VISION 2018 Review | MVPro 12 | Dec '18 / Jan '19

CABLES FEATURE AT ALYSIUM

STEVE WOZNIAK CO-FOUNDS VC

LATEST NEWS ON SECTOR BUSINESS

ISSUE 12 - DECEMBER 2018

VISION 2018 REVIEW – LOOKING FIRMLY AHEAD

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CONTENTS

MVPRO TEAM

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EDITORS WELCOME - Farewell Vision 2018

Editor-in-Chief neil.martin@mvpromedia.eu

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LATEST NEWS - Industy updates

Alex Sullivan

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NEWS - A round-up of what’s been happening

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VISION 2018 - Looking firmly ahead

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VISION MARKETS - Who benefits from the latest TKH deal?

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LMI TECHNOLOGIES - Discover the next evolution

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EURESYS - New coaxpress 2.0 vision interface standard

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ALYSIUM - Staying connected

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GARDASOFT - Vision is the real deal for Gardasoft

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IMPERX - Polarization cameras take the stress out of materials analysis

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STEVE WOZNIAK - Becomes co-founder of VC

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VISION BUISNESS - Who’s being doing what

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UKIVA - Machine vision conference and exhibition date and venue announced

Neil Martin

Publishing Director alex.sullivan@mvpromedia.eu

Cally Bennett Group Business Manager cally.bennett@mvpromedia.eu

Sean Welch Sales Manager sean.welch@mvpromedia.eu

Rachel Bray Head of Design rachel.bray@cliftonmedialab.com

Visit our website for daily updates

www.mvpromedia.eu

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MVPro Media is published by IFA Magazine Publications Ltd, Arcade Chambers, 8 Kings Road, Bristol BS8 4AB Tel: +44 (0)117 3258328 © 2018. All rights reserved ‘MVPro Media’ is a trademark of IFA Magazine Publications Limited. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in any printed or electronic retrieval system without prior permission. All material has been carefully checked for accuracy, but no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies.

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FAREWELL VISION 2018 It was good to be back in Stuttgart again and especially it was good to be at a thriving VISION show. It was also our second birthday and a lot has happened since we published the first issue of the magazine.

We’re now planning ahead for the next two years.

Stuttgart is a wonderful city and a great host for the VISION show. This time I spent more nights in the bars and restaurants, enjoying the local food and beer. I also couldn’t resist a selfie in the hotel lift, which seemed to confirm that my hair did indeed depart many years ago and that I exist in many parallel universes.

VISION 2018 looked to be a tremendous success.

The official figures bore that out, as did my own observations as I walked around the event floor. The booths looked very busy and even some of the parts of the exhibition floor which looked a little lacklustre in 2016, seemed more alive this time around. Of course, whether that translates into more orders, or possible orders, remains to be seen, but there was a buzz in the air, which reflects an industry which is currently very optimistic about its future.

I asked one senior industry executive what would be the big changes between this VISION and the next in 2020?

We talked about the growing emphasis on embedded vision, deep learning and the Internet of Things, things we are all aware of, but he also said that there would likely be less companies exhibiting at VISION 2020.

The point being that the consolidation we have seen over the last two years is set to continue and there will be less independent companies around by the start of the new decade. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as one of the consequences of the sector’s success over the last few years has been larger industrial groups acquiring machine vision companies for their various divisions. Look how TKH has just acquired Lakesight (I take a look at this nearer the back of the magazine) It will be interesting to see how this trend pans out in 2019 and if management teams of middle-rank companies will decide this is a good time to take the cash whilst the going is good. It will also be fascinating to see if this puts pressure on the large machine vision companies who do not yet belong to groups, but will need to acquire companies in order to boost their proposition and earnings. We live, as they say, in interesting times.

I’m also aware that this is our last issue of the year, so I would like to wish you an early happy holidays and a great new year. Let’s hope 2019 will be as exciting as 2018. See you next year.

Neil Martin Editor

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Neil Martin Editor neil.martin@mvpromedia.eu Arcade Chambers, 8 Kings Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4AB MVPro B2B digital platform and print magazine for the global machine vision industry RoboPro B2B digital platform and print magazine for the global robotics industry www.mvpromedia.eu

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LATEST NEWS

Matrox Imaging launches major software update with Deep Learning, 3D Sensor Interfacing Matrox Imaging (Montreal, Quebec) has launched Matrox Design Assistant X, the latest edition of its flowchart-based vision application software.

(LLM) from Smart Vision Lights, or others similar. This composite image

Matrox told MVPro Magazine that this integrated development environment (IDE) lets developers build intuitive flowcharts instead of writing traditional program code, and also enables the development of a graphical web-based operator interface for modifying the vision application.

The update integrates a host of new features and functionality, including image classification using deep learning, a photometric stereo tool that highlight surface imperfections, and the ability to interface directly with third-party 3D sensors.

The classification tool leverages deep learning— specifically, convolutional neural network (CNN) technology—to categorize images of highly textured, naturally varying, and acceptably deformed goods.

All inference is performed on a mainstream CPU, eliminating the dependence on third-party neural network libraries and the need for specialized GPU hardware. Matrox Imaging handles the intricate design and training of the neural network, utilizing the deep technical experience, knowledge, and skill of its machine learning and machine vision experts.

A new registration tool features photometric stereo technology, which creates a composite image from a series of images taken with light coming in from different directions. Creation of these images utilizes directional illumination light controllers, such as the Light Sequence Switch (LSS) from CCS, LED Light Manager

emphasizes surface irregularities, such as embossed or engraved features, scratches, or indentations.

Matrox Design Assistant X makes it possible to capture and process depth-map data by interfacing with third-party 3D sensors. Initially, the software will support LMI Gocator line profilers and snapshot sensors and Photoneo PhoXi scanners, with other scanner options to be added in the future.

Other updates and additions include multiple run-times for running multiple independent projects simultaneously on the same platform; dedicated shape-finding tools for locating circles, ellipses, rectangles, and line segments; and addition of a code-grading step.

“This new version delivers on the three cornerstones of our development methodology,” said Fabio Perelli, product manager at Matrox Imaging.

“These are to extend Matrox Design Assistant’s capabilities while incorporating recent evolutions to the underlying vision library and also striving to simplify the overall user experience.”

Matrox Design Assistant X will be officially released in Q2 2019.

Dr Dirk Berndt elected to the Photonics21 Board of Stakeholders EMVA has announced that Dr Dirk Berndt, in his role as a member of the EMVA Board of Directors, has been elected to the Photonics21 Board of Stakeholders.

The Board of Stakeholders is the main decision-making body of the European Technology Platform (ETP) Photonics21. With over 2500 members, Photonics21

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aims to unite the majority of the leading photonics industries and relevant R&D stakeholders along the whole economic value chain throughout Europe.

Dr Dirk Berndt works as Business Unit Manager Measurement and Testing Technology at Fraunhofer IFF – Institute for Factory Operation and Automation in Magdeburg. In his role as EMVA representative in the new elected Board of Stakeholders of Photonics21 he will from now on speak on behalf of the interest of the European Machine Vision Industry.

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LATEST NEWS

New Sales Director DACH at OPT Thomas Feichtner is the new Sales Director DACH at OPT. Sean Wang, Director EMEA of OPT, said: “We are glad to have Thomas Feichtner supporting our already significant growth in turnover of OPT’s illuminations, lenses, industrial PCs, and software libraries in Europe. Thanks to his industry experience, technical expertise, and his outstanding customer orientation he is a great fit to OPT. Our customers may already be looking forward to the collaboration with him and further members of our sales team!”

Last week at the Vision in Stuttgart, OPT Machine Vision appeared with Thomas Feichtner, Sean Wang and eight further sales members.

Feichtner added: “The broad, high-quality, and costeffective product portfolio of OPT Machine Vision opens endless opportunities in sales. In combination with the impressive engagement of OPT’s more than 800 employees, who may develop customized illuminations and optics even for smallest quantities, I am looking forward to leveraging the considerable market potential.”

Basler launches dart BCON for MIPI development kit The development kit consists of a dart BCON for MIPI camera module with a 5 megapixel resolution, a developer processing board based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC, a 96boards.org-compatible mezzanine board and the necessary accessories, such as lens and cables, which users can use to start and test their system structure. The installed board support package, the pylon Camera Software Suite and the driver package for Linux (Linaro), enable a direct set-up of the system without further adjustments.

Basler has launched a dart BCON for MIPI Development Kit with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 for Linux.

The company told MVPro Magazine that the new development kit offers all hardware and software components to get a user’s dart BCON for MIPI camera module up and running. This allows developers to create particularly performance-optimised embedded vision systems without integration costs.

The dart BCON for MIPI camera modules fully utilise the ISP in Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 on a Linux operating system (Linaro).

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Basler said that the dart BCON for MIPI Development Kit offers users the same convenience as any plug and play camera interface, such as USB 3.0.

With the dart BCON for MIPI, the image pre-processing takes place in the image signal processor (ISP) of the host processor. This results in greater efficiency, said the company, and enables lean embedded systems that don’t compromise on image quality. The unique concept behind Basler’s dart camera modules with BCON for MIPI interface is to make the reliable standards and convenient features of the Machine Vision world available for embedded applications with MIPI CSI-2 interfaces as well. Users get an industrially suitable, robust embedded vision system with excellent image quality and no integration costs.

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NEWS

EYEVISION SUPPORTS RANGE OF IP CAMERAS

EyeVision, from EVT, now supports most IP cameras on the market, including Mobotix.

This means that images can be directly loaded into the EyeVision software and a detour via a browser is not necessary.

Due to the IP camera support said EVT, its easier for the user to implement outdoor applications with the EyeVision. For example the reading of a counter reading or the classic IP camera application: the traffic supervision.

Also, IP cameras can give a good overview over areas, which are not accessible for a plant operator.

Therefore for example possible collisions can be avoided and in case of disturbance the error search is made easier. This is very important for the process surveillance in the industrial machine vision.

Therefore the powerful EyeVision is now even more flexible. The user can make use of all functions of the software. And also the intuitive self-explanatory drag-anddrop programming is carried out as usual. All applications such as pattern matching, code reading, object counting, color detection, measurement technology, etc. can now be carried out with IP cameras and the EyeVision software. Completely without programming skills.

BASLER PUTS FOUR NEW ACE U CAMERAS INTO PRODUCTION Four new ace U cameras from Basler, with Sony Pregius sensors IMX287 and IMX273, have moved into series production.

The USB 3.0 models extend the ace U product line in the range of lower resolutions up to 1.6 MP. They deliver up to 525 frames per second.

Both sensors feature the Ultra Short Exposure Time Mode, which enables extremely short exposure times of up to one microsecond (1 Âľs). This makes the cameras particularly attractive, said Basler, for applications with fast movement, such as in the print sector. With their features, the four ace U models are also ideally suited as upgrades for CCD cameras with low resolutions.

The four new ace U USB 3.0 cameras include the feature set PGI, a unique combination of 5Ă—5 debayering, color-anti-aliasing, denoising and improved sharpness.

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NEWS

LUCID EXPANDS ITS GIGE VISION TRITON CAMERA SERIES LUCID Visions Labs (Richmond, BC, Canada), a designer and manufacturer of unique and innovative industrial vision cameras, has added new 3.2 MP and 5 MP polarization models to its Triton GigE Vision camera line.

The 3.2 MP Triton camera features the 1/1.8” Sony IMX265 global shutter CMOS sensor running at 38 fps. The 5 MP polarization Triton models feature the 2/3” Sony IMX250MZR monochrome and the IMX250MYR color global shutter CMOS sensors running at 24 fps. Featuring a pixel size of 3.45µm, the polarization image sensors have four different directional polarizing filters (0°, 90°, 45°, and 135°).

The company told MVPro Magazine that the Triton camera sets a new price performance standard in the industrial camera market. Active Sensor Alignment for superior optical performance, a lightweight, compact 29 x 29 mm size, and IP67 protection make the Triton camera suitable for any industrial environment.

harsh environments without the need for bulky enclosures. All Triton cameras are actively aligned to minimize image sensor tilt and rotation, and to precisely position the image sensor to the lens mount for sharp, crisp images, even in the corners.

“We’re excited to expand our Triton camera portfolio and offer a larger selection of sensors for diverse customer requirements,” says Rod Barman, Founder and President at LUCID Vision Labs.

“Featuring a rugged design for long-term reliability and a very attractive price point, the Triton camera is ideal for a wide range of demanding applications and harsh environments.”

It added that the M12 Ethernet and M8 I/O connectors provide a robust connection resistant to shock and vibration and are protected from dirt, dust, and water. By adding an optional IP67 sealed lens tube, the Triton can operate in

TELEDYNE E2V EXPANDS LINE OF LINCE IMAGE SENSORS Teledyne e2v (Grenoble, France), a developer of imaging solutions, has expanded its Lince family of image sensors with a new 11 Megapixel detector.

the total cost of ownership. The 11M serves as the higher resolution member to the Lince family of high-speed CMOS image sensors offering resolutions of 1.3MP, 5MP and 6MP.

Lince11M is a new CMOS image sensor designed for applications that require 4K resolution at very high shutter speed. This standard sensor uniquely combines 4K resolution at 710 fps in APS-C format.

Key features:

Lince11M can be used for in-line inspection to increase manufacturing throughput, or with strobed lighting, for multispectral imaging, or multi field (bright field, dark field, backlight) imaging.

It acts as an alternative to line scan sensors to improve defect classification where uniform image sharpness across all directions is critical.

The company said that Lince11M takes advantage of the APS-C format and is compatible with standard optics. Its 4K resolution allows users to reduce the number of cameras, helping to lower

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• Global shutter CMOS pixel (6µm x 6µm) • APS-C optical format in 4K resolution • 700fps in 4K resolution, 1400fps in full HD resolution • Large Full well capacity to maximize SNR in shot noise limited application • High peak Quantum efficiency of 60% QE Teledyne e2v is a Teledyne Technologies company.

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NEWS

MATROX IMAGING RELEASES FPGA DEVELOPMENT KIT FOR THE MATROX RAPIXO CXP PRO FAMILY OF FRAME GRABBERS Direct path to FPGA hardware

Matrox Imaging has released the Matrox FDK, a development kit for the Matrox Rapixo CXP Pro family of frame grabbers, based on Xilinx Kintex UltraScale devices.

Designed for software application developers and FPGA designers, the Vivado HLS tool delivers streamlined access to the underlying FPGA hardware. Using C and C++ languages, the Vilvado HLS enables highly iterative, softwareoriented design methods for quick development of FPGA hardware modules from C/C++ source code. This allows developers to utilize FPGA design components—either the provided Xilinx examples or customized versions—without the burden of generating the peripheral logic. Custom- and ready-made Matrox FPGA design components combine easily within the graphical Xilinx Vivado IP Integrator tool.

The Matrox FDK helps developers harness the full power and flexibility of FPGAs for image processing. Used in combination with Xilinx Vivado Design suite, the Matrox FDK supports the development of custom FPGA configurations that relieve the host system of intensive imageprocessing functions.

Supported by leading-edge multi-link CoaXPress frame grabbers

Accelerate creation of custom FPGA configurations

“The FDK gives developers the opportunity to develop FPGA designs and reap the advantages of FPGA processing,” says Mathieu Larouche, product manager, Matrox Imaging. “Moreover, the new HLS tool makes the FPGA accessible to developers that may not otherwise have the hardware knowledge and greatly reduces the development time compared to the traditional Hardware Description Language.”

Matrox Imaging provides a library of ready-made FPGA design components within the Matrox FDK; the FDK also works in tandem with the Xilinx IP library, delivering more than 50 imageprocessing functions and associated source code to streamline application development. With the aid of Xilinx Vivado’s high-level synthesis (HLS) tool, components from either or both libraries compile quickly into compatible building blocks useable within the Matrox FDK.

Matrox FDK leverages the prowess of the Matrox Rapixo CXP family of frame grabbers, supporting version 2.0 of the CoaXPress (CXP) digital interface standard for machine vision applications.

Availability An early-access version of the Matrox FDK will be available in Q1 2019.

NEW CAMPERFORM CYCLONE HIGHSPEED CAMERA SERIES WITH CXP-12 INTERFACE FROM OPTRONIS Optronis has launched one of the first cameras to feature the new CXP-12 interface.

It was first featured at VISION 2018.

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Optronis told MVPro Magazine that the modern series is set to establish new benchmarks in machine vision performance: with four channels and a volume of 12.5 Gbit/s per channel.

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NEWS

With their performance capacity, the CamPerform Cyclone cameras form a distinct series. Depending on the camera parameterization, precise measurements up to well over 100,000 images per second can be achieved.

The CamPerform Cyclone cameras transmit a data volume of 50 Gbit per second. They also use the latest CoaXPress version 2.0 interface, CXP-12. By doing so, the CamPerform cyclone cameras achieve a rate of 50 Gbit/s via four CXP-12 channels. The company added that this data transmission rate brings faster results for 2D and 3D measuring tasks in industrial image processing such as AOI, laser profilometry and additive manufacturing.

The first available models in the CamPerform Cyclone series have a resolution of 5 megapixels at 700 images per second (Cyclone-5-700), or a resolution of 2 megapixels at 2,000 images per second (Cyclone-2-2000). The frame rate of the Cyclone-5-700 can be increased to up to 75,000 images per second at a resolution of 2,560 x 16 pixels, making it particularly attractive for laser triangulation.

“With the CamPerform Cyclone, we are offering an entirely new level of performance in data transmission. For our customers, we are thus expanding our range of high-speed cameras once again by adding an outstandingly innovative component,” says Dr. Patrick Summ, Managing Director of Optronis.

The cameras will be available from Q1/2019.

