MVPro Media - Issue 2 - January 2017 by Clifton Media Lab

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CONTENTS mvpromedia.eu

MVPro is published by IFA Magazine Publications Ltd, The Tobacco Factory, Loft 3, Bristol BS3 1TF

Tel: +44 (0) 1179 089686 © 2016. 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. Designed by www.fanaticdesign.co.uk

Welcome to MVPRO NEW YEAR NEW VISION

Visit our website for daily updates

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VISION: Editor Neil Martin gives his personal assessment of VISION 2016,

Official VISION Business got underway at VISION with a detailed opening.

SO HOW WAS IT FOR YOU - Neil Martin asked some companies what they thought of VISION 2016

ISRA-Dr Christian Ripperda, Vice-President and Technology of ISRA

VDMA: In 2016, European industry remains on a growth path.

PRODUCT LAUNCHES - We take a trawl through some of the new technologies

CONFERENCE SCENE: New industry leading conference 'Embedded Vision' & forthcoming conference

2017 : Your thoughts - We take a few soundings on what companies think think about what 2017 might have to offer

EMVA- Learn whats new, including standards initiative for embedded vision and more

AIA - Catching up with Jeffrey Bernstein and Alex Shikany

BEST SCIENTIFIC - Prototype optical vision system for investigation

40 42

MATROX - 40 years in business

3D-ONE - Marco van Hout speaks about new camera launch

GARDASOFT -Looks ahead at VISION

MVTEC -Neil Martin meets MVTec’s Dr Wolfgang Eckstein at VISION 2016 for a chat

PLEORA - discuss the implications of a looming data capacity crunch

Take a look at what might be happening in the US markets and how COGNEX is fairing in the turmoll

Industry News

MVPRO: Creating a Machine Vision Dialogue

TELEDYNE EVOLVE - Neil Martin has a sit-down with Dr Edwin Roks

NEW YEAR, NEW VISION FOR 2017 Dear Readers, I’m delighted to report that our initial stats for our MVPro Media web site, magazines, social media and newsletters have been incredibly high, and of course we are hugely appreciative of the many kind and interesting ideas we have received via e-mail.

With a fantastic number of page views and average time spent on site per session, it proves that we are reaching the right audience who have an interest in the editorial we are producing – particularly coupled with such a low bounce rate.

Since launch only a couple of months ago, we are already receiving almost 1,300 visitors per month, generating a massive 8,900 page views!

These results are considerably more positive than some other old-fashioned and traditional titles.

We are delighted to publish our second set of digital results for the last month:

Additionally our fortnightly newsletter has been receiving over 7000+ regular opens.

Sessions 1,518 Users 1,298

A huge thank you from all of us at MVPro and do please keep in touch to let us know any further thoughts, features or ideas you would like to see us implement!

Page Views

8680

Best wishes,

Pages/Session

5.72

Avg. Session Duration 00:06:04 Bounce Rate

18.77%

Alex

Alex Sullivan Publishing Director, MVPro

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20/20 VISION Much of this issue is unashamedly devoted to VISION. It is, after all, the largest machine vision trade and what better place to have it than in Stuttgart? I take a personal look back at the show, look at what was said at the opening press conference and reveal some feedback we’ve had from companies who attended. There’s a load of useful stuff from VDMA and also a detailed look at how wireless sensor technology is adapting to changing tasks. I also run through a number of the key products at VISION. A number of companies have also told us what they think 2017 will bring them and the sector. We also have an update from two of the industry’s biggest associations, EMVA and AIA. As regards conferences, 2017 is going to be a pretty busy year, so suitcases at the ready. Featured articles this month include a white paper from Eric Best of Best Scientific on an Optical vision system with both EDIC (Episcopic Differential Interference Contrast) /EF (Epifluorescence) for the detection of low levels of both Proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous contamination on surgical instruments surfaces. And, John Phillips from Pleora Technologies and Kamal Dalmia from NBASE-T Alliance discuss the implications of a looming data capacity crunch. We hear from Sam Lopez at Matrox as they celebrate 40 years in business and I have a sit down with the Dutch boss of Teledyne DALSA, Dr Edwin Roks. I also talk to a company which explains how it all started with the international space station. We get the low down from Bluetechnix and take a look at the Gardasoft stand at VISION. There’s also a chat with Dr Wolfgang Eckstein at MVTec, a company which has no external shareholders and doesn’t see the need for any.

I’d like to wish you all a very happy new year. Have a good one and see you in 2017.

Neil

Neil Martin Editor, MVPro

We then include some of the top news stories affecting the industry. Finally, we have a new feature called Public Vision, where we look at what’s happening with industry companies which are publicly listed. So, enjoy it all and please send me any comments, thoughts, or views. I’m happy to hear them all!

