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As Electronic Component Technology advances, it has become possible to produce systems of vastly increased complexity with fewer components. This is nowhere more apparent than in the field of digital electronics, where a computer of fifteen years ago, comprising many thousands of transistors, has now been replaced by the microcomputer comprising several microchips. Consequently the present day computer is very much cheaper in real terms, and its reliability is also much higher. In many instances, the lo"ser cost and greater reliability of modern systems has resulted in new applications for electronic equipment. In 1981, when the work described in this thesis began, the available image processin9 equipment was very expensive and required ...