scan cameras have found extensive use across various industries—such as industrial automation, logistics, quality control, online measurement, and reverse engineering. 
　　CNI boasts extensive industry experience and offers reliable, high-quality line laser modules with exceptional optical performance. These modules achieve a light uniformity of over 90%, backed by more than 200 prism options tailored to meet diverse distance and precision requirements across various applications. With advanced testing capabilities, CNI ensures robust control over performance metrics at every stage—from incoming materials to production processes. Additionally, we provide customized laser modules to suit specific customer needs, along with comprehensive laser solutions designed for real-world application scenarios.

Laser Profile Measurement	PGL Series Structured Light Laser

Laser Calibration

　　Calibrating a laser requires precise alignment and targeting. The output beam patterns include linear lines, crosshairs, parallel lines, circular rings, dot matrices, and more. Linear-line lasers are commonly used in industries such as woodworking, metalworking, and textiles—applications like band saws, crosscut saws, bending machines, and various cutting tools—or on production lines to accurately define edge contours. Meanwhile, crosshair lasers reliably mark points for drilling or other machining steps, while the circular beam pattern also simplifies the precise positioning of round objects.

Defect Detection for Wafers and Solar Panels 
　　Defects in silicon materials used for wafers and solar cells include microcracks, saw marks, scratches, edge defects, and inclusions, among others. Machine vision systems detect these imperfections, ensuring the performance of downstream processes and improving the yield of finished products. 
The success of an automated optical inspection system largely depends on the quality of the illumination light used. Matching the correct wavelength and power, as well as ensuring uniform light distribution, is critical for the system's detection accuracy. CNI offers high-power, highly uniform lasers at 266/320/355/405/450/808 nm, enabling efficient inspection of wafers and solar panels.

Solar Panel Defect Detection	Parallel-architecture laser

Laser-illuminated camera fill light

　　High-speed photography demands rapid and precise exposure, and laser light sources deliver intense, instantaneous illumination—perfectly meeting the lighting requirements of high-speed imaging. Additionally, the highly directional nature of laser light minimizes the impact of scattered light, resulting in images that are sharper and crisper. Laser-based high-speed camera fill lights are widely used in fields such as scientific research and industrial inspection. 
The application requires a high-brightness, highly uniform laser source capable of delivering a straight-line output with a flat-top energy distribution across its surface. The wavelength range spans 375–980 nm, offering high power, even beam profiles, and eliminating speckle artifacts—ensuring superior image quality.

Laser-based Remote-Assisted Illumination	Fiber-coupled laser

Railway and Traffic Detection

　　CNI's RGB multi-wavelength beam-combining series and single-wavelength high-power 808nm lasers are widely used in rail and traffic inspection applications. By leveraging laser-based measurement techniques, these systems can efficiently detect defects and wear in tracks, wheelsets, and pantograph systems, pinpointing component-level flaws even during vehicle operation. Additionally, they are capable of identifying subsidence, cracks, and other defects in highways and tunnels. 
The rail and traffic monitoring application must ensure that the detection equipment can operate reliably and stably over the long term, even in a variety of extreme conditions such as high temperatures, low temperatures, exposure to sunlight and rain, lightning strikes, and severe vibrations.

Overhead Line Measurement	Pantograph Inspection	Wheelset Inspection
360° Inspection for Urban Rail/Metro	Tunnel Inspection	Road Detection

　　Lasers provide machine vision systems with greater precision, enhanced anti-interference capabilities, and 3D sensing abilities—combining these technologies is driving innovation in fields such as intelligent manufacturing, autonomous driving, biomedicine, and transportation. 
　　You could say that lasers enable machine vision systems to see more clearly, measure more accurately, and respond faster!