Dr Patrick Summ, Managing Director of Optronis.

PROF DR CARSTEN STEGER IS NEW SPOKESMAN OF DAGM TECHNICAL COMMITTEE Prof Dr Carsten Steger, Director of Research and co-founder of Munich-based MVTec Software, has been elected spokesman of the Technical Committee of the German Association for Pattern Recognition (DAGM).

He become’s the first industry representative with a distinguished scientific background to hold such a high-profile position in the association’s history.

recognition as well as proposals for the organization of DAGM conferences.

Dr Olaf Munkelt, Managing Director at MVTec, said: “The election of Prof Dr Steger demonstrates our company’s solidarity and willingness to collaborate with the scientific community. It is also a clear sign of our technology leadership in the machine vision industry. Therefore, we are very pleased with this nomination.”

Steger manages the research department at MVTec. He has also served as an honorary professor of image understanding and machine vision at the Department of Informatics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) since 2011. He has more than 25 years of experience in computer science and machine vision.

DAGM focuses on research and promotion of scientific work in the field of pattern recognition, the exchange of experience and the joint discussion of scientific and technical questions throughout the field of pattern recognition.

The annual German Conference on Pattern Recognition (GCPR) is the most important instrument furthering these goals. The Technical Committee is responsible for suggesting future research topics. Its objective is to develop new perspectives for trendsetting work in the field of pattern

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NEWS

FRAMOS PARTNERS WITH RHONDA SOFTWARE FRAMOS has partnered with Rhonda Software as part of it strategy to strengthen embedded vision development.

FRAMOS has added Rhonda Software to its trusted supplier and partner network to complete its embedded vision and module offering.

Rhonda Software is one of the primary product development companies for Ambarella based ISPs, SoCs and SoMs, to support customers with facilitated and accelerated platform options to develop cutting-edge vision solutions.

Rhonda Software is a software and hardware design house with a focus on embedded solutions in the areas of imaging, multimedia and Connectivity.

Established in 1995, the Chicago headquartered company owns decades of engineering experience and a history of hundreds of camera products.

The Ambarella design partner employs 100+ engineers and experts in still and video processing, connected devices, computer vision, cloud services and mobile applications. Offering numerous features out-of-the-box, like UCV streaming, Bluetooth and BLE connectivity, various camera control options, dual imager support, Raspberry Pi integration and a very small footprint, the Rhonda solutions that includes their camera SDK built on top of the low-level

Ambarella system support package (SSP) allows customers to speed up development cycles of complex custom cameras and embedded systems.

Darren Bessette, Category Manager Devices at FRAMOS, said: “We are extremely happy to collaborate with Rhonda Software, their technologies and products are an optimal addition to our portfolio of imaging solutions, ranging from sensors to systems, that support our customers with developing high-end embedded vision solutions with a short time-to-market. Customers benefit by accessing their SoCs and SoMs and Rhonda’s API solutions while directly working with Ambarella to seamlessly integrate imaging processing into vision modules.”

Andrey Mischenko, CEO of Rhonda Software, added: “We are very pleased to have entered into this technological partnership with FRAMOS. Our Embedded Vision products are designed for forward-thinking OEMs and developers with demanding needs. With their professional expertise in imaging technology, helping engineers to build machines that see, FRAMOS has also positioned itself as a forwardthinking machine vision industry leader. Additionally, this collaboration offers great benefits to Ambarella users and vision developers to shorten their time-to-market. We look forward to a very close and long-term relationship which will benefit our mutual customers.”

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VISION 2018 Looking firmly ahead MVPro Magazine editor Neil Martin takes in the latest machine vision fest in southern Germany and likes what he sees.

The VISION show, the machine vision industry’s bash which takes place every two years near the charming City of Stuttgart, rarely disappoints and this year’s event was a cracker.

STATS AND BACKGROUND The traditional first day press conference saw an upbeat statement from the organisers Messe Stuttgart, declaring that VISION 2018 is “...bigger, more international, more dynamic...” and is “... the leading world trade fair for machine vision.”

As predicted, the event broke a number of records with some 11,106 professionals visiting the event in Stuttgart, an increase of 14% compared to the previous event.

This is a new visitor record and the proportion of visitors who came to VISION Stuttgart from abroad rose to a record 47%

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Dr Klaus-Henning Noffz (above), CEO of Silicon Software and President of the VDMA Machine Vision sector group, said: “VISION is the world’s leading trade fair in the sector and was the pulse for machine vision for three days. In particular, the quality of the discussions and the great visitor interest in concrete solutions are impressive.

“Machine vision technology has long since established itself as the ‘eye’ and data supplier for Industry 4.0 and countless non-industrial application areas. The innovative strength and dynamism of the industry are promising, so we are already excited to see what VISION 2020 has in store from 10 to 12 November.”

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Other figures which were released revealed more about the show.

capture of new sales markets and application areas outside the factory environment.

For example, 472 exhibitors from 31 countries presented their products and services in Stuttgart.

The corresponding figure in 2016 was 440.

The organisation said: “This development can already be felt. The VDMA Machine Vision sector group stated, for example, that the share of turnover of the German machine vision industry in nonindustrial sectors was already 26% in 2017 while turnover itself rose by 16%. The growth drivers are regarded as the segments of security and surveillance, intelligent traffic systems, and medical diagnostic apparatus and operation equipment.”

The proportion of international exhibitors has also now risen by 3% to 60%, with the most widely represented countries being the USA with 44 exhibitors and the People’s Republic of China with 35 exhibitors. The amount of occupied net exhibition space was the highest ever at over 12,000 square metres.

“We are delighted that our target of 450 exhibitors has been surpassed,” said Florian Niethammer, VISION Project Manager. “This result clearly reflects the positive development of the machine vision industry.“ He added that in addition to the trend towards more internationalisation, the large number of new exhibitors (25%) is also an indication of the current dynamism in the machine vision industry. “This fits in with our motto this year, i.e.

BE VISIONARY“, said Niethammer. “An appeal through which we want to encourage exhibitors and visitors alike to continue thinking and acting in future in a brave, visionary and revolutionary way.“

New players and trends

New application areas The VDMA Machine Vision sector group, the promotional supporter of VISION, also regarded the development of the machine vision industry as a success story and is expecting stable turnover in 2018.

Dr Noffz again: “Despite all the challenges, the mood in the industry is positive and the growth trend will generally continue. Machine vision is well-established in production and is continually conquering new application areas, also outside the factory environment – permanently in use for improved quality, greater reliability and more security. Embedded vision in combination with deep learning will stimulate further growth.

“Turnover in the German machine vision industry has doubled in the last ten years. Between 2013 and 2017, the industry experienced average annual growth of 13 per cent. Last year alone, the growth rate was almost 18 per cent.“ VDMA also said that the future potential of machine vision lies not only in the worldwide trend towards automation, but also in the

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General Manager Michał Czardybon

Much was made of a number of trends which have been emerging from the industry.

An example of which was Deep Learning solution provider Adaptive. According to General Manager Michał Czardybon, Deep Learning technology is about to make a huge impact in the machine vision industry.

Much was made of a number of trends which have been emerging from the industry.

An example of which was Deep Learning solution provider Adaptive. According to General Manager Michał Czardybon, Deep Learning technology is about to make a huge impact in the machine vision industry.

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Hyperspectral Imaging was another trend at the show

Harel Boren, CEO of Inspekto

Tapio Kallonen, CEO of Specim

Tapio Kallonen, CEO of Specim in Finland, explained: “Until now, the problem in applying Hyperspectral Imaging has been than it can only give a raw data output which doesn’t give a solution to any industrial player yet. The goal of Specim is to make Hyperspectral Imaging easy. We want to remove the barriers and need of special expertise required to apply Hyperspectral Imaging in an industrial environment. Our history is in remote sensing and environmental monitoring with that expertise in the last years we invested heavily in the industrial use of robust cameras.”

He said that their hyperspectral solutions already give added value for clients in the food, waste and recycling industries by improving accuracy and liability in detection of defects and parts. He also regarded VISION 2018 as a success for Specim: “We’ve had many interesting visitors at our stand here at VISION 2018. A lot of them came with their samples in their pocket. That was very exciting as we were able to directly check how Hyperspectral Imaging can help them through testing right at our booth. This alone was justification enough to be here in Stuttgart.”

Also making an impact was first-time exhibitor Inspekto. Harel Boren, CEO of Inspekto, said: ‘‘VISION 2018 has been a revelation. Inspekto launched the world’s first ever Autonomous Machine Vision product at the show and the reception has been incredible.

Our stand was inundated by interested customers for our Plug and Inspect product Inspekto S70.

“The historic approach, using an integrator to go through the lengthy and complex selection of cameras, lenses, lighting and software can take months – our system can be installed in 30 minutes.

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This affordability and immediacy means that QA managers can install the product at several points on their production line, avoiding unnecessary scrap and making savings on their bottom line. We call this Total QA and it has been hugely popular at VISION 2018’

More on Inspekto at the end of this feature

Michael Engel, Managing Director of Vision Components

Michael Engel, Managing Director of Vision Components, touched on the embedded concept: “For us at Vision Components, VISION as the industry highlight is the ideal opportunity to meet our customers and partners and present our new developments. More than 20 years ago, we were one of the first exhibitors to offer smart cameras at VISION. We have consistently continued this ‘embedded’ concept and this year presented our brand-new MIPI camera modules.

“As someone who has been with VISION since its beginnings, I am overwhelmed by this year’s numbers of exhibitors and visitors. They show that machine vision has long since developed from a niche technology to an established and powerful sector. I was once again delighted to be an exhibitor at VISION 2018 and a member of the VISION Award jury”.

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Award The VISION Award 2018 for innovation went to Slovakian company Photoneo for its PhoXi 3D camera.

Worth €5,000, the award is for the most innovative development in the machine vision sector. The highest resolution and most accurate 3D camera in the world, according to the company, is based on the Parallel Structured Light Technology patented by Photoneo, which is implemented by a proprietary CMOS image sensor. For the first time, the technology lets users capture high resolution images of moving objects at a maximum speed of 40 metres per second. Thanks to more efficient deep coding technology with real pixel measurement, the camera achieves ten times higher resolution and precision than competitor technologies.

The start-up Photoneo was founded in 2013 with the idea of revolutionising 3D vision technology.

Within a few years, the initial team of four became a successful company with around 80 employees and a wide worldwide network of distributors and certified integrators. Today, the product

portfolio includes high quality hardware like the PhoXi 3D scanner family, PhoXi 3D camera and autonomous mobile robot, Phollower 100, and various software applications for bin picking.

Explaining its decision to make Photoneo the winner of the award, the VISION Award jury cited the company’s high technological standards and the outstanding innovation of its submission, which reveals a completely new approach to the 3D acquisition of moving objects.

Gabriele Jansen, Managing Director of the M&A consulting firm, Vision Ventures and member of the VISION Award jury, also emphasized the high relevance of the PhoXi 3D camera for machine vision. She said: “The market potential for 3D applications in machine vision is huge. A whole portfolio of different 3D technologies is available for mastering the many different tasks. One technology, however, we have painfully missed so far: the high accuracy snap-shot area scan of large work areas in motion. Now Photoneo has closed the gap and is presenting the market with the Phoxi 3D Camera, a unique product to date.”

Photoneo wins the VISION Award 2018 with its PhoXi® 3D Camera, which achieves maximum resolution and precision with a completely new technology approach. (Copyright: Messe Stuttgart)

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EXHIBITORS On my rounds of the show floor, I visited a large number of companies, some of which I include here in our feature.

MVTec If you mention software in the machine vision sector, one company on everyone’s lips is MVTec, but is the pressure of staying ahead in a competitive sector, getting to them? Not so, said Dr Olaf Munkelt, Managing Director, who was in a buoyant mood about MVTec’s prospects and the sector in general.

Dr Olaf Munkelt, Managing Director

MVTec used VISION to present its entire range of cutting-edge technologies, including the latest iterations of HALCON 18.11 and MERLIC 4 software. It also showcased future-oriented topics such as deep learning, embedded vision, deflectometry, process integration, 3D vision and hyperspectral imaging.

HALCON 18.11 was out to win support with what the company described as numerous improvements and new functions, some of which are based on deep learning, an artificial intelligence methodology.

The software is now out and offers expanded embedded vision capabilities. The release also provides helpful new functions for developers.

On the booth there was a live demo with an UR3e robot, demonstrating an industrial application scenario with HALCON 18.11. The robot arm reached into a collection of objects and was able to locate the position of the relevant object, thanks to HALCON’s matching technologies. The arm precisely removed the object from the crate, recognizing it by means of innovative deep learning functions, and then sorted it.

boards and a smart camera were set a machine vision task. The corresponding cameras were aimed at an analysis object, which was moved horizontally at high speed. This illustrated how quickly and robustly the standard machine vision software works on a wide range of common embedded hardware components.

There was also a demo of the ready-to-use HPeek system image for the Raspberry Pi. HPeek is MVTec’s license-free benchmarking demo program, which is available free of charge and can be used to evaluate HALCON’s performance on Arm-based embedded platforms in real-life applications.

The inspection of objects with reflective surfaces with the aid of deflectometry was also demonstrated. With this method, reflections of known patterns on the particular object surface were evaluated to locate defects. The demo automatically checks different defective objects in two inspection stations and unequivocally localizes the defects with MVTec HALCON. This shows how HALCON can be used to straightforwardly create a complete system for complex inspection tasks - without any special hardware.

MERLIC 4, the new release of the software for rapidly creating complete machine vision solutions, offers a wide range of functions that make machine vision even easier. MVTec said the software has an outstanding new feature: parallelization, i.e., the ability to run separate tools at the same time.

A live demo documented the practicality of this new function by performing different inspection tasks with the aid of two cameras, demonstrating the parallelization feature. It also showed how MVTec MERLIC precisely recognized different fonts on packaging in just fractions of a second, using deeplearning-based OCR technologies. It also illustrated the seamless integration of a programmable logic controller (PLC) into vision systems using MERLIC. The advantageous integration of MERLIC via Hilscher cards was also demonstrated.

A touchscreen demo presented additional machine vision technologies on all aspects of MVTec HALCON and MERLIC, such as hyperspectral imaging and 3D vision.

VISION 2018 also marked the tenth anniversary of MVTec’s “Image Acquisition Partner” program, which is the largest of its kind worldwide.

Another demo showed HALCON’s compatibility with many important hardware standards: three embedded

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STEMMER IMAGING I caught up with Mark Williamson, Managing Director (UK) and Group Marketing Director, who was in an upbeat mood on a packed booth.

At VISION, they showcased state-of-the-art demo systems based on their Common Vision Blox programming library. This a powerful programming library for fast and reliable development and implementation of vision solutions, which has been deployed successfully throughout the world in more than 40,000 imaging applications in various industries.

The two labs, which showcased current and future developments, proved to be particular crowdpullers, said STEMMER IMAGING. The Embedded Lab focused on future possibilities in the field of embedded vision, whilst the Future Lab showcased solutions on topics such as hyperspectral imaging and camera-based assistance systems.

‘STEMMER City’ also offered visitors lots of technical highlights from their partners including Adlink, Automation Technologie, Components Express, CCS, Gardasoft, JAI, Metaphase, Midwest Optical, Mitsubishi Electric, Perception Park, Smart Vision Lights, Xenics and Z-Laser.

Mark Williamson, Managing Director (UK) and Group Marketing Director

SONY Sony Europe’s Image Sensing Solutions division had on show its XCL-SG1240 series of Camera Link V2.0 modules, which utilise a 1.1-type global shutter CMOS sensor to deliver 12 MP images at 20 fps.

The series, which includes colour and black/white modules, adds to Sony’s award-winning line-up of GS CMOS machine vision modules. Sony has integrated several features including area gain, shading correction, burst trigger and PoCL functions.

The cameras are suited to sectors that require exceptional detail even in low (0.5 lx), imperfect or changing lighting conditions.

Sony has highlighted intelligent transport (ITS), factory automation, electronics manufacturing as well as AOI/panel inspection as potential applications.

The company has also developed the modules to enable simple migration from CCD systems,

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allowing for over 1 inch C-mount lens mounts, incorporating the same command control as the XCL-S900 and a Camera Link base configuration.

The modules come with both hardware- and software-triggered synchronisation, with trigger modes of burst, edge detection and pulse width detection.

The XCL-SG1240 series uses the Sony 1.1-type Pregius GS CMOS sensor. The module has been created by Sony’s engineering team to extract the industry’s best image from this market leading sensor.

Arnaud Destruels, European Marketing Manager, Sony Image Sensing Solutions said: “The new module follows months of Sony ISS engineers working with the Sony Pregius 1.1-type sensor and developing a custom module design that extracts the best possible image quality for the machine vision sector.”

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Zero G Cameras are synchronised via the IEEE1588 precision time protocol, with firing timed to match the top of the object’s flight. Also synchronised via IEEE1588 is the imaging chamber’s LED lighting.

Objects enter the imaging chamber from a conveyor belt, which places the component under a polyhedral structure. This is connected to a linear motor which fires the object vertically.

Once captured and in free-fall, the object is caught by the same linear actuator moving to match the object’s speed and prevent impact and off-loaded to a second conveyor belt, or tray.

A fascinating piece of kit was unveiled by Spain’s Instituto Tecnológico de Informática, which is based in Valencia.

Sergio Navarro, head of advanced industrial vision systems at the ITI, said: “Most machine vision systems inspect a part’s surface only, with the component being held by a manipulator or mounted on a guidance system. This limits the analysis to only a particular segment of the 3D geometry or requires mechanical changes for each new batch, which must also be free of mixtures of different parts,” said “The Zero Gravity 3D not only solves these limitations, it offers a versatility as yet unknown in the industrial inspection area.”

