Book excerpt: A smart camera is an integrated machine vision system which, in addition to image capture circuitry, includes a processor, which can extract information from images without need for an external processing unit, and interface devices used to make results available to other devices. This book provides content on smart cameras for an interdisciplinary audience of professionals and students in embedded systems, image processing, and camera technology. It serves as a self-contained, single-source reference for material otherwise found only in sources such as conference proceedings, journal articles, or product data sheets. Coverage includes the 50 year chronology of smart cameras, their technical evolution, the state-of-the art, and numerous applications, such as surveillance and monitoring, robotics, and transportation.