Related products for line lasers

Machine vision is an interdisciplinary field that combines optoelectronic measurement and automation, leveraging optical and electronic technologies to replace the human eye in tasks such as measurement and decision-making. With the advent of the smart manufacturing era, machine vision products—boasting high precision, exceptional efficiency, seamless data connectivity, and the ability to replace manual labor—are set to deliver immense value to customers. Leveraging our company’s years of specialized expertise, we provide cost-effective line lasers and structured light solutions tailored for machine vision applications. Additionally, we offer customized machine vision system services to meet the unique needs of our clients. 
Machine vision-specific lasers: line lasers, diffraction patterns Click to download the parameter page ), high-power line lasers/structured light, high-power illumination, and line-width fill lighting

Features:

• High straightness, excellent line uniformity
• Ultra-compact and easy to integrate
• Output power can reach up to 150W
• Different diffraction patterns are optional.

Applications of Laser Devices Dedicated to Machine Vision

Car Production Compression measurement Medical Transportation Wood processing plant Steel production

Microelectronics  Food inspection Glass Inspection Contour Detection In-depth inspection Surface Defect Detection Linear array camera illumination

Single-mode laser

A single-line laser (module) is a laser device that generates a uniform-power-density, highly linear, and stable laser output in a straight line, produced by a point light source through a linear generator. This product is widely used in applications such as 3D scanning and measurement, dimensional inspection, angle measurement, flatness assessment, position welding, and PCB chip detection.

Changchun New Industry offers line lasers and structured light solutions in a variety of wavelengths (405–1550 nm) and power levels. Designed for easy integration, these products feature a highly reliable architecture that seamlessly pairs with diverse vision systems, enabling a wide range of machine vision applications to meet customers' specific needs.

Product specifications:

Note                  

1. If you haven’t found a product that meets your requirements, please let us know your needs, and we’ll design a customized solution tailored specifically for you.

2. The external dimensions can be customized according to the user's requirements.

  High-Power Line Laser / Structured Light Laser

  High-power line lasers and structured-light lasers feature narrow linewidths and uniform energy distribution, enabling them to deliver exceptionally high output power. This series of lasers is designed to generate a precise, straight reference line, making it ideal for applications such as alignment, precision machinery, construction, and manufacturing industries. These products are widely used in 3D measurement and analysis, as well as in critical infrastructure monitoring tasks like tunnel inspection, bridge assessment, and railway track evaluation.

Changchun New Industry can provide line lasers and structured light solutions covering all existing wavelengths and power levels. We offer customers lenses with full angles of 5°, 7°, 10°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, 90°, and 100°, tailored to meet a wide range of application needs.

Product specifications:

High-power lighting, line-width fill light

The fiber-coupled laser system integrates the laser source, fiber-coupling optics, laser power supply, and temperature control within a single housing. It delivers a uniform beam profile at the fiber end, offering high brightness—making it ideal as a background light source for high-brightness laser welding and high-speed imaging applications. The system allows coupling between the fiber tip and a linear generator, boasting high power output, excellent beam linearity, and continuously adjustable line width. Additionally, the linear generator can be customized to meet specific customer requirements. Customers also have the flexibility to select the wavelength based on their application and the material being inspected.

The fiber-coupled laser system, renowned for its stable performance and high reliability, is widely used in applications such as long-distance transmission, road inspection, railway monitoring, tunnel detection, and other fields like materials testing and scientific research.

Product specifications:

CR/G/B-I Series Straight-Line Tools 

This laser boasts features such as low noise, high straightness, excellent line uniformity, and superior stability, making it suitable for a wide range of environments. 
Users can select red, green, blue, or purple wavelengths depending on the application and the material being tested. 
The CR/G/B-I series of linear lasers offer stable performance and high reliability, making them ideal for professional applications in inspection fields such as roads, railways, tunnels, and high-speed rail systems.

Model	Features	Parameter Page
C R / G / B -I	• Output power up to 1W  • Digital modulation up to 500kHz  • Wavelengths from 405 to 660 nm  • RMS (20 Hz to 20 MHz) < 0.5%