One variation of an optical inspection kit includes: an enclosure defining an imaging volume; an optical sensor adjacent the imaging volume and defining a field of view directed toward the imaging volume; a nest module defining a receptacle configured to locate a surface of interest on a first unit of a first part within the imaging volume at an image plane of the optical sensor; a dark-field lighting module adjacent and perpendicular to the nest module and including a dark-field light source configured to output light across a light plane and a directional light filter configured to pass light output by the dark-field light source normal to the light plane and to reject light output by the dark-field light source substantially nonparallel to the light plane; and a bright-field light source proximal the optical sensor and configured to output light toward the surface of interest.

A method and system for automated in-line inspection of optically transparent material is disclosed herein. The method includes illuminating a top and bottom surface of the optically transparent material with at least one sheet of light and then generating an image based on light that is received by an imaging device. The image that is generated may either be a bright field image or a dark field image.

Accuracy of detecting abnormalities on the surface of a workpiece is improved. An appearance inspection apparatus for inspecting the appearance of a workpiece is provided. The appearance inspection apparatus for inspecting the appearance of the workpiece includes a first lighting unit that irradiates the workpiece with light, a first imaging unit that images the workpiece irradiated by the first lighting unit, a first detection unit that detects a first defect from an image captured by the first imaging unit, a second lighting unit that irradiates the workpiece with light, a second imaging unit that images the workpiece irradiated by the second lighting unit, and a second detection unit that detects a second defect from an image captured by the second imaging unit. The first lighting unit uses coaxial epi-illumination, and the second lighting unit uses coaxial epi-illumination and dome illumination.

A method for detecting lens cleanliness of a lens disposed in a flat-field optical path, the flat-field optical path including a light source, the lens, a camera, the light source is a narrow-band multispectral uniform surface light source, the camera's light-sensitive surface is disposed perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens and in the light position of the lens, the method including collecting the bright-field image data and dark-field image data in a plurality of spectra through the lens; for each pixel, performing a spectral differential flat-field correction operation to yield a plurality of spectral differentials; and displaying the spectral differentials in the form of a plurality of images to show a uniformity of each of the plurality of images, wherein a non-uniform area on each of the plurality of images is determined to have been caused by an impurity of the lens.

A method for detecting lens cleanliness of a lens disposed in a flat-field optical path, the flat-field optical path including a light source, the lens, a camera, the light source is a narrow-band multispectral uniform surface light source, the camera's light-sensitive surface is disposed perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens and in the light position of the lens, the method including collecting the bright-field image data and dark-field image data in a plurality of spectra through the lens; for each pixel, performing a spectral differential flat-field correction operation to yield a plurality of spectral differentials; and displaying the spectral differentials in the form of a plurality of images to show a uniformity of each of the plurality of images, wherein a non-uniform area on each of the plurality of images is determined to have been caused by an impurity of the lens.

The invention relates to a method for checking a printing cylinder for defects in an engraved cylinder surface of the printing cylinder, comprising the steps: capturing a first and at least one further digital image of a cylinder surface of a printing cylinder by means of an optical capture unit, wherein the cylinder surface is cleaned before capturing the at least one further image, comparing the digital images each with a digital engraving master of the printing cylinder, the comparing comprising: determining deviations between each of the digital images and the digital engraving master, and checking the determined deviations for matching deviations between the digital images,
wherein a pseudo defects is concluded if no matching deviations between the digital images have been detected when comparing, and wherein an engraving defect on the printing cylinder is concluded in the case of matching deviations. Furthermore, a corresponding arrangement is described.

A method and device recognize and analyze surface defects in three-dimensional objects having a reflective surface, in particular motor vehicle bodies. In which method the surface defects are identified by the evaluation of an image, recorded by a camera in the form of a raster image of pixels, of an illumination pattern projected by a first illumination device onto a part of the reflective surface using a two-dimensional raster coordinate system. The surface defects are identified exclusively using two-dimensional image information with the aid of image processing algorithms without the need for “environmental parameters”, and complex geometric calculations can be omitted. The solution is fast and robust and can be carried out using differently configured first illumination devices, which makes it suitable for mobile applications, for example as a hand-held module. It is also made possible for the method to be optimized by a “deep learning” strategy.

A system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium are provided for tuning sensitivities of, and determining a process window for, a modulated wafer. The sensitivities for dies of the modulated wafer are tuned dynamically based on a single set of parameters. Further, the process window is determined for the modulated wafer from prior determined parameter-specific nominal process windows.

The present disclosure generally relates to machine vision systems, illumination sources for use in machine vision systems, and components for use in the illumination sources. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to machine vision systems incorporating multi-function illumination sources, multi-function illumination sources, and components for use in multi-function illumination sources.

A surface inspection system (10) for inspecting the surface of sheet elements (4) present in an inspection area (20). The system includes an image evaluation unit (18), a camera (12), a dark-field illuminator (14) and a bright-field illuminator (16). The image evaluation unit (18) subtracts a line image captured under bright-field illumination conditions from a line image captured under dark-field illumination conditions. A method of identifying highly reflective surface areas on a sheet element (4) being moved through a sheet element processing machine, wherein first a line image (I.sub.16) of the surface of the sheet element (4) in the viewing area (20) is captured under bright-field illumination conditions and a line image (I.sub.14) of the same surface of the sheet element (4) in the viewing area (20) is captured under dark-field illumination conditions, and then the two line images (I.sub.14, I.sub.16) are compared, in particular subtracted from each other, wherein the surface is identified as being reflective if the difference (S.sub.n) between the two line images (I.sub.14, I.sub.16) is above a predefined threshold.