What Is Visual Inspection? | IBM Eda Kavlakoglu Business Development + Partnerships IBM Research What is visual inspection? Visual inspection is a technique for detecting defects by using the naked eye to ensure that equipment is working properly or that manufactured products are being made to specification. This can include visual inspections done in person or remotely by using digital images. The evolution of visual inspection Inspecting equipment, products and materials with the human eye is the oldest and simplest form of visual inspection. It is still used today in manufacturing, the energy industry and the medical field because it is effective for detecting surface-level defects. In the pre-digital era, inspectors were trained to identify defects, sometimes with the naked eye, and in other cases, by using the simplest of tools, such as lights and magnifying glasses. With the advancement of portable, high-quality cameras and drones, visual inspection has evolved to a new stage. Today, companies collect digital images and videos of machinery, manufactured products and other aspects of physical operations to conduct visual inspections. Inspections with video footage and imagery can be done in real-time from a remote location or reviewed later once the camera collecting imagery has been retrieved. Software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) is also used today for visual inspection automation. By “teaching” a computer to read images and determine when they meet acceptable standards, companies can automate the visual inspection process, saving time and sometimes, improving accuracy. This might range from identifying corrosion on the tops of wind turbines to identifying faulty connectors within products’ electronics. One example of integrating AI into visual inspection systems is in the automotive industry. Today’s car manufacturers use images and deep learning to quickly and consistently identify defects earlier in the production process. With this technology, also known as intelligent visual inspections, organizations can conduct inspections faster, more accurately and cost-effectively across a wide range of environments. By employing machines to conduct visual testing, companies can keep people out of hazardous areas and confined spaces, such as storage tanks, protecting the safety of workers without sacrificing the benefits of visual inspection. The latest AI trends, brought to you by experts Get curated insights on the most important—and intriguing—AI news. Subscribe to our weekly Think newsletter. See the IBM Privacy Statement.