It was the first public demo of what is described as industry’s most versatile machine vision inspection system.

The Scalable Zero Gravity 3D system captures images from all angles and has no blind spots.

The system launches an object vertically into an imaging chamber to precisely capture it from multiple angles at the top of its flight.

This process allows manufacturers to run multiple types of components for analysis in a single batch, and to easily switch components being captured without mechanical reconfigurations.

The technique has successfully completed proof-of-concept testing and is now undergoing commercialisation for a 2019 market launch.

The proof of concept technology has been tested running at 50 parts per minute with a single linear actuator, or 80 parts per minute in a dual-actuator imaging capture device change.

Applications include three-dimensional surface reconstruction with textural analysis, as well as surface defect detection, be it a scratch, stain, crack, corrosion, or geometric alteration.

The system is fully scalable to suit the size of components being measured. The ITI’s prototype on display at VISION used 16 Sony XCG-CG510C GigE modules to achieve this. To cater for larger or smaller components, ITI is able to scale the imaging chamber size to fit special needs.

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Xilinx I met Dale Mitt on the Xilinx booth and was given a presentation focussed on the idea of Building the Adaptable Intelligent World, which covered the wide range of the group’s products.

The focus was on how artificial intelligence is driving machine vision markets and how the Xilinx portfolio is geared around these objectives.

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What automotive vision teams have been looking for all along.

Matrox Design Assistant software offers an intuitive, flowchart-based approach to machine vision application development. Hardware flexibility and effective vision tools make this software the right choice for error proofing and tracking applications encountered in vehicle assembly and propulsion systems at major automotive manufacturers and similarly demanding manufacturing sectors.

An efficient and powerful integrated development environment, it can deploy applications to various platforms—including the Matrox Iris GTR smart camera and Matrox 4Sight EV6 vision controller.

Here is what’s new in Matrox Design Assistant X:

New

Matrox Design Assistant X

• Inspection using classification based on deep learning technology • Photometric stereo tool to spot hard-to-see surface irregularities • Dedicated shape finding tools to locate circles, ellipses, rectangles, and line segments • 3D sensor interfacing for processing and analyzing depth map data • Ability to run multiple independent projects on the same platform1

Learn more at www.matrox.com/imaging/DA-X/mvpro 1. Platform permitting

Prophesee Prophesee (formerly Chronocam), inventor of some of the most advanced neuromorphic vision systems, unveiled new capabilities for improving productivity and equipment monitoring in industrial applications.

Enabled by its patented, event-based machine vision technology, the company, which was a nominee for the VISION Award, demonstrated advancements in critical machine vision use cases. These included ultra high-speed counting, real time tracking, man machine teaming and vibration monitoring for predictive maintenance, setting a new standard for efficiency and reliability in industrial automation.

The Prophesee booth featured the latest capabilities of its recently introduced Onboard reference system.

The system provides a guide for developers to optimally implement Prophesee’s neuromorphic vision technology for a variety of applications.

The company has released performance and accuracy specifications for new use cases, including area monitoring, high-speed counting, vibration measurement, or real-time arc welding tracking.

Systems that utilize Prophesee’s event-based vision save significant amounts of computational power, bandwidth, memory and energy.

The company’s solutions are aimed at improving a wide range of industrial uses, including accelerating quality assessment on production lines; improving

Lakesight Lakesight, now part of TKN, was showing at Vision for the first time.

The company introduces its pitch with the line: “From sensor to solution - the full-service provider of smart machine vision solutions with its own products and development teams presents its portfolio.”

It goes onto to explain: “In industrial image processing, users are faced with a variety of specialized component manufacturers, distributors, system integrators and system builders. Therefore, a variety of partners are usually required to develop appropriate solutions.

“Customers who want to benefit from the enormous possibilities of modern image processing technologies must all too often invest a lot of time, expertise, coordination, and money.

With the breadth of in-house products, systems, technology expertise and in-house development teams, Lakesight is the first vendor in the market to serve its customers at all levels, from the design-in of any image sensor to developing sophisticated, all-in-one artificial intelligence solutions.

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throughput, yield and overall productivity; positioning, sensing and movement guidance for robots to enable better human collaboration; and equipment monitoring (e.g. caused by vibration, kinematic deviations) for predictive maintenance and reduced machine downtime.

Prophesee’s sensors and camera systems open vast new potential in areas such as autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, IoT, security and surveillance, and AR/VR. Its solutions improve equipment efficiency, reliability efficiency and user experiences across a broad range of use models.

It was founded within iBionext Start-up Studio (Paris) in 2014 by Ryad Benosman, Bernard Gilly, Christoph Posch and Luca Verre. The quartet brings a strong combination of experience in image sensing, neuromorphic computing, VLSI design, entrepreneurship and business development.

Prophesee is based in Passage de l’innovation in Paris, with local offices in China, Japan and USA, and has a team of 75 visionary and global engineers. It holds more than 50 international patents and is backed by leading international investors including 360 Capital Partners, Supernova Invest, iBionext, Intel Capital, Renault Group, and Robert Bosch Venture Capital.

“This is made possible by the merger of Tattile, Mikrotron and Chromasens to form the Lakesight group. Therefore, both, small device manufacturers, as well as system integrators, system builders, and major international companies have a financially strong and reliable partner with Lakesight, who understands them and can offer appropriate, technically innovative solutions.”

At the Lakesight booth, its subsidiaries presented their innovative strength with numerous new products in the fields of cameras, embedded vision, lighting and vision PCs. The specialist for line scan camera technology, Chromasens in Constance, presented the allPIXA evo, the first line scan camera with Dual-10GigE interface. Depending on the model, it delivers 10k or 15k horizontal resolution at 4 lines and is available in a colour, or monochrome version.

With a line frequency of up to 146 kHz, it enables extremely high web speeds and blends seamlessly into the infrastructure of production facilities thanks to the SFP + interface for 10GigE copper, or fiber optic cables.

The new chromaPIXA line scan camera features and integrated module for color conversion

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into standardized colour spaces such as sRGB or CIELAB in real-time making it ideal for print inspection. For reliable color calibration the software package chromaCalc is included.

The 3DPIXA compact C01-010 is the first stereo camera by Chromasens with a CMOS color sensor, offering an optical resolution of 10 µm, a sample width of 56 mm and a depth resolution of 3.2 µm. Thus, all advantages of the CMOS sensor technology are also available for stereo imaging.

For particularly fast web speeds and short exposure times, high-performance cameras require extremely bright lighting. This is what the Corona series is known for in the market. At the show, Chromasens showed coaxial modules for the Corona series for bright and dark field illumination, as well as two new LED wavelengths in the UV range.

The experts for high-speed cameras from Mikrotron in Unterschleißheim presented four new cameras.

Based on the new and faster CoaXPress V2.0 interface, the EoSens 1.1CXP2 delivers up to 3,600 fps at a 1.1-megapixel resolution. The almost 30 Gbit/s are reliably transmitted over 4 channels with 12 Gbit/s each. Compatibility with some new frame grabbers for CoaXPress 2.0 is already verified.

To support customers and applications that previously worked with CoaXPress V1.1, this camera is also available as CoaXPress V1.1 version, EoSens 1.1CXP, with reduced performance accordingly. As an extension to the already available CoaXPress variants, two additional cameras, the EoSens 3FIBER and EoSens 4FIBER provide 3- and 4-megapixel resolution and were equipped with a new fiber optical interface, which allows fast transmission over up to 300m and offer a cost-effective solution for applications with high interference potential or longer transmission distances.

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In the Slow Motion area, the portfolio has been expanded to include a portable and immediately operational long-term recorder LTR1,3CL for high-speed video recording at 1.3 megapixels, 506 fps and up to 140 min. extended recording time. It is ideally suited for locating and analyzing quality problems in manufacturing, as well as in research and product development.

Tattile, the Italian specialist for Embedded Vision Systems, introduced two applications which benefit from the low power consumption and processing speed of FPGAs and their seamless integration with powerful CPU architectures. The S12MP Smart Camera features a 12-megapixel CMOS Global Shutter sensor from CMOSIS and an FPGA with 125k Logic Elements where 80% are free for application specific algorithms.

This architecture allows to acquire and process images at 300 fps at full resolution with low latency.

Moreover, the FPGA can be programmed via VHDL and the user may implement its proprietary algorithms directly on the FPGA to decrease the load of the CPU. The Linux OS and a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 CPU enable on-camera processing with common third-party software libraries.

The M180 is the successor of the popular M100 GigE Vision Controller based on an Intel core i7 6th generation CPU and Windows Embedded. Six independent GigE ports with PoE allow for multiple cameras connections with maximized performance while the real-time I/Os and encoder input are directly linked to the internal FPGA. This FPGAenhanced embedded Vision PC also provides two video output ports and an PCIe expansion slot.

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Adimec Adimec (www.adimec.com), a world leader in application-specific industrial camera solutions, revealed the specifications of the S-65A35 camera created for the future of PCB inspection.

A product demonstrator of this camera with Gpixel sensor was shown at the GPixel booth. This, ultra high-resolution, high frame rate, camera has what the company calls superior sensor characteristics, delivering greater efficiencies and exactness in machine vision applications. The 65-megapixel resolution, CMOS, global shutter camera captures rectangular images of 9344x7000 pixels at 35 frames per second using the CoaXPress interface. This camera is the next step in throughput and accuracy for real time metrology and inspection applications.

With the feature size of both semiconductor lithography and PCB component defects getting smaller the need for increased resolution in inspection cameras becomes crucial. The S-65A35 supports the detail required for smaller technology nodes as well as increased resolution for next generation PCB inspection. With 3.2 micron pixels the S-65A35 puts more pixels per unit area and thus per unit field of view yielding dramatic improvements in resolution, accuracy and precision. In addition, the noise level is significantly reduced, and the quantum efficiency is improved over the existing solutions providing for increased sensitivity and a dynamic range of 70 dB.

Sample availability for the S-65A35 camera is planned for the mid-2019.

The S-65A35 presents high full well capacity of 12.5 Ke-, along with excellent read noise (2 e-) and low dark current. The image sensor and camera together offer high image quality with optimizations available via camera functionality such as defect pixel corrections and uniformity corrections.

The camera will be upheld to the exacting standards of Adimec cameras providing repeatable image performance camera-to-camera for tool matching and consistent product reliability for best cost of ownership. Camera-to-camera consistency and reliability are supremely important. Along with thorough quality control, a critical aspect of repeatability is precise image sensor mounting and alignment to the optics reducing the mechanical and optical alignment time during customer’s manufacturing of their systems. The S-65A35 is also designed to support high mean time between failures (MTBF) for 24/7 operations through advanced thermal mitigation design concepts.

The cost of development and system impact is minimized when moving from the Adimec S-25 to the S-65A35, as it has been designed for easy change over to support tool requirements to reduce testing costs and sustained productivity.

Ximea Ximea presented their award winning PCIe cameras, USB Vision products and the peripherals that our geared towards embedded, scientific, high speed and high resolution imaging.

For example, XIMEA is expanding the camera lines on offer with multiple new sensors from Gpixel. The CB262 camera model has a high speed PCIe interface to handle the output from Gpixel’s new 26 Mpixel sensor running up to 150 Fps. The Gen3, 8 lane PCIe interface is capable of 64 Gbps speeds allowing the full capability of this sensor to shine through.

The CB654 camera model has the world’s highest resolution Global shutter sensor inside with a small 3.2 µm pixel size and embedded HDR modes. The 65 Mpixel camera delivers 85 Fps for applications where resolution and speed are needed simultaneously. An active EF mount on the camera will allow programmable focus and aperture control for complete authority over the entire imaging chain.

For applications which need very large sensors, the MX377 camera model which was on show will meet

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all expectations. The 37 Mpixel camera has a 61 x 61mm sensor format for scientific applications like astronomy, x-ray imaging, and electron microscopy.

Both front and back side illumination models are available for the most demanding applications.

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Active Silicon Active Silicon had an assortment of its products on display, including a selection of live demos: • Vision Processing Unit, an embedded computer designed for use in industrial or medical OEM applications, demonstrating live acquisition from four USB3 Vision cameras; • the latest Camera Link and CoaXPress frame grabbers including our new 4-link CXP-12 CoaXPress frame grabber and the cost-optimized single-link CoaXPress board;

• its new Harrier series – a camera interface board family which fits neatly onto Tamron, Sony and other auto focus zoom cameras to enable real-time, HD digital video transmission over long cable lengths of up to 700m.

Frans Vermeulen, its Head of Sales and Marketing, delivered a presentation entitled High-speed image acquisition with real-time GPU processing. This was aimed at explaining the pros and cons of processing on a GPU to help you make informed decisions about developing your systems.

• its frame grabbers in combination with a GPU in a live demo, processing data in real-time;

Euresys Euresys conducted a wide range of demonstrations of its latest frame grabbers, image analysis libraries, FPGA IP Cores, video servers and video converters.

This included the ‘future of machine vision interfaces’ with its brand new Coaxlink Quad CXP-12 which transfers data at no less than 50 Gb/s. It also had a live demonstration of its Coaxlink Octo connected to five high-resolution 4- and 1-connection CoaXPress cameras..

For those interested in innovative image analysis technologies, they could check out the performance of its latest Open eVision inspection libraries: Easy3D and EasyDeepLearning.

There was also the chance to learn how to use the MVDK Machine Vision Development Kit to integrate the USB3 Vision, GigE Vision and CoaXPress FPGA IP Cores from Sensor to Image into your imaging device.

It also showed how Coaxlink is used in embedded applications with demonstrations showing ARM compatibility and its ruggedized Coaxlink Duo PCIe/104 board.

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Teledyne DALSA and Teledyne e2v At VISION, Teledyne DALSA and Teledyne e2v, both Teledyne Technologies companies, combined as Teledyne Imaging to showcase their newest and most advanced vision solutions in a combined display including presentations and live demonstrations.

• Linea HS – a high-speed, high-sensitivity 16K CMOS TDI camera, with 300kHz line rate and next generation fiber optic interface for high bandwidth, long cable length, low system costs, and high reliability data transmission;

Key products at the show were:

• Linea ML – new, cost-efficient and powerful, Linea ML 8k line scan cameras. Linea ML offers versatile functionalities with mono/HDR, color, multispectral, and multi-field image capture;

• CMOS image sensors – new image sensors from Teledyne e2v’s Snappy and Emerald series, including 2, 5, 8.9, 12, and 16M detectors that enable fast and accurate digital processing, and combine full HD resolution with a 2.8 µm low noise global shutter for high-speed scanning; • Calibir – uncooled long wave infrared imaging and great flexibility in a compact package.

Adaptive contrast enhancement, shutterless operation, and VGA resolution with multiple output and lens options; • Genie Nano 5GigE – new, the industry’s first 5 Gigabit, GigE Vision area cameras with frame rates equivalent to 985MB/sec with TurboDrive for fast, high resolution imaging over long cable distances; • Genie Nano CXP – a preview of the 25 Mpixel model with the CoaXPress interface offering high resolution throughput equivalent to 2 GB/sec;

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• Piranha4 Colour – a 8k tri-linear color line scan camera, built to deliver cost-efficient, high-resolution imaging for color inspection; • Xtium2 – new, high-performance and fiber-optic enabled frame grabbers support Camera Link HS, CoaXpress (ver 2.0) and Camera Link interface standards. With the Linea ML and Linea HS, the Xtium2 enables the most demanding vision applications; • Z-Trak – Preview the high-resolution, factory-calibrated laser profiling camera designed for industrial applications requiring object height measurement.

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FRAMOS FRAMOS launched their Embedded Vision Ecosystem of sensor modules and adapters.

Designed for a modularized approach to Embedded Vision, the series of FRAMOS products includes sensor modules, module board adapters and processing board adapters for fast and easy development from concept to final design. The FRAMOS EV ecosystem of products provide vision engineers and developers with ready-to-use compositions to speed time-to-market and optimize resources.

Embedded Vision technology often has specific requirements that only a custom solution can solve. The FRAMOS EV ecosystem works as a mix and match tool kit paving an accelerated way building vision products.

André Brela, Product Manager at FRAMOS, explained the concept: “Vision engineers and developers can quickly create a proof of concept, and then evolve it by porting the IP, schematics and board design files into their end product. Built on a very flexible platform, this product line provides capabilities and functionalities to easily evaluate the sensor and its performance on various processor boards, as well as develop the connection and logic components to put all vision-based building blocks together.

Developers can work within the ecosystem from the very first idea all the way to mass production, saving resources and shortening development cycles.”

12 Megapixel. With the mating FRAMOS ecosystem components, the sensor modules are ready to be integrated and can capture images immediately.

Sensor Module Adapter Boards No matter what data interface is provided by the sensor, the FRAMOS FSA series of sensor adapter boards can translate it into a common signaling interface through a standardized FRAMOS connector. For greater development flexibility, the FSA adapter boards are designed to work with both FRAMOS and 3rd party sensor modules.

Processor Adapter Boards The FRAMOS FPA series of processor adapter boards provide the link between the imaging to the processing side. The FPA adapter boards open up the sensor module portfolio to work with a large number of processor development boards, like NVIDIA Jetson TX2, Qualcomm and DragonBoard.

With 37 years of vision experience, FRAMOS supports industrial customers, OEMs, system integrators and researchers overcome the challenges in enabling machines to see. Whether it is about selecting individual components or creating complex vision systems, FRAMOS serves clients with a broad range of components and modular design platforms. Vision solutions can be developed very quickly to help create innovative embedded products and get them to market faster.

