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Today's digital image sensors are used as passive photon integrators and image processing is essentially performed by digital processors separated from the image sensing part. This approach imposes to the processing part to deal with already grabbed pictures with possible unadjusted exposition parameters. This paper presents a fast self-adaptable preprocessing architecture with fast feedbacks on the sensing level. These feedbacks are controlled by digital processing in order to modify the sensor parameters during exposure time. Exposition and processing parameters are tuned in real life to fit with applications requirement depending on scene parameters. Considering emerging integration technologies such as 3D stacking, this paper presents an innovative way of designing smart vision sensors, integrating feedback control and opening new approaches for machine vision architectures.

3D PLUS has developed in the framework of R&D activities a new high-performance and high-resolution CMOS camera head for space applications. With the collaboration of the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), also called French Space Agency, which is leading this development, the 12 Mpixels 3DCM800 Space Camera Head is integrated using 3D PLUS technology and expertise in designing high performances and high reliability electronics modules. This development intends to offer the best compromise for a highly miniaturized, highly reliable, all-in-one optoelectronic module solution for space applications. Particular attention has been paid to ensure radiation tolerance to cover a wide range of application such as planetology, equipment monitoring, in-flight spacecraft navigation and rendez-vous application, and earth observation applications. Technological developments were necessary to overcome challenges such as heat dissipation, and mechanical assembly of complex components, as will be presented in this paper.