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VISION: ON LOCATION IN STUTTGART Editor Neil Martin gives his personal assessment of VISION 2016, from a perfect slice of cheesecake in Stuttgart, to model trains and airships, imparting news on a certain Donald Trump, ageing quickly and a swearing German bus driver

It was good to be back in Germany again. Coming from warmer climes the cold air was a bit of a shock, as was the German bus driver who became increasingly vocal in his comments on the local traffic. The passengers and I were treated to a range of German expletives, some of which were quite colourful. As we know VISION is held every two years by the organisers Stuttgart Messe. The upside of every two years means that the industry is not being asked every 12 months to shell out a fortune on stands, travel and expenses that might put some firms off. The downside is that in such a fast-moving industry, two years is a big gap and each time the show is held, things are going to look a lot different. Given the rate of consolidation (many smaller firms can’t resist the safer harbours of a big corporate) and the rate of technological change (look at embedded technologies for example), means that visitors to VISION in 2018 might see a very different aspect. Stuttgart Messe Stuttgart Messe is not shy in claiming the show has been a huge success, but who can blame them? In a time of global economic uncertainty and some tightening of promotional budgets, both exhibitor and visitor numbers were up. Figures from the organisers show that nearly 10,000 visitors passed through the turnstiles, an increase of 13%. Some 28 countries were represented, which was up from last time. Exhibitor numbers were also up and 441 companies covered a total floor space of 10,900 square metres. A higher percentage were from overseas (57% as against 53%) and the nation with the highest number of exhibitors was the US, sending over 34 exhibitors. The number of companies from China also continued to grow.

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Stuttgart Messe executives were naturally fulsome in their appraisal of VISION. President and CEO of Messe Stuttgart Ulrich Kromer declared the event a success: "This year's event showed once again that VISION is and remains the most popular industry highlight for anyone who deals with machine vision. CEO of MVTec Software and Chairman of the Board of VDMA Machine Vision Dr Olaf Munkelt added: "We are thrilled with the high visitor numbers, increased internationality and massive interest in machine vision. For three days, VISION was the global centre for machine vision and once again demonstrated its status as the world's leading trade fair. "The quality of discussions and the increased interest in machine vision in particular confirmed that machine vision technology is no longer confined to a factory environment but is now an integral part of our everyday lives. This was also clear from this year's trending topic – embedded vision. We are already looking forward to VISION 2018." Commercial Success? The numbers don’t flag up of course whether the show was a commercial success and much comes down to whether you think booths were busy and fringe events were well attended, but, from having spent two days there, I would guess that this show was a success for both the organisers and the exhibitors. There was a sense of companies doing business and a feeling of an industry still excited with what lay around the corner. More on that later. The conference arena is the perfect backdrop of course, albeit a bit of a trek from Stuttgart itself. Positioned so close to the airport may contribute to that feeling that one conference centre is much like another and you have to remember you’re in Germany, but the big advantage of that is when you’re knackered after a long show, your flight back home awaits you just around the corner. That part of Germany is of course a key area for the machine vision industry, so home turf for many of the exhibitors. But even those companies coming from further afield seemed pleased with the set-up. Hats-off to EMVA for organising their welcome party in Stuttgart on Monday evening. Set close to the parliament buildings and the Stuttgart opera buildings, it was a magical location and given I was early, I had a good excuse to have a quick tour of the City and see how southern Germany was doing. From seeing café goers in one chosen location – what a superb coffee and slice of cheesecake, I have to say – things seemed to be going pretty well. Although I couldn’t quite figure out whether the small groups of youths sitting around in the park outside were innocently discussing politics, or sizing up a straggler from the pack.

