Connected-Component Labeling

Blob analysis for robust machine vision

MVTec Software provides powerful features for blob analysis – also known as Connected-Component Labeling (CCL), Region Labeling, or Blob Extraction. This involves extracting characteristics from connected pixels that share the same logical state.

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EFFICIENT BLOB ANALYSIS

Powerful segmentation and analysis of objects

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With a comprehensive collection of operators, MVTec enables flexible and efficient segmentation and analysis of various object features. 

Developers can define blobs of any shape – including non-connected ones – as Regions of Interest (ROIs) and use them for subsequent image processing steps. This significantly reduces computational effort and increases efficiency and execution speed compared to standard shapes like polygons or circles.

Blob analysis is performed in milliseconds, even with complex images containing overlapping objects. A variety of segmentation methods are available, including hysteresis, local, binary, or standard thresholding techniques. Additionally, the software offers more than 20 other segmentation operators. For analysis, around 50 shape and grayscale features are available, including area, orientation, or center of mass.

BLOB ANALYSIS

A typical process involves three steps

1. Image Acquisition: Capturing the image.

2. Segmentation: Separating relevant foreground pixels from the background, e.g., through thresholding.

3. Feature Extraction: Calculating properties such as area, center of mass, or orientation.

APPLICATION EXAMPLE

Robust detection even with low contrasts

The images show tissue particles in a liquid. The bright particles can be reliably identified by selecting bright pixels (thresholding). Even with lower contrast, additional pre-processing steps or alternative methods enable robust detection.

Tissue particles in dark liquid before blob analysis with MVTec software.
Tissue particles in dark liquid before blob analysis.
Blob analysis identifies particles despite low contrast with additional pre-processing steps.
Blob analysis delivers extracted blobs with calculated center points.

