On the hardware side, the specifications of a facial recognition application are driving machine vision camera selection. “Monochrome cameras offer better sensitivity to light, so they are ideal in low-light conditions indoors and outdoors,” says Mike Fussell, product marketing manager of the integrated imaging division at FLIR Systems, Inc.(Wilsonville, Oregon). “If someone is strongly backlit or shadowed, cameras with the latest generation of high-performance CMOS sensors really shine in those difficult situations.”
For customers seeking better performance in low light, FLIR offers higher-end sensors that have high frame rates and global shutter. The entire pixel count reads out at the same time instantly, eliminating the distortion caused by the rolling shutter readout found on less expensive sensors, Fussell says.