Hall One Hall one of the arena comfortably takes the machine vision industry who wish to attend and it will be interesting to see when it comes to 2018, given the amount of consolidation going on, whether there will be fewer, or more exhibitors. Messe Stuttgart are professionals when it comes to organisation, so as you would guess, things were slick and smooth, although it took my colleagues a few minutes (and help from the chap next door), to figure out how to get our booth lights on. If I had to quibble, I would say some fringe events seemed less well attended and some quite hard to find. Ironically, the EMVA press conference seemed particularly hard to track down and had I not stumbled across the venue (in a blacked-out area on the gallery), I might have given up. It’s a good job I wasn’t tasked to find the holy grail! Back on the exhibitor floor and most of the companies looked busy flying the flag. Trade fairs are not just about selling of course, but about meeting existing customers and chewing the cud with those in the industry – it’s a rare coming together of people who do the same thing day in, day out. Most of the booths I stepped on were busy and handling interested attendees. Some do it better than others of course (no names, no pack drill), but it’s good to see that the tradition of supplying lots to drink and eat, still works as a draw. Although, I was a little puzzled by the choice of some drinks being offered – still, you cannot say that this industry lacks imagination, or a sense of humour. Model Trains The use of model trains were much in evidence and seeing products being applied gives you a sense of their use and puts it in context. A stand with just shiny rows of inert products just doesn’t fire the juices in the same way. And wow, that airship. Very impressive. I can’t remember who it was promoting, but I did think it’s handler was doing a neat job of walking up and down the aisles although, quite why he spent so long chatting to those two promotional women was beyond me! Mind you, who would fancy filling out his health and safety assessment. I also had a wry smile to myself walking around before the show started and seeing groups of employees getting a pep talk prior to the kick-off. Some were formed in loose huddles and looked intently at their bosses, as though in need of some early morning management. They looked like sports teams ready for the whistle and I thought some were about to high-five and jump in the air. Each to their own I guess. A strong cup of coffee works for me.

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Key Moments Stand-out point in the show for me was the camera and software that, amongst other things, provided a guess-ti-mate of your age. As I approached the camera and TV screen, I saw my age flash above my visage, and I was gratified to see I was four years younger than my actual age. As I got nearer, my age jumped to being two years older. Outrageous I said – the laughing lady standing near the TV screen (she must have had a fun three days), suggested I take off my glasses, as that usually ages people. I did as suggested and now I was approaching pensionable age – and this was mid-day. I daren’t think what it would have said at the end of the day after a few drinks. Let’s hope they haven’t quite perfected the system yet! Most bizarre moment was finding myself informing a few US companies who had yet to hear it confirmed, that Donald Trump was to be their next leader in chief. I couldn’t tell if the agonized look

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on their faces which fleetingly passed their usual well-guarded personas was genuine surprise, or just horror at what they might face in the future. But, as a member of the Brexit Remain camp, I had no room to carp, or poke fun. I knew what they were going through and therefore only felt sympathy! My only negative was failing to realise that there were toilets at either end of Hall One. Our stand was in the entrance area, so I thought the nearest facilities were about a mile’s walk away in the basement (past the shop). Oh well, they say exercise does you good, but I doubt they meant taken on a bladder full of coffee! So, that’s VISION 2016 done. See you all hopefully at VISION 2018. Have a safe trip. And, if you’re going to Automate in Chicago in April, I’ll see you there. By then, Trump will have been in the White House for his first hundred days - that’ll be worth many conversations!

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OFFICIAL VISION BUSINESS The official business got underway at VISION with a detailed opening press conference. Neil Martin takes you through the best bits

The press conference was hosted by Team Director VISION Messe Stuttgart Florian Niethammer and he got things warmed up by announcing the winner of the 22nd VISION Award. It was presented to Machine Vision Lighting for its innovation in the field of machine vision illumination: ‘VISA – Method Lighting (Variable Irradiation Solid Angle).’ Niethammer told the audience: “In recent years we have observed, time and time again, how pioneering ideas have won, which rapidly go on to become indispensable products. This underpins the importance of this traditional award and always guarantees a glimpse of the future.” Shigeki Masumura, President & CEO of Machine Vision Lighting which is based in Tokyo, Japan, accepted the award and gave a presentation on how VISA method lighting (Variable Irradiation Solid Angle) overturns conventional wisdom to provide a totally new method of lighting for visual inspection. It was then the turn of Dr Olaf Munkelt, Managing Director of MVTec Software and Chairman of the Board of VDMA Machine Vision to take us through some basic market figures. He headlined his talk with the fact that the machine market grew at ten per cent in 2015 and achieved eight per cent growth in 2016. We cover Dr Olaf Munkelt’s speech and slide presentation in detail later on in the magazine. We also cover later a paper given by Dr Christian Ripperda, Vice-President and Technology Director of ISRA VISION, who discusses how wireless technology quickly adapts to changing tasks.

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A statement was given by Mike Gonschior, Product Manager of ifm electronic, which included the following thoughts: “Intelligent, flexible factories of tomorrow need sensors like humans need their sense to perceive their environment. The sense of touch, or the eyes provide different data about a situation to the brain for analysis. This is the basis for control and for planning and taking decisions. These functions are already realised in factories by sensors and cameras in combination with PLCs (programmable logic controllers), or PCs. “The networking and treatment of data and the development of algorithms with prediction models as a basis for autonomous decisions in the production process will require a new infrastructure. Nevertheless, it will offer an excellent chance to create a fully automated, flexible industrial production.” He went on to say that for his company, three basic scopes of applications in image processing have continued to grow during the last years, even during the crisis: identification (reading codes on workplaces); visual guidance of machines, or conveyor systems; and, 3D measurement technology. And, he said, consequently, 3D image processing will be the core technology for finding new areas of applications. He finished by saying that the main focus is on user friendliness and he expects that his products have to be as easily operated as a smartphone. A presentation was also made by Dr Klaus-Henning Noffz, CEO of Silicon Software.

