Vision systems eye real-time speeds through multiprocessor architectures

Abstract

A new robot-vision system not only gives robots object-recognition and flexible-programming capabilities, but also takes care of the bugs that have plagued vision systems: high price and slow throughout. To cut costs, the system uses a dedicated, highly integrated microprocessor incorporated in an advanced multiple-processor architecture. The multiprocessor vision system is housed in a 7*17*19-inch multiple-card package. To boost speed, it has a systolic-array coprocessor that ups the host's throughput from 1 million instructions per second to 40 mips-20000 times faster than a general-purpose serial computer. This measure of speed is required so that the complex algorithms needed for image processing can be calculated in real time.