Camera as the instrument: the rising trend of vision based measurement

Due to continuing and rapid advances of both hardware and software technologies in camera and computing systems, we continue to have access to cheaper, faster, higher quality, and smaller cameras and computing units. As a result, vision based methods consisting of image processing and computational intelligence can be implemented more easily and affordably than ever using a camera and its associated operations units. In this article, we take a look at this rising trend and how cameras and vision are being used for instrumentation and measurement, and we also cast a glance at the metrological gauntlet thrown down by vision-based instruments.