Sensor Modules The FRAMOS FSM series of sensor modules is made of pre-existing Sony and ON Semi sensors placed on a PCB with a standardized connector with proper circuit conditioning to get the sensor up and running very fast. The FRAMOS modules also can be ordered with a lens mount and a matching lens. The modules footprint is 26.5 x 26.5 mm, connected via a Hirose 60pin on the bottom side and equipped with 4 holes for mounting the FSM. There are two M12 lens options available as well as a broad range of sensors from VGA resolution up to

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Lucid LUCID Vision Labs, a designer and manufacturer of unique and innovative industrial vision cameras, demonstrated Helios, a new, compact 3D Time of Flight camera with superior depth precision.

LUCID’s Helios ToF 3D camera has four 850nm VCSEL laser diodes and integrates Sony’s new DepthSense IMX556PLR back-illuminated ToF image sensor with high NIR sensitivity, 10um pixel size and high modulation contrast ratio.

The camera can produce depth data at 60 frames per second with 640x480 resolution over a PoE Gigabit Ethernet interface. It is compliant with the GigE Vision and GenICam 3D standard for ease of integration using LUCID’s Arena SDK or third-party machine vision software.

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“Our new Helios ToF 3D camera shows the potential for Time of Flight technology in a variety of industrial applications, including robotic navigation, 3D inspection and logistic automation such as bin-picking and package dimensioning,” says Rod Barman, Founder and President at LUCID Vision Labs. “Improved depth accuracy and precision at an attractive price point will enable many 3D applications to run more efficiently while reducing overall system cost.”

The first models of the Helios camera will be available by middle of 2019.

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Xenics Xenics launched its Manx series at VISION. Based on the XLIN-FC, an in-house developed Iinear detector, the Manx is a high-performance short-wave infrared (SWIR) camera providing high speed and quality line scan imaging. At unprecedented line rates of about 400 kHz, the Manx outclasses the state-of-the-art by a factor of 2.5, becoming the fastest linear SWIR camera available in the world. Achieving new grounds in SWIR imaging speeds potentially paves the way for ever faster inspection processes, increasing daily production capabilities for such applications.

Silicon wafer inspections, TFT screen inspections, food and agricultural produce sorting are some industrial applications that would benefit from this new line of ultra fast linear SWIR cameras.

The Manx is offered in 3 different resolutions of 512, 1024 or 2048 pixels. A 2048 pixel version will be available during VISION, demonstrating its high speed, high resolution imaging capability.

and product development projects, a wide range of solutions are offered, from ready to use full cameras down to camera modules and detectors.

There were also sneak previews of a next generation camera. The Wildcat 640 is an upcoming SWIR area-scan camera, bringing a combination of high quality and high-speed imaging for demanding industrial applications. The new camera achieves excellent image quality thanks to low noise and dark current. Able to image at speeds up to more than 200 Hz, the Wildcat is well suited for applications such as quality control, laser spot detection, and low light imaging where image quality is crucial. The Wildcat is set for release in 2019.

The complete portfolio of infrared cameras were presented on the booth. There was a strong emphasis on machine vision applications this year and there were live product demonstrations on how line-scan SWIR cameras are deployed in industries ranging from F&B (food and beverage) to semiconductor.

Research projects can look forward to discovering the SWIR cameras offered by Xenics. Many of these cameras hold unique attributes, such as the fastest area-scan SWIR camera, the Cheetah series, or the Xeva camera series with its extended response up to 2.5 µm. For system integration

First Light Imaging

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There was a new product for the show, a C-RED 3: High Performance TECless VGA InGaAs camera which is specially designed for industrial applications:

With the C-RED 3, First Light Imaging has expanded its C-RED cameras family, offering a solution for each of their SWIR imaging needs.

• • • • • • •

Also showcased during the show was the C-RED 2, its high speed, low-noise InGaAs 640 x 512 SWIR camera offering “breakthrough” performances: 600 FPS full frame and below 30 electrons RON, for all scientific, industrial and biomedical demanding applications.

600 FPS full frame < 50 electrons RON VGA 15 µm pixels detector for high resolution Electronic shutter <1 µs Perfect for short exposure imaging.

Camera Link or USB3 Compact and low cost

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Allied Vision Allied Vision introduced its first Alvium cameras at VISION. The company’s show slogan was “Rethink embedded vision,” reflecting a clear focus on industrial embedded vision.

Unique System-on-chip for industrial embedded vision The Allied Vision Alvium Camera Series is a camera platform that addresses the limitations associated with current camera modules for embedded applications and offers system designers a previously unknown level of freedom. Powered

by ALVIUM® Technology, a unique System-onchip designed by Allied Vision, the camera series delivers industrial performance to embedded vision. With a large selection of current sensors, intelligent power management and cost-optimized design, the new camera series combines the advantages of classic machine vision cameras with the advantages of embedded sensor modules.

camera. Depending on the demand of the embedded designers, a Direct Register Access is available to get the full control of the camera.

The Alvium 1800 Series – Best of both worlds Following both MIPI CSI-2 and USB3 Vision standards, the 1800 Series can be used for either industrial embedded vision or machine vision applications. With an advanced feature set for image correction and optimization, the camera series combines the advantages of classic machine vision cameras with the advantages of embedded sensor modules. It opens up new ways for users to switch from PC-based image processing applications to embedded systems. Designers can choose out of more image pre-processing and advanced image processing functionalities for their embedded vision application, which can be operated directly on the camera. In addition to Video4Linux2 (V4L2) and Direct Register Access the camera control is feasible via the Machine Vision Standard GenICam, providing access to the world of Industrial Machine Vision for embedded vision designers.

The Alvium 1500 Series – Embedded vision made easy The Alvium 1500 Series is the ideal camera to provide easy hardware and software integration for embedded applications. All models come with a MIPI CSI-2 interface which is the most popular interface for embedded vision application development.

The Alvium 1500 provides a basic feature set.

The software integration can be realized via Video4Linux2 or GStreamer for a simple integration of the camera to the software environment of the embedded system. The configuration of image pre-processing functionalities can be performed directly on the Image Signal Processor in the

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New Mako G model with Polarization Sensor Technology

New Ultra-high Resolution Cameras from Allied Vision

Allied Vision gave its first insights into its new camera equipped with polarization filter technology from Sony.

Also being showcased were two new cameras for ultra-high resolution imaging applications.

The Prosilica GT Large Format camera platform is extended by two ultra-high resolution CCD sensors from ON Semiconductor.

The new Mako G-508 POL camera is equipped with a PolarsensTM 5.0 Megapixel IMX250MZR/ MYR (monochrome or colour) CMOS sensor from Sony. With the new polarizer camera Allied Vision offers a cost-effective tool to unveil features not visible with conventional imaging solutions.

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FocalSpec FocalSpec, a supplier of 3D Line Confocal Imaging (LCI) sensors and systems, highlighted its unique technology combining 3D topography, 3D tomography and 2D grayscale intensity imaging at the show.

3D topography imaging is typically utilized in component assembly inspection and online quality assurance in consumer electronics manufacturing.

In addition, the 3D topography is suitable for surface inspection and roughness measurement on various types of material which include mirror-like, shiny, glossy and transparent samples with surface angles of up to 20 degrees. In case of higher angles, such

FocalSpec offering for consumer electronics manufacturing The imaging speed and accuracy vary depending on the LCI sensor most appropriate for the purpose. The most accurate sensor reaches up to 10nm imaging accuracy and the fastest scanning applications perform with the speed of 5000Hz. The amount of measurement points in one measurement line per second is 2048, independent of the sensor type selected.

as 3D curved glass, the sensor or the sample should be tilted or illustrated with another FocalSpec sensor.

The combination of 3D tomography and 2D intensity imaging can be used for identifying defects such as delamination, scratches or dust on the surface or inside the transparent material.

Contrary to various other types of imaging systems, FocalSpec technology helps in not only seeing the place of the defect and identifying in which layer of the sample the defect is. Also, the dimensions including depth of the defect can be detected.

experienced software developer or integrator for further online application development. Supported software languages include C+, C++, C#, Labview, HALCON, OpenCV and Python. The supported operating systems include various distributions of Linux, and Microsoft Windows versions 7 and newer.

The FocalSpec range of LCI sensors is available for all third-party developers and systems integrators.

FocalSpec 3D Line Confocal Scanner UULA includes ready-made calculation and analysis for the most typical 3D dimensions measurements.

The SDK (Software Development Kit) provided with FocalSpec LCI sensors can be utilized by any

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MidOpt Midwest Optical Systems (MidOpt), a worldwide leader in manufacturing machine vision filters specially designed to enhance contrast and image quality, used VISION to showcase their new ShortWave Infrared (SWIR) Filters and Wire-Grid Polarizers.

SWIR Filters enhance the image quality of InGaAs camera technology for a variety of machine vision applications and are useful for applications imaging from 900-2300nm. WireGrid Polarizers are effective in both the visible and infrared, ranging from 400-2000nm.

MidOpt also showcased the key features of a quality machine vision filter, including wavelength control, passband performance, high transmission, repeatability, and mounting solutions.

Attendees also got the chance to win a free Filter Kit. The MidOpt FK200 Filter Kit featured the ten most popular Bandpass Filters used in machine vision. By using optical filters with white light, the user can determine the wavelength that maximizes contrast and improves the resolution of the feature they want to isolate.

Optronis CamPerform-Cyclone, the new high-speed camera series, achieves an overall data transfer rate of 50 Gbit/s thanks to the new CXP-12 interface and four CXP-12 channels. That means Optronis not only offers one of the first cameras to feature a CXP-12 interface, but also an unprecedented data rate.

With the latest 2.0 version of the CXP-12 CoaxPress interface, about to be launched officially, Optronis presented a camera series that utilises one of the world’s most modern data transfer technologies.

The Kehl manufacturer has also configured the correspondingly new CamPerform-Cyclone camera series with four channels, enabling a data transfer rate of 50 GBit/s. Designed for 2D/3D AOI and 2D/3D measuring tasks, these camera models offer an appropriate response to the hunger for data of machine vision applications.

In the CamPerform-Cyclone, Optronis is building on its existing innovations: in 2013 the company presented the first high-speed camera to feature a CoaXPress interface. Now comes the Cyclone, which offers the CXP-12 on 4 channels.

“We can’t afford to relax. The high-speed business, including our niche, demands ever greater bandwidth. Even at VISION, it was already evident that demand for yet more data volume is rising. This makes it abundantly clear that the CamPerform-Cyclone is an important milestone, but one that also points the way in which we want to continue developing”, Summ added.

“The new CamPerform-Cyclone series meets the consistent demand of our customers for greater bandwidth”, said Dr Patrick Summ, managing director of Optronis GmbH. “In machine vision, where it’s all about details at high speeds, and in high-end automation, where quality is demanded in addition to speed, the CamPerform-Cyclone is an outstanding solution.”

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With its resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, the CamRecord Sprinter-FHD delivers precise image data at over 1,800 images per second.

This is the basis for the digital tracking function integrated in the control software.

Optronis announced that its CamRecord Sprinter series is getting a new addition to the family: the Sprinter-FHD. With full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, the Sprinter-FHD achieves over 1,800 images per second. The camera is controlled via the TimeViewer software, which now also offers functions for object tracking with the current release in order to be able to analyse image sequences automatically.

The Sprinter-FHD in the CamRecord Sprinter series from Optronis has a light-sensitive CMOS sensor and offers full HD resolution at a frame rate of over 1,800 images per second. Various trigger and synchronisation options make the SprinterFHD a suitable tool for recording fast processes simply and making them accessible for accurate analysis. The image data is buffered in a fast 16 GB memory, before being saved either to an SSD hard disk internal to the camera, or on a PC. An object tracking function is integrated into the latest version of the TimeViewer software

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supplied with every Sprinter-FHD. This allows objects, or points tagged using a marker, to be tracked automatically from image to image.

Tracking is at sub-pixel accuracy, enabling precise recording of the path of an object. In addition, changes in angle or velocity vectors can also be recorded. All data are displayed using the software or exported for individualised analysis. Tracking not only simplifies motion analysis in research, but also fault analysis and quality assurance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our CamRecord Sprinter series is well known for good resolution at high frame rates. With the Sprinter-FHD, we will further raise these values.

It closes the circle to our new release of the TimeViewer software. With full HD resolution and tracking now integrated, we can run accurate analyses, which promises attractive results in many areas of application,â&#x20AC;? says Dr. Patrick Summ, managing director of Optronis.

The Sprinter-FHD is available from Q1/2019.

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Baumer High-speed image processing with 8 GB internal image memory The Baumer QX series 10 GigE cameras feature 8 GB internal image memory and extended functionalities. Process monitoring applications benefit from inspection times increased by a factor of four as well as flexible usage of the memory.

The new function package is available by a firmware update starting the 1st quarter of 2019.

With the expansion of the internal image memory from 2 to 8 GB, more images can be stored, which significantly increases the recording time: 2 s at a frame rate of 335 fps with 12 MP resolution.

Flexible memory management, for example 2 MP resolution in a ROI (Region of Interest) nearly provides more than 4s recording time at a rate of 1000 fps. Two further image buffer modes added to Burst Mode enable even more memory flexibility. According to the application requirements, the image memory can be used for a single writing cycle or continuous overwriting like a ring buffer. Further to image buffering, the image preview function simplifies process monitoring – without an HDMI camera interface.

set high standards regarding cleaning media or surface roughness in the splash or product contact zone. In thermal terms, the accessories are ideal matches for the cameras and turn them into IP 65/67 or IP 69K cameras in no time at all. This flexibility means that the right version is available for every field of application, with an optimum price-performance ratio. Series production begins in the 1st quarter of 2019.

The IP 65/67 housing was developed in accordance with EHEDG guidelines. Thanks to its round shape, liquids flow off quickly without forming dirt pockets. The hard anodized surface also resists intensive cleaning processes. The washdown design of the EHEDG-compliant, IP 69K, stainless steel housing, eliminates the possibility of product residue adhesion, facilitates residue-free cleaning and prevents the formation of bacteria. With a surface roughness of less than 0.8 µm and foodgrade, hard-wearing seals, it is also suitable for splash and food zones in which oils and greases or chemically aggressive cleaning media are used.

The housing kits are supplemented by an extensive range of tubes to meet the various application requirements. Tubes are available with different cover glass materials such as acrylic glass or chemically strengthened alumino-silicate glass with high scratch, impact and fracture resistance as laminated safety glass for a long service life.

The CX.I cameras with resolutions of up to 12 megapixels and up to 148 fps can withstand shocks of up to 100 g, vibrations of up to 10g, and have 4 power outputs with pulse width modulation and a power output of up to 120 W (max. 48 V / 2.5 A) to control lighting directly without an external controller. Models with an extended operating temperature range from -40 °C to 70 °C also allow for use in extremely demanding ambient conditions.

The QX series cameras utilize a 10 GigE Visioncompliant interface at 1.1 GB/s bandwidth for fast transmission of buffered images and reduced evaluation time. 10 times faster than GigE Vision and 35% faster than Camera Link Full makes them ideal where short sequences require very high frame rates, e.g. process analysis in industrial applications, live cell diagnostics in the medical industry, scientific research or motion analysis in sports.

The right protection: specially designed housing accessories for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries With the specially developed IP 65/67 and IP 69K housing accessories, Baumer CX.I cameras can now be used to cover applications in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, which

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distances that require fast autofocusing e.g. in 2D code inspections on packages of different heights.

The autofocus lenses are powered and controlled via the camera connector. The image processing system focuses within fractions of a second, even between largely varying working distances and without mechanical movement or compromise to image quality or speed. This simplifies and speeds up many applications within a production line.

Flexible focus adjustment: LX series 10 GigE cameras with liquid lens support and new functions LX series cameras with 10 GigE enable the control of autofocus liquid lenses for instant and flexible focusing at varying working distances or object heights. Combined with advanced features like shading correction and IEEE 1588 capability, they easily apply themselves to new applications in measurement technology, logistics and the pharmaceutical industry and flexibly adapt to individual application requirements. A firmware update to easily upgrade previous LXT models will be available in the first quarter of 2019.

Electrically focusable Corning Varioptic liquid lenses excel in applications with quickly changing object

The 10 GigE LX cameras have many new powerful functions: auto features to adapt exposure times and lighting to the prevailing light conditions, sensor multi ROI to increase frame rates and reduce the amount of data transmitted, as well as shading correction to correct lens and lighting artifacts. In addition, the cameras support IEEE 1588 for precise time synchronization in multi-camera systems and RS232 for communication with external serial devices.

The LX series includes more than 40 models with Dual GigE, Camera Link or 10 GigE interface and cutting-edge global shutter CMOS sensors by ams, ON Semiconductor and Sony.

With resolutions of up to 48 megapixel and frame rates of up to 337 fps, they are the ideal choice for inspection tasks with demanding requirements on image detail and throughput.

Gardasoft Getting top billing on the Gardasoft booth was a new dual-channel lighting controller which has been designed specifically for the precise control of OLED panels in machine vision applications.

Featuring sophisticated drive techniques to meet the complex physical properties of OLED panels, the new controller allows the generation of extremely fast, highly accurate and stable light pulses at the limit of the OLED operation.

In addition to the announcement of a new lighting controller, Gardasoft also presented a number of new demonstrations to illustrate the power of machine vision sequencing and control technologies.

These will cover computational imaging, ultrafast focusing, OEM controllers and multi-light line scan stations. The new lighting controller will open up new illumination possibilities that will further contribute towards novel machine vision solutions.

VISION provided the first chance for people to see the application of Gardasoftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RTCC series of lighting controllers for high-speed computational imaging.

