A Method to Create Stable Lighting and Remove Specular Reflections for Vision Systems

A lighting system and method has been developed which has shown in testing to allow quality images to be obtained that are free from two particular problems, specular reflections on the subject, and light intensity variation. These problems both diminish the ability to compare objects for attributes such as colour variation, edges, contours, and many other features. The system developed eliminates specular reflection by using the cross-polarisation configuration, and reduced flickering due to fluctuations in the power supply to negligible levels by constructing a high-power DC source capable of providing sufficient 12 Volt power. These two improvements create an environment suitable for taking high-quality, noise free images at high shutter speeds for the purpose of assessing the quality of strawberries moving on a real-time production line.