<p>Aiming at the current high-speed real-time inspection demand faced in the production of filter rods with cores and the limitations of traditional quality control methods, this study proposes a high-speed online inspection method based on machine vision. As the production speed of filter rods increases, the traditional inspection methods cannot meet the real-time and accuracy requirements in a high-speed environment, while the restricted production environment and more disturbing factors lead to an increase in the detection error. Therefore, this paper proposes an efficient visual inspection method, which combines the ellipse fitting algorithm to accurately obtain the coordinates of the filter rods and their mandrel centre points, and evaluates the mandrel deviation through the Euclidean distance calculation to judge the product qualification. The experimental results show that the system is capable of inspecting at a rate of 4200 pcs per minute in a complex environment with a defect detection rate of more than 95%. The technology significantly improves the inspection efficiency and product quality of the filter rod production line, providing a reliable intelligent inspection solution for the filter rod manufacturing industry.</p>