The controller will be used to drive a segmented dome light to allow a rapid sequence of images with different illumination angles to be acquired by

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a smart camera. The camera will use computational imaging software to extract surface detail that cannot be seen using conventional imaging methods.

Three controllers were in action to demonstrate high-speed focusing on objects of different heights using a liquid lens from Optotune AG. A CC320 timing controller, positional encoder from a moving platform, camera and RC120 lighting controller will be linked together to give the required camera exposure and illumination needed for imaging. A TR-CL-180 liquid lens controller will be used for high speed adjustment of the lens for focusing. In addition there will be the chance to explore control options for OEMs through the board level TR-100 and TR-CL-190 lighting and liquid lens controllers.

VISION also provided the opportunity to see see how multiple lights can be used with line scan cameras for the capture of image sequences under different lighting conditions. Information from different LED sources is captured on sequential lines and individual images for each source extracted using software.

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IDS High-speed image processing with 8 GB internal image memory

At VISION, IDS Imaging Development Systems demonstrated the full potential of IDS NXT. The vision app-based industrial camera platform is expanded by the IDS NXT rio and rome product families and is offered with additional sensors and communication interfaces. For the first time, the company integrates neural networks with selflearning algorithms within some of these models.

In the field of 3D vision, the company presented Ensenso XR, the first stereo camera of the series that can calculate 3D point clouds itself. Novel focusable USB 3.1 Gen 1 board level industrial cameras with liquid lens control were on show at exhibition stand 1F72, together with concept studies of extra fast 10 Gigabit Ethernet and uEye cameras with polarization sensors as well as numerous live demonstrations.

The new IDS NXT rio & rome families are designed as intelligent cameras in the housing of standard industrial cameras. This approach combines the capabilities of both worlds: customers can use them as fully- fledged standard industrial cameras, or take advantage of extended, individually designed applications based on vision apps and on-camera neural networks.

For greater flexibility regarding 3D vision applications, the company presented a prototype of the new Ensenso XR series with on-board processing. Unlike the cameras of the N- and X-series, which require a host computer to calculate 3D point clouds, this model can calculate them itself and transmit the data via Ethernet or Wifi. The advantages include faster generation of these 3D point clouds, less strain on network bandwidth due to transmitting results and a reduced computing load on the host PC. This allows faster clock rates for bin picking, for example.

transmission speed to 5, 2.5 or 1 GigE. The company also plans to integrate Power-over-Ethernet (PoE), which means that a separate cable for the power supply is no longer required. The models could be particularly interesting for applications that could only be operated at a reduced bandwidth due to the limited bandwidth of “standard” GigE cameras.

Various demonstrations emphasized what the different products in the camera manufacturer’s portfolio are capable of. For example, IDS showed the new USB 3.1 Gen 1 board level cameras with liquid lens control. They facilitate image acquisition at variable object distances as their focus can be readjusted quickly and comfortably via user interface or API, even if the lens cannot be reached manually. The cameras are available with a 6.4 MP rolling shutter sensor from Sony or the highly photosensitive 18.1 MP rolling shutter sensor from ON Semiconductor, among other variants. They are equipped with S-Mount or CS-/C-Mount, twist-proof USB Type-C connection and practical USB power delivery.

The IDS team also provided GigE Vision camera prototypes with the 5 MP IMX250 Pregius CMOS sensor with integrated on-pixel polarizer from SONY. The polarization sensor provides better object detection in low contrast or reflective light and helps to visualize scratches on surfaces or stress distribution within transparent objects.

The conversion of the on-pixel polarizers is already realized in the camera. As a result, the camera delivers the result image directly, CPU-intensive evaluations of the polarization on the host PC are not necessary.

In addition, IDS presents the concept study of a 10 GigE camera family that could make best use of the potential of current sensors in terms of high resolution, fast frame rates and large bit depths. Depending on the available bandwidth and infrastructure, it automatically adapts its

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LMI LMI Technologies, a global leader in 3D scanning and inspection, unveiled three new 3D inspection products at VISION. Gocator 2500 Series Smart 3D Laser Line Profilers Gocator 2510 and 2520 are the most advanced Gocator line profilers to date. Designed for highperformance small parts inspection, these highspeed sensors generate precision 3D scans down to 8 µm X resolution. With a custom high-speed imager, advanced optical design, dedicated FPGA processing, and built-in measurement tools for 3D alignment, part segmentation, and 3D feature extraction, Gocator 2500 sensors handle the complete processing pipeline––from raw image data to 3D result––in an all-in-one device that operates at inspection rates up to 10kHz. Gocator 3504 Smart 3D Snapshot Sensor At 6 µm the Gocator 3504 is the highest XY resolution 3D snapshot sensor on the market today. Combine that with +/-0.5 µm measurement repeatability, and this groundbreaking sensor provides robust inline factory automation for sub-micron level inspection.

The Gocator 3504 sensor can be used in a wide range of electronics and medical applications such as connector and pin coplanarity, wire detection, surface flatness, and stent inspection.

GoMax Smart Vision Accelerator GoMax is a cost-effective hardware solution that allows users to accelerate any Gocator® 3D smart sensor in order to meet inline production speed, without the need for an industrial PC. This plug-and-play approach connects directly to any Gocator® model and speeds up the sensor by taking over a portion of the data processing (including point cloud generation, 3D measurement, and PLC/robot communication).

“The launch of these products continues to advance our FactorySmart approach to automated inline quality control, automation, and optimization. By offering new benchmark products in three key technology areas, LMI is serving the full spectrum of machine vision customers and working to continually meet their specific application demands,” said Terry Arden, CEO, LMI Technologies.

The 3504 has an industrial stereo camera design and point-and-shoot technology inside a ruggedized industrial package that allows for highly accurate inspection without a motion stage. The sensor is pre-calibrated and ready to measure out-of-the-box using just a web browser.

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Press Conference bonanza VISION is an ideal time for press conferences and, apart from the organisers main event (which I attend, because they give you breakfast), I managed to take in a couple of conferences.

EMVA EMVA took us through a new EMVA Standard Initiative: Embedded Vision Interface Standard.

It explained that cameras and PCs as the main components of machine vision systems have tremendously miniaturized over the last years.

The combination of a processing board with a powerful small camera, make it possible to design a very compact vision system which can be integrated into a larger system. Such systems are called embedded vision systems and are of high interest to the machine vision industry. However, adaptation is needed in order to enable industrial solutions to use embedded systems. Hosted by the EMVA, in August 2018 a new standard initiative formed to address these needs.

Embedded systems for industrial solutions With impressive support from the machine vision industry, the standardization group develops a standard to achieve an easy integration and exchange of different embedded cameras within embedded vision applications. Already more than 40 companies are showing interest in this initiative and the working group of the standard includes delegates from Adimec, Allied Vision, Alysium, Avaldata, Basler, Baumer, Euresys, Flir, Framos, Matrix Vision, and Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation.

Using reusable modules in kernel-mode, developers of embedded vision systems could reduce integration efforts, development time and, as a result, costs.

The needed components such as light, lens, camera and computer could be integrated and connected to embedded boards more easily.

Another goal is to give embedded system designer access to the machine vision standard GenICam (Generic Interface for Cameras), a generic programming interface for all kinds of devices. With this standard they would also benefit from the advantages of an identical application programming interface (API) and the easy-to-use GenICam modules, regardless of the interface technology. In addition, standard group intends to define GenTL as the main kernel-to-user interface.

New EMVA Standard Initiative: Open Lens Communication Standard Amazingly, there is one component in an image system that has not yet changed since the early days of the machine vision industry: the lens mount.

C-mount is the most common type of screw lens mount and much older than the machine vision industry. In the constantly changing world of machine vision, the lens mount seems to be something rock solid. But this also hindered progress. Already in 1987 Canon introduced the Electro-Optical System (EOS) for digital information and power transmission between SLR cameras and lenses, and used it to produce lenses with built-in autofocus motors. Such a standardized system is still not available for the machine vision industry.

Take all the possibilities that have already been implemented in commercial system cameras plus modern methods of computational imaging, and combine these with the processing capacities of modern embedded vision systems. Only then one gets an idea of how powerful and different the next generation of image acquisition systems could be and what the machine vision industry still misses with an open standardized lens-to-camera communication.

This includes auto-focus systems (also with liquid lenses), setting the focal length for zoom lenses, control and reading the aperture setting, and inquiry of lens properties by the cameras, such as aperture dependent lens shading, geometrical distortion, and lateral chromatic aberration. With this information the camera can automatically correct these distortions. Automatically capturing a focus series, and computing depth maps and images with extended depth of field and correction or modification of the modulation transfer function (MTF) of the lens or camera system are also possible.

This is why the EMVA has decided to start a new standardization group on an open lens camera communication standard, which may have different mechanical connections but a common protocol closely linked to the GenICam Standard. A first meeting of the standardization group took place on 9 July at Heidelberg University with an initial setup of the group. Marcel Naggatz from Baumer Optronic and Erik Widding from Birger Engineering were elected as Chair and Vice-Chair of the standard initiative.

Already, major camera and optics manufactures have joined the working group. The second meeting took place on 3-4 December in Radeberg, Germany.

Another important aspect the Embedded Vision Standard is intended to solve is the enhancement of the sensor interface standards SLVS-EC / MIPI CSI-2 D-Phy with recommendations for hardware components, like cables and connectors.

The next steps of the standard initiative are a white paper with concepts and goals to be adopted early next year. A first release candidate is targeted in 2020.

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Inspekto With a billing that they will change the industry forever, this press conference had a lot to live up to.

And in the end, after a sluggish start, it did.

Whether Inspeckto have got it right, remains to be seen, but it’s proposition is compelling.

At the show it launched the S70, the world’s first Autonomous Machine Vision system. The S70, said Inspekto, offers powerful quality assurance capabilities in a small, versatile and practical package. Suitable for any handling method, product type and material, the S70 is up to the job, no matter what the visual QA task.

The S70 system can be installed in 30 to 60 minutes, 1,000 times quicker than a traditional machine vision solution and at ten per cent of the cost. This out-of-the-box system offers a simple, intuitive user interface designed to be installed directly by the shop-floor employee. This means that no systems integrator is required at any step of the short set up process, and at any time later. The S70’s high affordability and ease of deployment enable manufacturing plants to install it at any point on a production line, and even move it from one line to another, at any time in the future, within minutes.

A German company with Israeli DNA, Inspekto is supported by leading industrial businesses from across the DACH region. During beta stage, the company installed its system in the plants of leading industrial manufacturers, in countries including Germany, Italy, France and Austria. The S70 will deliver market changing benefits to manufacturers with a yearly total available market exceeding $30bn.

Harel Boren “The S70 is a world first - defining the Autonomous Machine Vision category and introducing the inaugural Plug and InspectTM technology for the modern shop floor environment,” explained Harel Boren, CEO and co-Founder of Inspekto. “Because of the S70’s affordability and simplicity, the digital factory is now a reality, allowing collection of data, down to product-images, meta-data and defects from the entire production process and across production tiers. It offers full archiving and traceability - protecting both the manufacturer’s production process, as well as its customers, from unwanted scrap and unwanted defects.”

Zohar Kantor “The market has been waiting for the arrival of the S70,” added Zohar Kantor, VP Sales of Inspekto.

“Manufacturers are trapped into expensive contracts with systems integrators and cannot access machine vision technology themselves. Inspekto’s S70 system finally puts the manufacturer at the center-stage. Our powerful, and growing numbers of world-leading customers attest to the huge impact of the S70 in

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responding immediately to any QA need arising on the production line. There is no need for any external experts, there’s no need to select cameras, lenses or any other equipment required with a traditional solution, there’s no need to take products off-line for inspection and there’s no need to put any special structures in place. By setting their visual QA systems, directly by themselves, the S70 gives manufacturers independent control on their QA, first time ever.”

Yonatan Hyatt “Our team of research experts have pushed the boundaries of computer-vision and artificialintelligence technologies to develop a product that will change the QA industry forever,” added Yonatan Hyatt, CTO and Co-founder of Inspekto.

“Working alongside some of the world-leading manufacturers across the DACH region, we have developed an autonomous product introducing an innovative and patented technology that dramatically increases the productivity of production and QA managers. It truly meets the challenges of today’s manufacturing world.”

Inspekto is working with a handful of leading German investors, including such top players as Mahle, Grazia, Steinbeis and ZFHN, and numerous leading DACH, French and Italian top global manufacturers, to revolutionize QA in manufacturing.

Inspekto’s Plug & Inspect technology means that employees in the manufacturing facility can take the Autonomous Machine Vision system out of the box and install it in minutes, on their own, without any help from a systems integrator and without the long process associated with setting up QA solutions today. Plug & Inspect powered systems provide full autonomy to the manufacturing plant: systems immediately self-adapt to any changes in the inspected object environment, such as changes in light conditions and object location or orientation, without any intervention whatsoever.

The system’s powerful machine vision and artificial intelligence capabilities mean that manufacturers can also independently change the object being inspected and the QA system, or even move the system to

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another production line altogether, on their own, in minutes, with no need for any external experts.

manufacturing of objects with quality defects and carries vast direct impact to industrialists’ bottom line.

“Traditional QA methods rely on systems’ integrators to install and adjust the QA system,” explained Harel Boren, CEO of Inspekto. “This imposes a tedious expert-dependant setup and commissioning process and ties manufacturers to a third-party installer, leading to inescapable excessive costs and downtime. Autonomous Machine Vision changes this. It makes the systems’ integrator entirely obsolete and brings control in-house, giving manufacturers the opportunity to plug and inspect in minutes. We put Inspekto on course to change machine vision QA from the necessary evil it is, to be customercentric, and give QA managers a tool that is 100 times quicker to set up, at 1/10th the cost.

Harel Boren, CEO of Inspekto, the founder of Autonomous Machine Vision, explains the truth behind some common machine vision misconceptions.

“VISION is the best place for us to hold the ‘world premier’ of the industry’s first ever Autonomous Machine Vision system, powered by our Plug & Inspect technology,” Boren continued. “We will be running live systems on exhibition grounds so that manufacturers can experience first-hand how the new category of Autonomous Machine Vision systems will transform the way they perform QA.” The robust technology behind Inspekto’s product, leading to unprecedented affordability and immediacy of installation, finally makes Total QA possible for any industrial plant, whereby inspection is conducted at every stage along a production line and is no longer limited to mission-critical points or the end of the line.

Total QA allows quality defects to be identified earlier than with traditional QA methods, which reduces the amount of resources wasted on the

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“The introduction of the USB drive led to the eventual decline of the floppy disk, which is now banished to the history books of storage. As the machine vision industry goes on to embrace Autonomous Machine Vision, misconceptions remain.

‘Cost limits what’s possible’ “Installing a machine vision solution is viewed as an expensive process. This is because traditional machine vision solutions require a major effort and continuous investment on top of upfront costs.

Installing and maintaining a traditional solution is a complex process that requires expertise. The combined cost of these professional services with cameras, lenses, lighting and more, turn traditional solutions into an expensive business - in the region of €20,000 to €150,000 or more, per inspection point.

“Because these solutions are tailored to a particular point in the production line, they are also inflexible, made to work for only one product at one point on one production line.

This means adding additional quality assurance points to the line can cause costs to spiral.

“None of this is true with Autonomous Machine Vision, where a system is standalone, simple and quick to setup - making it affordable. In fact, an Autonomous Machine Vision system should typically

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be installed at 1/10th of the cost and at up to 1,000 times the speed of planning and installing a traditional solution. Thanks to speed and affordability, it can be installed at any stage of the production line - and moved to a new location in minutes when required.”

‘A systems integrator is essential’ “Because traditional machine vision is a complex process, there is a misconception that the industry will always rely on the expertise of a systems integrator. The machine vision ecosystem has for many years aligned itself to the systems integrator, the only party equipped with the expertise needed to build a solution. Once the solution is installed, a systems integrator is required for every set up and changeover on the production line.

“In the age of Autonomous Machine Vision, systems integrators are no longer required. The manufacturer can install a visual quality assurance system out of the box in minutes. Because Autonomous Machine Vision systems can self-set and self-adjust, the manufacturer is able to do this independently at any point on the production line. Just like the floppy disk, the systems integrator becomes obsolete.

‘Machine vision will never be plug and play’ “Since the 1980s, manufacturers have used machine vision technology for quality assurance. The process has always involved building a tailored solution, piecing together the right filters, lenses, lighting and cameras. Over weeks or even months, the integrator must continue setting proof of concepts (POC), testing plans, programming and more - leaving plug and play visual QA as a far-fetched dream. As written

by Fred Grootentraast from ICT Group in a 2016

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article titled Machine vision is not plug and play, “The success of machine vision is dependent on the use of the right hardware and software and this requires specialised knowledge of both disciplines.”

“Though this was once true, Autonomous Machine Vision now brings the capability to simply Plug and Inspect. New technology, such as Inspekto’s S70 system, mean that in 30 minutes, any member of staff could install a system and start performing effective visual QA. “Just as the next step in storage was not a smaller floppy disk, but an entirely new approach, Autonomous Machine Vision is a new era in visual QA.” Investment Leading multinational industrial companies from Germany and Switzerland have invested more than $10m into Inspekto. The start-up aims to meet the needs of a yearly multi-billion-dollar market across a broad range of vertical manufacturing sectors, including automotive and electronics.

The $10m injected comes from leading industrial players, as well as expert financial investors. Inspekto’s investors include: Grazia Equity, ZFHN, Mahle, Planven, THI Investments and Steinbeis. The company’s valuation post investment is in the region of $60m.

