SUMMARYThis paper presents an intelligent robot vision system using TOSPIX which has been newly developed to realize frequently-used and time-consuming image processing functions at low-cost and high-speed. The vision system has been studied for use in observing surface information about electric parts (dry batteries), inspecting them and then placing good ones into a given box. Three major robot vision functions are implemented here: object recognition, inspection and position determination by binary and gray-scale image processing techniques. While binary image techniques are used in battery terminal inspection and box position determination gray-scale image processing functions are performed in a label pattern check on a battery surface, front or rear surface determination, and surface defect inspection.