APPLICATIONS IN PRACTICE

Our success stories with blob analysis

MVTec HALCON product icon
Automatisierte Transport- und Inspektionsstation für pharmazeutische Ampullen mit Machine-Vision-System von Aspen.
AI-powered machine vision automates quality inspection in the pharmaceutical industry
The pharmaceutical company Aspen is improving the quality inspection of filled ampoules with the MVTec HALCON machine vision software and the consulting and technical support services provided by MVTec. With deep learning methods, the company has sig…
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HALCON
Medical Supplies & Pharmaceutical
Blob Analysis
Deep Learning
Matching
MVTec HALCON product icon
Plastic rings on a conveyor used for automated machine vision inspection.
Closing the Ring – NP Plastics
NP Plastics in the Netherlands manufactures small plastic rings used in binder closing mechanisms. To increase throughput and improve quality, the company deployed a machine vision system with two AVT FireWire cameras, LED illumination, and HALCON so…
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HALCON
Glass, Metal, Paper, Foil & Printing
Blob Analysis
Measuring
MVTec HALCON product icon
Advancing machine vision education at Reutlingen University
At Reutlingen University, Professor Arnd Buschhaus has been integrating MVTec HALCON into the teaching curriculum since 2018. HALCON is used extensively in courses related to robotics and machine vision, providing students with practical experience i…
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Education, Research & Science
3D Vision
Blob Analysis
Classification
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High-speed battery inspection using machine vision.
Machine Vision automates and optimizes battery inspection
A variety of defects can occur during battery production. Averna has developed a method for the automated inspection of batteries that reliably detects all conceivable defects. Here, the machine vision software MVTec HALCON plays a key role.
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HALCON
Battery Production
Blob Analysis
Inspection
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Operating personnel using the PackCheck machine vision solution for quality control in food packaging production.
Machine vision for every taste
The Dutch company PackCheck BV ensures packaging quality in the food industry with a modular solution. Part of the solution is the machine vision software HALCON from MVTec Software GmbH. This enables the company to increase the efficiency of packagi…
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HALCON
Food & Beverage
Bar Code & 2D Code Reading
Blob Analysis
Matching
OCR
MVTec HALCON product icon
Bottle caps inspected by machine vision to verify print quality in beverage production.
Beverage industry: HALCON reliably checks bottle cap imprints
Machine vision offers enormous advantages for quality control applications. High accuracy and speed as well as high flexibility and availability are important for practical use. K&S Anlagenbau GmbH has implemented such an application for the beverage…
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HALCON
Food & Beverage
Blob Analysis
Calibration
Matching
MVTec HALCON product icon
Automatic gas cylinder re-test line powered by HALCON
The Swiss Safety Center AG, a MVTec Certified Integration Partner, is a member of the SVTI Group and thus part of a center of excellence in technical safety and risk management. They offer a comprehensive portfolio of services for industry, retail an…
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HALCON
Agriculture
Food & Beverage
Blob Analysis
Inspection
OCR
MVTec HALCON product icon
Margarine packages transported on a conveyor system during food production.
Machine vision validates printed text – PHILRO Industrial Ltd.
PHILRO Industrial Ltd. uses a vision-based inspection system with MVTec HALCON to detect printing errors on margarine packaging and automatically remove defective products. Basler cameras and sensors check text lines for readability and completeness.
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HALCON
Food & Beverage
Alignment
Blob Analysis
Filtering
Matching
Morphology
OCR
MVTec HALCON product icon
Machine vision checks ice cream – PHILRO Industrial Ltd.
PHILRO Industrial Ltd. developed a vision-based inspection system using MVTec HALCON to check ice cream products for shape defects, breakages, or incomplete pieces. The system enables rapid identification and removal of defective products directly on…
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HALCON
Industries
Food & Beverage
Blob Analysis
Morphology
MVTec HALCON product icon
Vision system inspecting surface mounted resistors for defects like blemishes, cracks, and scratches during production.
Vision system checks surface mount resistors - Envisage Systems
Envisage Systems developed an automated inspection system using MVTec HALCON to assess the quality of surface-mounted resistors on ceramic substrates. The system captures images with a Baumer camera, detects defects such as scratches or cracks, and m…
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HALCON
Electric Components
Semiconductors
Blob Analysis
Matching
Measuring
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Structured-light-based vision system inspects percussion caps – Tekniker
The Tekniker Foundation uses HALCON and 2D/3D cameras for high-speed inspection of percussion caps. Defects such as dents, misalignment, or missing caps are reliably detected – up to 216,000 units per hour.
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HALCON
Machinery
3D Calibration
3D Vision
Blob Analysis
Matching
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Circuit Breakers – Sensata
Sensata Technologies uses HALCON to precisely determine the "snap point" of bimetallic thermal protectors. A GigE camera captures the movement of the bimetal disks in a special oven. HALCON algorithms filter the images, locate the disks, and detect t…
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HALCON
Electric Components
Glass, Metal, Paper, Foil & Printing
Blob Analysis
Filtering
Matching
Measuring
MVTec HALCON product icon
PlayStation 2 controller used as an input device reference in the inspection system context.
The Industrial Inspection System for Board Implementation VARIR, Developed by Sony
Sony EMCS Corporation Kohda TEC is the leading manufacturer of electronic boards inspection systems in the world, and part of Sony, Japan. With products becoming more and more compact and lightweight the production process of electronic circuit boar…
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HALCON
Robotics
Blob Analysis
Filtering
Matching
Measuring
MVTec HALCON product icon
Visualisierung eines People-Counting-Systems am Gebäudeeingang mit 3D-Erfassungsbereich, Ein- und Ausgangsmarkierungen sowie Anzeige zur aktuellen Personenzahl zur sicheren Zutrittskontrolle.
Simple and reliable control of the number of persons within a building with MVTec HALCON
Strelen Control Systems GmbH is a Certified Integration Partner of MVTec with seat in Büttelborn, close to Darmstadt, Germany. The solutions developed by Strelen are suitable for the inspection and analysis as well as for the automation and regulatio…
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HALCON
Security & Surveillance
Blob Analysis
Morphology
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MVTec offers three core products that cover the full range of machine vision workflows. Use HALCON to develop advanced, custom applications, MERLIC to build solutions quickly without programming, and the Deep Learning Tool to label and evaluate training data efficiently.

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