The funding is for Inspekto’s launch activities of Plug & Inspect technology driving its leading product, the INSPEKTO S70. During research and development (R&D), Inspekto collaborated with tens of leading DACH manufacturers to

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ensure the product is perfectly aligned with market needs and requirements. The company is now heading to its official launch at VISION 2018 in Stuttgart, where it will hold live product demonstrations and make its product available for general sale to manufacturing plants worldwide.

production lines is bringing factories to peak levels of efficiency and ensuring immediate detection of defects right as they appear in the manufacturing process. The current financing will allow us to further deepen our domain-specific research, alleviating major points of pain in the industrial domain.”

“The INSPEKTO S70 is the world’s first ever Autonomous Machine Vision product, which will reinvent machine vision QA,” explained Harel Boren, CEO of Inspekto. “Leading players chose to invest in Inspekto because of its huge expected impact on industry,” added Boren. “This financial support offers a vote of confidence in the expected impact of Autonomous Machine Vision on the quality assurance (QA) industry - a multi-billion-dollar market. Inspekto’s mission is to make quality assurance managers love their jobs, by giving them complete control of where, when and how visual QA can be conducted.”

“As one of the largest automotive suppliers worldwide, we identified early-on the enormous potential impact of Autonomous Machine Vision on production, performance and competitive edge,” said Johannes Diem, Corporate Planning, Corporate Strategy, Venture Capital and M&A Strategy at MAHLE International GmbH. “Inspekto’s work with our plants has been consistently useful and led us to make our first-ever direct investment in a start-up company.”

“Inspekto’s research team aspires to explore and push the boundaries of computer-vision and artificialintelligence to allow autonomous machine-vision solutions for industrial manufacturers,” added Yonatan Hyatt, CTO of Inspekto. “Our introduction of zerofriction setup of inspection units throughout entire

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“Steinbeis has a long history of working closely with German industrial manufacturers,” explained Uwe Haug, Member of the Board of Directors of Steinbeis GmbH & Co KG für Technologietransfer.

“We identified early on the strategic impact that Inspekto brings to German industry, across any vertical and vendor size, which is what drove us to make our investment in the company.”

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Who benefits from the latest TKH deal?

As TKH Group acquires Lakesight Technologies, Ronald Mueller, Managing Director of independent marketing and management consulting firm Vision Markets, asks who will benefit from Allied Vision, N ET, LM I, and Lakesight (Chromasens, Mikrotron, Tattile) being in one group?

Even some insiders of the Machine Vision industry are not aware that the TKH Group is one of the biggest players in the market. After the acquisition of Allied Vision, NET, and LMI Technologies, TKH Group has announced the acquisition of the Lakesight Technologies Group from the Italian private equity firm Ambienta.

Lakesight Technologies is again an umbrella for the companies Chromasens, Mikrotron, and Tattile. This move will be opening interesting opportunities for the group members as well as for OEM customers.

The TKH Group is listed at Euronext Amsterdam (TKH) with a turnover of 813 m€ in the first half of 2018 and an EBITA of 93 m€. It is an internal group of companies from the areas Telecom, Building, and Industry based on four core technologies, i.e. vision & security, mission critical communication, connectivity, and smart manufacturing.

Correspondingly, machine vision was a key element of TKH’s investment strategy and it is even more now after the acquisition of Lakesight Technologies.

Even some insiders of the Machine Vision industr y are not aware that the TKH Group is one of the biggest players in the market.

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MEMBER COMPANIES Before we dive into a quick outlook about the potential and challenges of this acquisition, let’s have a glance on the member companies.

Characteristics of machine vision companies in the TKH group ordered by acquisition date: · Allied Vision (Ahrensburg, Germany) One of the oldest and globally well-established OEMs of machine vision cameras with a focus on embedded application relying on their ASIC-based camera design as well as highresolution and SWIR cameras. · New Electronic Technology (NET) (Finning, Germany OEM of endoscope cameras as well as distributor of NET-branded machine vision cameras from a Korean OEM and other machine vision components. · LMI Technologies (Vancouver, Canada) One of the leading OEMs of 3D scanners based on laser triangulation for in-line inspection with a strong footprint in Automotive. · Lakesight Technologies (Unterschleißheim, Germany) Umbrella brand offering unified solutions based on the technical capabilities of its member companies Tattile, Mikrotron, and Chromasens.

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· Tattile (Mairano, Italy) OEM of area scan, line scan, and smart cameras for machine vision applications as well as all-in-one cameras for road traffic applications with embedded automatic number plate recognition (ANPR, ALPR). Beyond, Tattile offers passenger information systems for railway operators. · Mikrotron (Unterschleißheim, Germany) Specialized OEM for high-speed cameras and recording systems including PCs offering services and solutions to customers in industrial automation, product development, life science, and entertainment worldwide. · Chromasens (Constance, Germany) Specialized OEM of line scan cameras, color lines scan and multi-spectral line scan as well as 3D line scan solutions plus highpower line lights with a strong footprint in electronics manufacturing in Europe and Asia.

INTEGRATION STRATEGY The integration of companies into larger groups is one of the greatest challenges of business administration.

On paper plenty of synergies seem to be obvious, from purchasing to sales, from technical development to human resources. However, a company is more than its cost and profit centers. Successful companies are driven by missions and visions and those missions and visions are (or should be) lived by its leaders.

Employees have signed up with a company because they share the mission and the vision and because they trust the leaders. Erasing or replacing one of these aspects puts the loyalty and motivation of the company staff on danger – terminations by key employees and fluctuation is the result.

At least with its acquired companies Allied Vision, NET, and LMI, TKH was respecting the identity of each company, where reportedly Allied Vision’s CEO Frank Grube, who sadly passed away recently, was not exactly in favor of a deep integration with other TKH Group members. It is to be seen in what way TKH will stick to this approach with Lakesight on board.

The average integrator, device or machiner y OEM might not see an immediate benefit from the new group strength.

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POTENTIAL SYNERGIES The machine vision portfolio within TKH is offering a broad range now: · Embedded machine vision cameras (Allied Vision) · Standard machine vision cameras (Allied Vision, Tattile) · High-speed cameras and video recording PCs (Mikrotron) · Standard line scan, color line scan, multi-spectral line scan cameras (Chromasens) · 3D lines scan systems (Chromasens) · 3D scanners based on laser profilometry (LMI Technologies) · Road traffic cameras with integrated license plate recognition (ALPR, ANPR) (Tattile) · Short wave infrared (SWIR) cameras (Allied Vision) · High-power line lights (Chromasens) The variety of product categories within some of the single companies is a challenge already let alone the entire variety in the group. Yet, some synergies can still be leveraged.

TARGET CUSTOMERS The average integrator, device or machinery OEM might not see an immediate benefit from the new group strength. Such type of customers usually have a need for special components or off-the-shelf solutions and would care little about that else is available from sister companies of their supplier.

Global industrial players, however, such as OEMs in Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Aerospace or Railway, have a need for various technologies to solve their challenges in product development and production. As Alexander van der Lof, CEO of TKH, states in the press release, TKH and its group members would now be able to offer a comprehensive range of technologies and product offerings which would allow them to build solutions where smaller players would not be considered as sufficiently powerful on the financial and technology side.

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From origin, most TKH machine vision companies are headquartered in Germany. Accordingly, the DACH region and Europe are well covered by most players. In terms of international presence, Allied Vision certainly has the leading network of sales offices, resources, and distributors around the globe, where others operated with one or the other employee covering North America and Asia. As Peter Tix, CEO of Lakesight, states in the press release, it could be interesting to leverage the existing sales organizations within the TKH group around the globe to cater customers even better.

As long as it comes to purchase volumes, synergies might be easy to leverage. Sensor OEMs, just as one example, are willing to re-negotiate prices if volumes go up and the logistics are simplified at the same time, i.e. larger lot sizes at the same time. The coordination of demands for supply in quantity and timing is one of the options where costs can be reduced.

TECHNOLOGIES All machine vison group members are building cameras – fair enough. Yes, there is an FPGA in almost every of TKH’s devices and yes, FPGA development resources are one of the most precious assets to have these days. Yet, the needs of the various product categories are highly different to expect sufficient synergies in unifying the different firmwares unless it comes to totally new product developments, where united forces can contribute competences and manpower.

On the sensor side, the closet match is in the machine vision cameras of Allied Vision and Tattile, and to some extent in the laser scanners of LMI. Line scan (Chromasens) and high-speed sensors need different IP and architectures. Same holds for the camera interface side. Within the TKH group there is a host of interfaces, from GigE, to USB, Camera Link, CoaXPress, etc.. A unification of interface hardware, drivers and SDKs is also a major effort which appears reasonable to take for new product lines if ever.

The machine vision market is facing ubiquitous commoditization, especially when it comes to cameras.

It is one of our credos in our product management consulting assignments that a higher level of integration, i.e. getting closer to specialized solutions for high potential market niches, is one of the most promising ways to success. A consortium of such broad span of competencies as within the TKH group allows for such developments towards unique offerings beyond “me-too”-solutions.

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BRANDS Overall, the brands given above are rather well-established in the global machine vision market. It would be extremely hard to unify the listed range of product offerings under one brand. Almost every offering has different target customers with different needs. Building a brand and a brand promise that addresses all sufficiently well is feasible but a Herculean task. In light of that, it is expected that all brands remain unchanged where Lakesight Technologies might be even more positioned as OEM solution provider which brings together the capabilities of the other group members to address global customer enterprises.

CONCLUSION The acquisition of Lakesight Technologies is a major next step towards the consolidation of the machine vision market. Great growth rates of the overall market persist and are expected for the upcoming years. Machine Vision has evolved from a nice-to-have feature to a core technology that enables state-of-the-art manufacturing.

Thus, it is paramount for big customers to collaborate with financially stable and technologically capable providers of machine vision solutions. Small companies do not fulfill their requirements, yet they can facilitate growth by focusing on other target customer groups.

The TKH group and its member companies shall be looking to a bright future if they manage the integration with the goal to leverage the best of both worlds: Small entities with a clear brand positioning and flexibility to act upon customer needs, market trends, and technological advancements and on the other hand a powerful consortium which is able to address the needs of global players and is cable to come up with highly advanced solutions to kicking machine vision to an unprecedented level. MV

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EVOLUTION IN HIGH-SPEED INLINE QUALITY INSPECTION – GOCATOR® 2500 SERIES - LMI TECHNOLOGIES

The consumer electronics (CE), battery, and solar industries are pushing sensor design to new extremes of speed and performance. To meet this challenge, we created a new series of smart 3D laser line profilers that deliver 100% inspection of small parts at production speed.

RESOLUTION. REPEATABILITY. SPEED. Gocator® 2510 and 2520 leverage a custom camera and advanced optics design to achieve 8 micron X resolution and +/-0.2 µm Z repeatability, at inspection rates up to 10 kHz (note: an inspection cycle includes scan, measurement, and control functions)––all from onboard the sensor.

Users can leverage Gocator® 2500’s high speed in several ways, depending on their application needs: (1) Increase Y resolution (speed dependent) for detection of smaller features along the direction of motion.

(2) Increase Z accuracy (via time averaging) for more accurate height measurement, and tighter dimensioning tolerances as a result.

(3) Leverage multiple exposures (HDR) to handle a wider variety of reflective targets (shiny black to white), even if they are in the same scan, and without a loss in effective speed.

ONBOARD DATA PROCESSING

Even at this high rate of speed, the sensor is able to collect 3D profiles to build a 3D point cloud, perform metrology, and transmit results, from within its advanced hardware accelerated pipeline design.

This degree of sensor autonomy is the key differentiator between Gocator® smart solutions and other 3D profilers on the market that require transfers of raw data to a PC for processing.

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Gocator® 2500 has a custom embedded dual-core controller to support raw data processing at 3.2 Gpixels/ sec. Embedded processing gives the 2500 a number of important “smart” capabilities, including the ability to execute onboard 3D alignment, part segmentation, and 3D feature extraction; run Gocator®’s 140+ built-in measurement tools; and, most importantly, handle the entire processing pipeline––from raw image data to 3D results.

The 2500 smart sensor can process highly detailed 3D surface scans and communicate decisions onboard without the need for an external controller. With no dependencies on external hardware, latency between scan data acquisition and the decision output is minimized, allowing the sensor to keep pace with modern factory speeds. This degree of sensor autonomy is the key differentiator between Gocator® smart solutions and other 3D profilers on the market that require transfers of raw data to a PC for processing.

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Sensors that send raw pixel or profile data downstream to PCs or external controllers to carry out their 3D measurement dramatically increase latency and compound system cost and complexity. The situation is exacerbated when multiple sensors must stream and synchronize datasets before measurement can occur.

HIGH-DENSITY SCANNING Increasing demand for higher resolution and speed in detecting small features led LMI to invest heavily in a custom 2-megapixel camera chip to support the 2500’s design. The chip generates high-density scan data (up to 2.2 billion points per second) and makes it possible to thoroughly inspect micro-features such as gaps and edge widths at blazing speed.

Bandpass filters limit the effects of ambient light, while the precision aluminum and optical design handle vibration and limit the effects of temperature.

GREATER SCAN COVERAGE WITH FEWER SENSORS Gocator® 2500 sensors have a large field-of-view (FOV) and large measurement range (MR). As a result, the user can accomplish more with fewer sensors, while still capturing the finest surface and edge details of electronics and small parts.

Application examples in which this level of scan detail is required include cell phone inspection, component verification, and glue bead tracking.

EASY WEB-BASED TECHNOLOGY Gocator® 2500’s built-in web user interface provides flexible configuration of settings and measurement tools using any browser running on PCs or mobile devices.

Sophisticated firmware is included at no extra cost, providing powerful built-in tools for filtering, profile and surface analysis, multi-sensor alignment, and support for various PLC and robot protocols. With no additional software to install, Gocator® 2500’s out-of-the-box setup and configuration is intuitive and enjoyable.

ULTRA COMPACT INDUSTRIAL PACKAGE With package dimensions of just 46 x 80 x 110 mm, Gocator® 2500 sensors have the smallest footprint of any 3D smart profiler available. This allows the sensor to be easily mounted or retrofitted into virtually any machine environment.

And, despite its small size, Gocator® 2500 maintains an IP67 housing rating––making it immune to common environmental stresses such as moisture and dust.

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Built-in support for multi-sensor networking (including automatic alignment and built-in stitching) delivers high density 3D models for users who want to expand the field of view or acquire multiple angles on the same target while maintaining ultra-high resolution.

BLUE-LASER FOR “CLEANER” SCAN DATA Gocator® 2510 and 2520 are blue-laser line profile sensors.

Due to its shorter wavelength, blue laser light performs better than red or green lasers on the highly specular metal surfaces commonly found on electronic and shiny parts.

Blue lasers produce “cleaner” profiles (i.e., lower speckle) and as a result deliver higher measurement accuracy.

THE SMART ADVANTAGE Smart technology advancements are at the heart of Gocator® 2500’s sensor design. The result is a next generation 3D line profiler that provides state of the art 3D scanning combined with Gocator®’s flagship onboard firmware, and an industry-leading web browser user experience for rapidly setting up, scanning, measuring, and communicating control decisions to factory machinery. MV CONTACT DETAILS A: LMI Technologies Inc, 9200 Glenlyon Parkway Burnaby, BC V5J 5J8, Canada T: +1 833 Gocator E: contact@lmi3d.com

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NEW COAXPRESS 2.0 VISION INTERFACE STANDARD

THE MACHINE VISION STANDARD The CoaXPress machine vision standard has established a leadership position in machine vision and video acquisition and monitoring applications by offering high levels of bandwidth, low latency, reliability in tough applications, extended cable lengths and other advantages. The recent release of the CoaXPress Standard Version 2.0 extends these advantages by doubling the maximum available bandwidth to 12.5 Gbps, supporting higher resolution cameras at faster speeds. The new standard also reduces the number of cables and frame grabbers required for a substantial reduction in total system cost. The first frame grabbers and cameras supporting CoaXPress 2.0 standard are reaching the market and they are fueling the emergence of new generations of machine vision inspection, video acquisition, and recording and surveillance applications that deliver higher performance at a lower cost than ever before.

Machine vision and video monitoring applications have advanced at a rapid pace from their early days when they were limited to relatively simple applications such as checking the level of liquid in a bottle or recording customers and employees in a store. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cutting-edge vision systems must meet far more difficult requirements such as distinguishing tiny defects in flat panel displays or solar cells, picking out a lost child in the woods from a camera mounted on a drone, or using hyperspectral imaging to detect materials that are not visible to the native eye. These and thousands of other current and emerging applications demand continual increases in camera speeds

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and resolutions that are stretching current machine vision interface standards to their limits.

LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DOUBLE THE BANDWIDTH The new CoaXPress 2.0 Version standard addresses this challenge by doubling the bandwidth provided by the previous CoaXPress 1.1.1 standard while maintaining all the other advantages of the previous standard. CoaXPress 2.0 increases the maximum connection bit rate from 6.25 Gbps (CXP-6) to 10 Gbps (CXP-10) and 12.5 Gbps (CXP12). With four cables and four CXP-12 connections, the maximum data transfer rate is 50 Gbps, or 5 GByte/s. This is sufficient, for example, to operate a 10-bit 12-megapixel area-scan sensor at more than three hundred images per second, or an 8-bit 16k line-scan sensor at 300 thousand lines/s. A single connector CoaXPress CXP-10 camera delivers greater bandwidth over a single cable than a Camera Link Extended Full 80-bit configuration delivers (6.8 Gbps) over two cables. A four-connection CXP-12 frame grabber delivers in a single slot more bandwidth than four Camera Link Full frame grabbers. CoaXPress 2.0 also increases the up-connection bitrate, from host to device, from 20.83 Mbps to 41.6 Mbps for CXP-10 and CXP-12, enabling a host to send trigger messages to a camera at rates of almost 600 kHz in single trigger message mode or almost 300 kHz in dual trigger message mode.

