Abstract: Design and implementation of a DSP-based vision sensor are presented.The vision sensor uses high-speed DSP micro-processor to capture images,and carries out image processing algorithms locally.After making a decision,it directly transfers the result to the control system to execute the actions.Therefore,the need for high-bandwidth communication channels for transferring huge image data is avoided,and the performance of the system is then enhanced.Using embedded micor-processor and socket-based configuration,the developed vision sensor is characterized by compact size,great real-time performance and flexible expansibility.Software libraries for image processing are also supported for second-level development.The developed vision sensor is applied to the welding robot platform,and the experiment validates its practicability in real-world applications.Future work about using the vision sensor on robots is discussed at the end of this paper.