Vision-Based Protective Devices

Machine Safety is a growing technical discipline with a strong basis in the development of electrical and electronic devices, commonly known as Safety Protective Devices (SPDs). SPDs are designed to avoid or at least mitigate those risks associated with a particular human-machinery interaction. Ranging from conceptually simple electromechanical Emergency Stop Devices (ESDs) to the more complex Active Optoelectronic Protective Devices (AOPDs), a place for Real-Time Digital Video Processing has recently been open for research in Machine Safety. This chapter is intended to explore the standardized features of the so-called Vision-Based Protective Devices (VBPDs), their current technical development and principal applications in Machine Safety, with a stress on prominent vision-related implementation issues.