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In addition to higher bandwidths, CoaXPress 2.0 also offers significant reductions in overall system cost. One CXP-12 connection can also replace two CXP-6 connections, reducing the number of cables from two to one. CXP-12 also lowers the cost of accessories such as repeaters and split boxes. The higher bandwidth of the new CoaXPress 2.0 standard also does not reduce CXP’s 100-meter maximum cable length which offers a major advantage compared to other standards such as USB3 Vision which limits cable length to 3-5 meters. The new standard offers cable lengths in excess of 100 meters at 3.125 Gbps, 72 meters at 6.25 Gbps and 30 meters at 12.5 Gbps.

One of the first frame grabbers to support the new standard is the Euresys Coaxlink Quad CXP-12 which delivers four 12.5 Gbps channels for a total of 5,000 MB/s camera

The Coaxlink Quad CXP-12 provides a feature rich set of 20 digital I/O lines with high speed differential inputs, isolated current sense inputs, isolated contact outputs, and high speed TTL inputs and LVTTL outputs to support a wide range of sensors and motion encoders. Hardware triggers come from the Coaxlink I/O lines and software triggers from the application to start the acquisition. When the acquisition starts, at the appropriate timing, the Coaxlink board generates a signal to control an illumination device connected to one of its output lines. Coaxlink supports continuous web scanning to inspect infinite, continuously moving surfaces without losing a single line and discrete object scanning to acquire the image of objects moving

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bandwidth, the highest data acquisition rate in the industry, to acquire images from the fastest and highest resolution cameras available today. The frame grabber’s PCIe (Gen 3) x8 bus provides 7,800 MB/s peak bus bandwidth and 6,700 MB/s sustained bus bandwidth. The new frame grabber provides cost savings by using a single inexpensive standard coaxial cable for data transfer, camera control, trigger and power supply. It provides top reliability and flexibility, even in the toughest environments. Direct graphic processor unit (GPU) transfer eliminates unnecessary system memory copies, lowering CPU overhead, reducing latency and providing substantial performance improvements. HD-BNC, also known as Micro-BNC, connectors offer trusted push and turn, bayonet style positive lock, allowing for quick and easy connects and disconnects.

in front of the camera. The Memento event logging tool provides the developer with a precise timeline of timestamped events related to the camera, frame grabber and driver, providing valuable assistance during application development and operations.

Since it was approved as an official standard in 2011, CoaXPress vision interface standard has achieved significant adoption in the machine vision and video monitoring industries by machine builders and system integrators worldwide. CoaXPress 2.0, the latest evolution of the standard, provides a major step forward by delivering the bandwidth to support the next generation of high resolution, high frame rate cameras in delivering a new generation of applications that provide clearer images in less time, making it possible to achieve higher levels of productivity, quality, security and understanding of the real world than ever before. MV CONTACT DETAILS A: Euresys SA, Avenue Pré Aily, 14 4031 Angleur W: www.euresys.com T: BE 0437.408.137

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STAYING CONNECTED MVPro Magazine editor Neil Martin caught up with Thomas Detjen, Head of Sales & Marketing at Alysium Tech GmbH, to hear how VISION 2018 had gone for them.

Alysium has its HQ in Nuremberg and further offices in the US and Malaysia. It describes itself as partnering its customers for high performance interconnect solutions.

It boasts strong production and engineering capabilities which contribute to high quality, superior, reliable and costefficient solutions. It’s known for significant experience in the fields of connectors, cables and cable assemblies.

Thomas, who lives close to Stuttgart, calls himself a “technic-nerd” and is happiest making his customer’s life better with excellent products and high quality service. He’s been at Alysium for ten years now and before that was with a connector manufacturer from Japan.

First question for Thomas was the obvious one, so how did they find this year’s show?

Thomas: “A full success and even better than we expected.

The Vision Show was this year not only a great place to “meet & greet” existing partners and friends in our market, but also we had a huge share of new customers at our booth, especially from Asia. We believe that the Vision Show Stuttgart stays as one of the best locations in the world to have everyone from this market together at one place.”

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FOCUS Alysium’s focus at this year’s event was on three major categories for the vision market.

Firstly, the A+ Family, which includes in USB3.1 Gen1, GigE and Cameralink HS, and also for Teledyne DALSA the IO interface (Alysium name it BRJE) for their Genie Nano and other upcoming cameras. Here the emphasis was on presenting the best possible cable assemblies from mechanical and electrical point of view to the market.

Through the released AOC Cables for USB3.1 Gen1 and CLHS, they are now even able to further extend the already market leading extended cable length they can currently offer with their stable passive copper solutions. The biggest advantage is the instant availability of those A+ materials from stock in standard length.

Secondly, they have also expanded their “ACustom” product range. These moulded assemblies are produced to order, so they we can adapt them to exactly meet customers’ demands such as 90° angle moulds and specific cable length.

Thirdly, their product range of connectors is still growing. It began some years ago with replacements for the defecto

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standard IO Interface in this market and has grown into a complete portfolio of circular connectors. These include, for example M8 and M12 in different coding but also internal connectors as FFC/FPC Connectors and Board to Board Connectors, and also Receptacles as TypeC for USB3.1 Gen1/2.

CABLE CHOICE The next question concerned the importance of cable choice when it came to a systems effectiveness and more particularly, what benefit do Alysium’s products bring to the party.

Thomas: “Well, Cables, especially in our world, are mostly rated as Accessories, “available” material and “no brainer”.

But mostly only until people notice, that whatever they need is not available, or produces pain in their application.

We strongly believe, that cables should be even in our high end/challenging markets this kind of “no brainer” for our customers and so we put a strong focus on provide solutions to our customers, so that those can really focus on their success.

“We had the last years for example lots of customers, who were fighting with EMI issues, which were solved with using our cable material, or simply could reach the cable length they needed through our technology advantage against other suppliers.

“That’s our key to success: we try to listen, understand customers pain points and solve them. As we do also the raw cable design and more and more also can influence the connector, we can simply offer “more” then a normal cable assembly manufacturer can.

PLANS So what plans do they for 2019?

“We just released the active Optical solutions for our A+ CL HS and A+ USB3.1 Gen1 product range and we are looking forward to start selling those beginning next year. The first feedback is so far very positive, so we believe, that this will give our customers also the possibilities to attack new market sectors, they haven’t been able to attack so far.

“Next to other new product families, we have some very interesting custom projects in the development for automotive and industrial, which are looking very promising.

Additionally, they are also busy introducing new interfaces like iX. “Overall, we believe 2019 will be a challenging year for the markets, but we have done our homework and looking forward to it.”

TRENDS I move on to ask what does he think will be the main trends for machine vision from now until the next VISION? “Not only that the Cameras will get smarter, but also the demand in bandwidth, speed and reliability will increase.

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Examples we see now already with USB3.1 Gen2 and the first SFP+ Cameras of the second generation. There are lots of discussions actually about how CXP can develop further when Copper will come at it ends (the CCPX Standard), and what comes after SFP+ (QSFP+), and so on.

“ That ’s our key to success: we tr y to listen, understand customers pain points and solve them.

“It will be interesting to see, how this extreme push will be adapted by the end customers, who are still more adapting in a traditional slower manner. Next to the pure technology changes, I believe that a strong focus will be on sales and marketing, as here some major changes are in front of us.

“Just having top products will be not enough anymore.

Information as technical specifications, 3D Models, Simulation data’s and of course pricing and delivery times must be in best case available instantly to our markets.“ “So, what we started with our product range A+ - available from stock in standard lengths - we will expand into the availability and speed of information’s and ordering processes with our customers. Our customers should be able to focus on their applications and their customers and we help them to get those projects to an success.”

PROSPECTS I end up by asking, what excites him most about the industry’s prospects over the coming years?

“What started some years ago as a “small” niche market is expanding nearly daily into new market. We strongly believe this will continue and through our already existing focus on the automotive and industrial/medial market, we see that there is a lot of merging happing actually.

“We can combine here the USPs we build up the last years for each of this markets and combine them now in a unique packaging, which help our customers in the future.

We still focus on listening, and providing solutions, not only a product.

It seems likely that the “small niche” is set to continue to grow for Alysium. MV

CONTACT DETAILS A: Thomas Detjen, Head of Sales & Marketing Alysium Tech GmbH E: t.detjen@alysium.com W: www.alysium.com T: +49 173 5803588

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VISION IS THE REAL DEAL

FOR GARDASOFT MVPro: How was the VISION show for your company?

Jools Hudson: The Vision Show provided Gardasoft with a fantastic opportunity to show our new technologies and have lots of face-to-face discussions with end users.

We had some great product displays on the stand and were able to explain to many visitors the real benefits our controllers can provide in most applications. We normally expect a few visitors to have extremely challenging lighting requirements and this year was no exception!

Of course the show also provided an excellent platform to launch our new OLED panel controller, the Fast Pulse lighting controller and our new VTS strobe light for traffic applications. These all generated a lot of interest. We also brought along a simple display on machine vision connectivity which was the focus of much discussion.

MVPro: What did you focus on at VISION? Jools Hudson: The launch of our new products was, of course, a major activity but we also took the opportunity to highlight the wider applications of our control technology.

We brought along a nice demonstration to show our lens controller rapidly adjusting the focus of a liquid lenses and another display which showed how two different light sources can be pulsed in synchronization with a line scan camera to produce an interlaced image. Here the odd lines of the sensor correspond to an image of the object from the first light and the even lines to an image from the second light. The two individual images can be extracted in software.

The new OLED and Rapid Pulse lighting controllers that we launched at VISION open up exciting new opportunities in machine vision. Firstly our new OLED controller extends Gardasoft control technology to OLED illumination. OLED panels are an important lighting development for machine vision applications because they give an exceptionally stable and uniform light intensity across the width of the panel. However their complex physical properties present significant driving challenges. These have been overcome

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in our new dual channel OLED controller which provides an independent precision constant-current output with high stability and high resolution in each channel. Current output is up to 2A in continuous operation and up to 10A in pulsed mode, while Gardasoft Safesense technology allows safe overdriving of the OLED panels.

In addition, our new FP220 series represents a new generation of controllers featuring new technology that allows much faster pulsing (up to 20KHz on the FP220 and 100KHz on the FP220F). These new controllers are perfectly suited for high power, high brightness systems and can accommodate flexible power supply voltages and can be used even with 24V lights. The new, industry leading technology provides sub-microsecond current control in the FP200.

We also showed our new VTS range of LED strobe illumination sources for Intelligent Traffic monitoring

The launch of our new products was, of course, a major activity but we also took the opportunity to highlight the wider applications of our control technology. solutions such as ANPR, Red Light Violation, Open Road Tolling, Multi-Occupancy Tolling and Weigh-in Motion systems. With a choice of infrared wavelengths, the VTS series features fully integrated internal timing, intensity control, trigger input and long distance communications.

This gives reproducible timing, power and brightness for every image, whatever the vehicle speed, which is critical for reliable measurement.

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MVPro: How important is the choice of lighting to a systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effectiveness?

Jools Hudson: The correct choice of lighting is essential for good machine vision performance but precise control of that lighting is every bit as important. In the first instance accurate lighting control brings the consistency in illumination intensity needed for reliable, reproducible machine vision measurements. But more than that, high performance lighting controllers allow flexible and innovative lighting schemes to be implemented. LEDS can be run in excess of their maximum rating for short periods of time for increased light output. Strobing the light allows the imaging of objects, at high speeds. Flexibility in lighting controller and camera triggering opens a wide range of illumination sequencing options which can involve multiple lights an/or multiple cameras. The example of creating an interlaced image with a single camera and two independent lights that we showed at VISION is just one example of this capability.

MVPro: As we approach the new year, what plans do you have for 2019?

Jools Hudson: Obviously we will be working closely with our worldwide network of distributors and system integrator colleagues to help our new products become established in the marketplace. Our campaign to establish a broader understanding of the importance of accurate light control for machine vision implementations will also continue. Our customers are always demanding greater speed, higher power and enhanced integration, which will continue to be the focus of our development team.

MVPro: What do you think the main trends for machine vision will be from now until the next VISION? Jools Hudson: We saw at VISION the continued high levels of interest in embedded vision, deep learning and Industry 4.0. An underlying trend for all of these is the level of integration needed for the different vision components.

Standardisation is an important part of this process and

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there will be more and more developments utilising Genicam. It will also be interesting to see the level of usage of deep learning and machine learning solutions.

MVPro: What excites you about the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prospects over the coming years?

Jools Hudson: The machine vision industry is blossoming out to encompass many non-traditional industries and applications. Some of these applications are likely to develop into very high-volume, consumer applications and attract very large technology companies that have not previously been in the machine vision world. These applications may make use of advanced techniques such as machine learning and may stimulate an increased level of company acquisition within machine vision. However, there will always be a need for the more specialist, bespoke solutions that Gardasoft can provide. MV Jools Hudson runs strategic marketing for Gardasoft Vision Jools specialises in marketing high technology and is a Chartered Engineer. An electronics engineer by training, Jools spent some years designing hardware and software for large projects at Racal and Dowty, then after completing an MBA at Cranfield University she moved on to apply her knowledge to define the market and product strategy of technology. In recent years, Jools has been responsible for marketing, sales and technical support functions for instrumentation and imaging companies including Thorlabs and Zeiss Microscopy.

CONTACT DETAILS A: Gardasoft Vision Limited W: www.gardasoft.com E: vision@gardasoft.com T: +44 1954 234970

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POLARIZATION CAMERAS TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF MATERIALS ANALYSIS Using a newly developed polarized image sensor, solid-state cameras are now available that allow product analysis and defect detection to be performed more effectively.

KEITH WETZEL, DIRECTOR OF NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IMPERX, INC., 6421 CONGRESS AVE, SUITE 105, BOCA RATON, FL 33487, USA; WWW.IMPERX.COM

Designers of machine vision and image processing systems have multiple choices in choosing which cameras, lighting, computers and I/O peripherals with which to deploy. Indeed, developers can choose from multiple monochrome, color, infrared (IR), UV) and multispectral cameras or combinations of these with which to perform industrial inspection tasks. Perhaps one of the most overlooked of these methodologies is the use of polarization cameras â&#x20AC;&#x201C; cameras that do not require polarization filters to analyze products such as plastics and film and can remove any reflected glare on products imaged on the production line.

Today industrial automation systems often use machine vision systems to inspect, measure, sort and analyze products for defects. Such systems can be broadly defined in two classes: those that are either active or passive. While, active machine vision systems may employ structured laser light or pattern projection systems with which to illuminate an object, passive based systems use simpler forms of illumination such as LED front lights, dome lights or backlights with which to illuminate the object to be inspected. In both types of systems, a CCD or CMOS-based camera is used to capture the reflected image data.

Today industrial automation systems often use machine vision systems to inspect, measure, sort and analyze products for defects. Such systems can be broadly defined in two classes: those that are either active or passive.

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Figure 1: To obtain color images, sensor vendors have implemented the Bayer filter onto their monochrome CCD and CMOS image sensors. By using twice as many green (G) elements as red (R) or blue, the sensor then mimics the physiology of the human eye.

MONOCHROME, COLOR OR POLARIZED In such systems, the data captured can be monochrome or color. In many cases, such as part sorting, for example, it may not be necessary to use a color camera if the part is illuminated at the correct wavelength since different parts may exhibit a different grey-scale value when captured by the camera. In other applications, however, for example, if the system needs to determine whether an exact color is present, a color camera must be used.

To obtain such color images, sensor vendors have implemented the Bayer filter (or versions of it) onto their monochrome CCD and CMOS image sensors (Figure 1). Named after Bryce Bayer, the Kodak engineer who invented it, the Bayer filter uses twice as many green (G) elements as red (R) or blue to mimic the physiology of the human eye. In this manner, the color of individual pixels on the image sensor can be interpolated to generate a color image. What is important about Bayerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s invention is that it marked one of the first times that filters were used in image sensors to render color images from monochrome images.

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Figure 2: Instead of filtering the incoming light by wavelength, as is used in the Bayer filter, the IMX250MZR CMOS-based polarizer image sensor filters the incoming light based on the orientation of its wavelength.

In a development that somewhat mimics this design, engineers at Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp. (Tokyo, Japan; www.sony-semicon.co.jp) have used a similar concept in the design of the IMX250MZR CMOS-based polarizer image sensor. Instead of filtering the incoming light by wavelength – as is used in the Bayer filter – the sensor filters the incoming light based on the orientation of its vibrations perpendicular to its direction of travel.

(Figure 2). Using this imager, a number of companies, including Imperx, have developed polarization cameras that can be used in applications such as machine vision, object recognition and automatic target detection.

LIGHT SOURCES Most light sources such as the sun and artificial lighting are un-polarized and consist of electromagnetic waves that oscillate perpendicular to the direction of propagation. A light wave in which vibrations perpendicular to the direction of travel are confined to one plane is said to be polarized.

Many different ways exist to polarize light including the use of dichroic, crystalline and wire grid polarizers. Dichroic polarizers use a laminated dyed polymer film between two polished and anti-reflection coated glass windows. While dichroic polarizers use laminated polymer films, crystalline polarizers take advantage of the birefringence in crystalline materials to modify the incident light. Wire grid polarizers, on the other hand, use an array of microscopic wires such that only a specific polarization is transmitted through the wire grid polarizer and the outgoing wave will have a single linear polarization.

One of the most important characteristics of all polarizers is their extinction ratio. This is the ratio of the power of a plane-polarized beam transmitted through a polarizer compared with the transmitted power when the polarizer filter’s axis is perpendicular to the beam’s polarization plane. For the Sony IMX250MZR, this varies from 40-150 depending on the wavelength of light (Figure 3).

