Fast Object Counting with an Event Camera

Abstract

This paper proposes the use of an event camera as a component of a vision system that enables counting of fast-moving objects – in this case, falling corn grains. These cameras transmit, in an asynchronous manner, information about the change in brightness of individual pixels and are characterised by low latency, no motion blur, and correct operation in different lighting conditions, as well as very low power consumption. The proposed counting algorithm processes events in real time. The operation of the solution was demonstrated on a stand consisting of a chute with a vibrating feeder, which allowed the number of falling grains to be adjusted. The objective of the control system with a PID controller was to maintain a constant average number of falling objects. The proposed solution was subjected to a series of tests to determine the correctness of the developed method operation. On their basis, the validity of using an event camera to count small, fast-moving objects and the associated wide range of potential industrial applications can be confirmed.