In the design of the Sony IMX250MZR CMOS-based polarizer image sensor, wire grid polarizers are used to capture polarized light.

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Figure 3: A polarizer’s extinction ratio is the ratio of the power of a plane-polarized beam transmitted through a polarizer compared with the transmitted power when the polarizer’s axis is perpendicular to the beam’s plane.

For the Sony IMX250MZR image sensor, this varies from 40-150 depending on the wavelength of light.

To do so, four separate 3.45µm pixels are used to filter this light at orientations of 0o, 90o, 45o and 135o angles. In essence, the imager uses lithographically fabricated onchip wire grid polarizers placed above each pixel to filter incoming light.

STOKES PARAMETERS Placing the polarizer close to the on-chip photodiode improves the extinction ratio (the ratio of minimum to maximum transmission) and incident angle dependence.

Data from these four quadrants can then be used to interpolate the direction of linear polarization (DoLP) and the angle of linear polarization (AoLP) using Stokes parameters, originally conceived by Sir George Stokes at Cambridge University in England in 1852.

To calculate both the DoLP and AoLP, it is necessary to first measure the total intensity of light (I). This is accomplished by adding the intensities of the vertically and horizontally polarized pixels.

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By also calculating the intensity difference between polarized components of the electromagnetic wave parallel and perpendicular to the reference plane (Q) and the intensity difference between polarized components in planes 45° and −45° to the reference plane (U), both the DoLP and AoLP can be computed using the following equations:

DoLP =

Q2 + V2 I

AoLP =

1 U arctan 2 Q

The DoLP provides information about the incident light that is linearly polarized, for example, specular surfaces reflect light with high DoLP values. While most natural objects will be characterized by low DoLP values, man-made objects such as plastic will have high DoLP values. DoLP is a useful measure for other reasons - it can be used to analyze stress-induced birefringence in transparent materials since the birefringence of such material is directly proportional to the DoLP. Interestingly, AoLP represents the polarization angle of the light as it reaches the camera sensor and provides the angle of the surface from which the light is reflected. If the distance between the camera and the object is known, the 3D shape of the object can then be obtained.

Using the Sony sensor, a number of companies including Imperx have developed solid-state cameras. Imperx’s first camera to leverage this technology is the C2420Z, a Camera Link-based camera that features a native resolution of 2464 x 2056 in a 2/3” optical format that can run at speeds as fast as 97 fps. Data from this camera this then represented with four different polarization angles. Images from each polarization angle can then be viewed or saved in raw data format.

Since specialized software is required to calculate the DoLP and the AoLP, Imperx has enlisted the expertise of Polaris Sensor Technologies (Huntsville, AL; USA; www.polarissensor.com) to develop algorithms to provides a real-time display of polarized images. Using this software, developers can visualize polarized images and calculate parameters such as DoLP and AoLP.

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LEVERAGING POLARIZATION Polarizing cameras can be used in several different applications including material stress analysis. In such applications, light is first passed through a polarizer to produce linearly polarized light. This light is then passed through a birefringent material such as plastic, polystyrene and polycarbonate stress in the material causes the light to be broken up into two polarized components

Figure 4: Polarizing cameras can be used in a number of different applications including material stress analysis.

Assigning false colors to each results in an interference pattern of varying colors that can be used to determine the stress at various points in the material.

Components which are parallel and perpendicular to the direction of the stress in the material will lag each other in phase. After these polarized components are captured by the camera, only the part of each of the components in the transmission plane will emerge resulting in two coplanar components with a phase difference. The phase difference is proportional to the stress and results in constructive and destructive interference resulting in an interference pattern of varying colors that can be used to determine the stress at various points in the material (Figure 4).

Such polarization cameras can also be used to reduce the specular glare associated with light being reflected from non-metallic surfaces such as smooth surfaces or surfaces covered with grease, oil or liquid. To reduce this glare, a polarizing filter can be placed over the light source. In the past, it was necessary to place a separate filter over a CCD or CMOS camera to reduce this glare. Now, however, since the polarizing filter is incorporated into the camera, such separate filters is not required.

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Figure 5 (a): Reflections from of a sealed cap illuminated by ambient light and a white LED light source. This results in specular glare that renders the cap unreadable. After installing polarizing film over the light source and either using a polarizing filter on a standard monochrome camera or, by using a polarizing camera, will greatly reduce any specular reflections (Image courtesy MidOpt).

Figure 5a shows the reflections from a sealed cap illuminated by ambient light and a white LED light source.

This result in specular glare that renders the cap unreadable.

After installing polarizing film over the light source and either using a polarizing filter on a standard monochrome camera or, by using a polarizing camera, greatly reduces any specular reflections (Figure 5b).

Figure 6a: Polarization can be used to reduce the glare of light reflected from water. (b) When imaged with a polarizer, the reflection of clouds and sky is reduced (Image courtesy Lumen Learning)

Similarly, Figure 6 shows the effect of a polarizing filter in reducing glare in light reflected from water. While Figure 6a is the original image, Figure 6b was imaged with a polarizer, eliminating the reflection of clouds and sky observed in Figure 6a. (see â&#x20AC;&#x153;Polarizationâ&#x20AC;?; https://bit.ly/2pRh4vA).

Other applications that can leverage the power of polarization cameras include remote sensing, haze removal and surveillance applications. With the introduction of solidstate cameras that incorporate on-chip polarizing sensors, systems developers no longer need to employ external polarizing filters to solid-state cameras. Interestingly, while sensors such as the Sony IMX250MZR polarize visible light, further developments may lead to imagers that perform the same function in other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum such as infrared (IR). Needless to say, these more specialized imagers will find more niche applications in such areas as security and surveillance. MV

CONTACT DETAILS A: Imperx, Inc, 6421 Congress Ave, Suite 204, Boca Raton, FL 33487, USA W: www.imperx.com T: +1 561 989 0006

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LOGO

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Steve Wozniak OPEN-ENDED AND LIQUID The EQUI fund is both open-ended and liquid, allowing investors the opportunity to sell their EquiTokens on external cryptocurrency exchanges at a time of their choosing.

Up to 80% of investment by EQUI will be in technology companies with the balance of 20% being in non-tech assets, such as real estate and investment collectible such as art and vintage cars.

(Doug Barrowman, Lady Michelle Mone and Steve Wozniak. EQU I Global)

Steve Wozniak has become a co-founder of EQUI Global, the venture capital tech innovator. The Apple Computer co-founder has joined forces with EQUI founder Doug Barrowman and EQUI co-founder Baroness Michelle Mone OBE. EQUI Global describes itself as a unique opportunity to disrupt the venture capital industry.

It is a technology focused venture capital fund which combines the conventional principles of investing with a blockchain ‘back end’ that allows value to be realised and then traded in the open market through the EquiToken.

Wozniak will head up technology investments and help find the tech stars of tomorrow. He will then bring them to the table and the board of serial entrepreneurs will mentor and coach them with world class expertise and guidance.

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“ I get ideas pitched to me ever y single day in fact dozens and I always say no.”

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of EQUI Global said: “I get ideas pitched to me every single day in fact dozens and I always say no. Since I co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs, this is about the second time in twenty years that I actually said yes, I want to be a part of this. It has to be something I really believe in and I really believe in EQUI. “There are so many great ideas because I sit down and think, ‘what could I think of doing?’ And it’s usually based upon ‘what do we have today in our life and how could we modify it, make it a little better or radically change it?’ and I don’t come up with many answers. But then I run it at other people and almost everybody has one answer for one thing that I think ‘woah, I never would have thought of that’ so it’s out there in the technology field. Not only that, technology really enhances every other business there is.

Construction businesses are totally enhanced.

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Even things like restaurants are totally enhanced by the technology we create.

PLANS

“It takes people who have ideas, but not just ideas, not ideas in their head, not ideas that are spoken, not ideas just on paper, they actually do work and create things. I know that we have something very special with EQUI. I’ve since enjoyed giving my feedback to the technical side of the initiative and will very much be an actively involved proud co-founder.

Wozniak describes what he plans on bringing to EQUI: “We are the teachers and I believe in that so strongly because, Apple was strongly mentored. The enjoyment we had, the passion, starting the company, the excitement, it’s the most exciting thing. I like to see it happen for others and just to be a part of being able to help make it happen for a lot of others out there is going to be a big deal for me. I think I have an important role and I can help a lot.”

“I am very pleased that my business partners are the respected Michelle and Doug. They are both very determined people who have both achieved what few people can do.

“In the case of Michelle she has succeeded well against the odds, she started her own business at just 24 and turned it into a global brand of huge stature which she sold 4 years ago. Michelle has also invested wisely in the tech space and understands the significance of blockchain technology and how it will radically change business. She has multiple business interests and is one of the UK’s most successful female entrepreneurs. Her creativity and drive is brilliant for business because she brings diversity to the table. HM The Queen of The United Kingdom has even recognised her achievements.

“Doug is a highly accomplished businessman and is also a problem-solver, thanks to his highly attuned analytical skills. An accountant by trade, he set up his own corporate finance practice in the early 90’s. By the mid 90’s he was successfully buying and investing in his own portfolio of companies. Last year Doug successfully launched the world’s first large-scale property development, available for sale in Bitcoin. I greatly admire Michelle and Doug for their huge accomplishments.”

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The team will aim to attract the budding start-up stars of tomorrow (not just start-ups) on a growth trajectory – the new Apples and Facebooks of the world – before they become famous.

Businessman and philanthropist Barrowman, founder of EQUI, said that he was absolutely delighted that Woz has decided to become the co-founder of EQUI. Entrepreneur and Global speaker Lady Mone OBE, cofounder of EQUI, said: “Woz has always been my business icon and it’s a dream come true to be working with him at EQUI”.

Wozniak finished with: “We’ve already got over 20 businesses that we are looking at and we haven’t even officially launched yet. It’s going to be very exciting. Ultimately, our mission is to seek, support and fund the blockchain and tech stars of tomorrow.

“EQUI Global is a game-changer”.

MV

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MV BUSINESS

TKH acquires Lakesight Technologies TKH Group has acquired Lakesight Technologies, a global vision technology company which provides innovative high-end technologies for imaging systems, from private equity investor Ambienta.

In a statement TKH said the deal had strengthened its position in vision technology. It already owns Allied Vision, NET and LMI. Lakesight, with its headquarters in Germany, consists of three operating entities: Chromasens GmbH (Germany), Mikrotron GmbH (Germany) and Tattile Srl (Italy).

It primarily serves the industrial and mobility markets, offering machine vision solutions for inspection, measurement and process control.

In the industrial market, Lakesight fulfils complex and demanding requirements of a variety of end markets, including semiconductor, electronics, automotive, printing and food & beverage. Its Mobility division provides cameras and solutions for intelligent traffic systems that are critical for safety applications, such as highway and tunnel monitoring, as well as for tolling, traffic law enforcement, access control to parking lots and other public transportation.

Alexander van der Lof, CEO of technology company TKH, said: “Lakesight offers a broad portfolio of highend vision technologies that are nicely fitting to TKH’s technologies in the field of vision & security. The combination will generate synergies and accelerate growth, especially in our defined vertical growth markets Machine Vision and Tunnel & Infra. Our joint

technical expertise and know-how will support TKH’s strategy on focussing towards technological leadership.”

Peter Tix, CEO of Lakesight: “The acquisition by TKH is an excellent move for Lakesight to continue its ambitions to become technology leader in the machine vision industry for smart solutions. We see an excellent fit with TKH to combine our strengths and potential to accelerate growth together with complementary technologies and the leverage of the international geographical footprint of TKH.” With 169 employees, Lakesight has an annual turnover of about €45m.

TKH said it will acquire 100% of the shares of Lakesight.

The acquisition is expected to be closed before yearend and will contribute to the earnings per share of TKH as from 2019.

It also said that the purchase price and the EBITDAmultiple are in line with the valuation of technology companies, although a consideration figure was not given. TKH will finance the transaction from a bridge term loan facility and existing resources.

STEMMER IMAGING acquires a stake in Perception Park STEMMER IMAGING has acquired a stake in Perception Park, a Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) software provider.

Perception Park is the Austrian provider of the data processing platform Perception System & Studio.

Perception Park also operates in the field of machine vision, with the company’s expertise lying in Chemical Colour Imaging (CCI) software technology. The

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intuitively configurable data processing platform Perception System & Studio developed by Perception Park renders complex hyperspectral data at the molecular level usable for machine vision.

The key technology’s applications encompass the food-processing industry, mining, the healthcare sector and the recycling sector. In comparison with traditional machine vision systems, hyperspectral

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MV BUSINESS

is now investing in an innovative software provider, Perception Park, for the first time. With this investment, STEMMER IMAGING is enhancing its product portfolio with a pioneering technology of the future with high potential for growth on the market.”

Lars Böhrnsen, CFO of STEMMER

systems offer a whole spectrum for each pixel instead of a monochrome or colour value. Thus, highly precise colour coordinates, chemical material properties and layer thickness information can be derived from the acquired data. Chemistry is thus rendered visible.

In a statement STEMMER IMAGING said: “Customers have been benefiting from the intensified cooperation between STEMMER IMAGING and Perception Park since January 2016. After bolstering the distribution network by acquiring the Dutch Data Vision in January 2018 and the French ELVITEC S.A.S. in July 2018, STEMMER IMAGING

Lars Böhrnsen (pictured left), CFO of STEMMER IMAGING, said: “We aim to implement the growth and internationalisation strategy announced in connection with the IPO as planned. For two years, we have already enjoyed cooperation with Perception Park that has been trusting and enriching in every respect. We believe that we can add an important technology to our product portfolio, leverage synergies in the future, and above all that our customers will benefit. In addition, we are strengthening our location in Graz, where we founded our wholly owned subsidiary in Austria at the start of June. This investment is therefore predominantly strategic in nature.”

The size of the stake was not revealed, but the company did say that the purchase price amounts to a low singledigit million amount.

FRAMOS adds Smartek Vision to group Smartek Vision, which was originally acquired by FRAMOS in 2014, is to become part of the group, within FRAMOS Embedded Engineering.

approaches to sensor modules, custom cameras, imaging algorithms plus IP and SoC solutions to support customers building devices that see.”

The Croatian based team will focus on embedded vision development, custom solutions, IP and sensor modules.

Lorenzo Cassano, FRAMOS Vice President Business Development, said: “We are welcoming the facilities in Croatia into to the FRAMOS Engineering team. The location in East-central Europe provides the Framos group with additional capabilities to access strong partner networks, including high-tech production facilities equipped with cutting-edge technologies.

Smartek Vision, which has 30 employees, was founded in 2001 and is located in Cacovec, Croatia.

It will continue to operate in its current structure, any contracts will remain unchanged. FRAMOS told MVPro Magazine that the Croatian engineering team brings an advanced experience in sensor modules, camera customizations and IP solutions for imaging applications in industrial and consumer markets.

Damir Dolar, appointed as Vice President of FRAMOS Embedded Engineering, said: “We are extremely pleased to join the FRAMOS Group. With over 17 years of experience in vision engineering and manufacturing, our focus will be enabling the FRAMOS customers to leverage from imaging technologies and embedded vision to create cutting-edge solutions in all industrial and consumer markets. Our engineering team is a very knowledged development partner for individual

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“This enables a highly reliable and cost-efficient delivery chain with increased flexibility and fast reaction times for OEM products and custom solutions. The team in Croatia has already been instrumental in helping create our own FRAMOS IP, like with the SLVS-EC IP Core.

We are very looking forward to continue and extend this path towards Embedded Vision with a modular approach to ease and accelerate development for our customers.”

With 37 years of business presence in the industry, FRAMOS and their now strengthened Embedded Engineering Group look forward to continuing to grow and serve customers in the global vision market.

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2019 UKIVA MACHINE VISION CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION DATE AND VENUE ANNOUNCED

The third UKIVA Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition will take place on 6 June at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.

The organisers told MVPro Magazine that the event is becoming increasingly popular with attendance figures in 2018 up 17% compared to 2017.

The 2019 iteration will follow a similar format to previous years, with a programme of technical seminars supported by an exhibition featuring vision component manufacturers, vision component and system distributors and systems integrators from around the world.

The 2019 Conference will feature an additional theme, covering applications of vision in automation and robotics.

The 2019 Conference will feature an additional theme, covering applications of vision in automation and robotics.

Chris Valdes, UKIVA event organiser and business development manager for the PPMA (Processing & Packaging Machinery Association), said: “At the event in 2018, a number of exhibitors included robots and cobots in their displays, which provided a great deal of interest. There have also been recent developments in the communication standards for machine vision and robots for use in Industry 4.0, making technical seminars on vision, robotics and automation even more relevant.

and many of our members have an active interest in BARA as well.”

In a statement, the organisers said: “While the Conference sets out to cover the key issues in machine vision, such as deep learning and embedded vision, as well as Industry 4.0, there are plenty of presentations that cover basic vision technology.

“The previous events have attracted large numbers of people who wanted to learn more about the fundamentals of vision technology, coupled with those who were keen to explore the latest developments. Other key topics that will be covered in-depth at the Conference will include: 3D Vision, Optics and Illumination, Vision Innovation, Systems and Applications, and Camera technology.

“Keynote speakers at the two previous events have also attracted large audiences, and details of the 2019 keynotes, together with the conference program and information about the exhibition, will be published on the Conference website (www.machinevisionconference.co.uk) when they have been finalised.” MV

“UKIVA has a natural affinity with the combined use of vision and robotics as BARA (British Automation & Robotics Association) is, like UKIVA, part of the umbrella PPMA (Processing & Packaging Machinery Association)

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