SO HOW WAS IT FOR YOU? Neil Martin asked some companies what they thought of VISION 2016

The PR to one side for a moment, the overall impression of VISION was that it was a success for most exhibitors. It was obvious to the even casual observer that stands were busy – reflecting the record numbers announced by the organisers. Only a handful of stands looked quiet and the reaction – on the day – was that this was one of the best shows yet.

Success is measured in many ways of course. For some companies, trade fairs are a chance to catch up with existing customers, as well as capture new ones. For others, it’s purely down to lead generation and success is judged by how many new customers are gained in the following months. Asking around, most companies see the fair as both an opportunity to meet and greet existing customers, as well fly the flag for new ones.

EVT Margarita Palmer of EVT Eye Vision Technology reported back that the show had been very successful for them. Highlight was the interest in their newly developed hardware, as well as the new software features. In particular, the 3D commands for Pin-Inspection with the laser line sensor and the

volume measurement with the Time-of-Flight sensor. As for how VISION could be improved, Palmer said: “For us it would be better to have the VISION every year.” And, naturally, they intend to attend in 2018.

MVTec Dr Olaf Munkelt, co-founder and Managing Director of MVTec Software, declared the show as the most successful for the company, and they’ve been attending for 18 years. They saw a lot of interest for the new major release of HALCON 13. Munkelt said: “More visitors than ever took the opportunity to inform themselves about current machine vision trends and market-ready solutions for Embedded Vision, Industrial Internet of Things, Easy-to-use texture inspection as well as the capabilities of 3D vision or new technologies like deep learning at the MVTec booth.”

As for how the show could be improved, he suggested: “Guided tours with focus on specific topics like Embedded Vision, MV software, Industrial Internet of Things etc. could be a benefit for the visitors. Plus, Electronica trade fair taking part at the same time in Munich meant a limited attendance of journalists.” As for 2018: “Yes, of course. It will be our 19th attendance and we are looking forward to it.”

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Pleora

The Crowley Company

Niall Bolster, sales manager for Europe with Pleora, was another executive to highlight how busy the show was. He said: . “Yes, the show was much busier than we had anticipated, or had seen in previous years. We launched our NBASE-T embedded video interface in advance of the show, and there was significant interest in the technology leading to numerous discussions with imaging device manufacturers.

Director of Communications at The Crowley Company Cheri Baker said: “We were pleased with the traffic and the interest shown in the MACHCAM 71MP. The attendees were knowledgeable and product-focused, which led to some good conversations allowing us to both share and learn. We’re looking forward to a return visit in 2018 and to building on the many relationships which were started in Stuttgart.”

We also hosted a technology session at VISION. In addition, our technology was demonstrated in e2v’s new cameras, and our German channel partner Rauscher also demonstrated NBASE-T. There was a lot of excitement around our NBASE-T technology – traffic at the booth was sometimes overwhelming. Other companies discussing NBASE-T really helped validate that this is a solution that meets bandwidth and cost requirements for the vision market. “We had numerous in-depth discussions with potential customers and existing customers, and there was a consistently positive outlook on the future of the vision industry. There was also a lot of focus on higher bandwidth solutions versus previous VISION shows, which highlights a future direction for the industry.” As for improvements, Bolster said: “It could potentially be a two-day event. Day 3 was much quieter, though it gave us some time to browse the show floor. There are a lot of events scheduled during the show, and we found it hard to make time to attend some of the sessions. One thing that may be useful for exhibitors is a presentation area that could be booked to host audio sessions, versus trying to host these sessions in booth space.”

Imperx Imperx reported back that VISION was a tremendous success: “The ability to present our products via face to face with end users who need the expertise and quality that Imperx offers. Demonstrating the features sets and abilities of our cameras and forming a relationship with our end users. Letting our customer base know that the Imperx team loves nothing more than solving their most challenging imaging objectives and overcome any issues together. That is what Imperx does best.”

As for 2018: “Yes, it’s an important show for the vision industry and Pleora. In just a few days we can meet with a wide base of potential customers and existing customers. It’s also a very good opportunity to quickly survey new technologies in the vision market, and learn where others are seeing growth potential.”

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Matrox Imaging Director of sales and marketing at Matrox Imaging Sam Lopez gave his views: “VISION far exceeded our expectations in a number of ways. Firstly, attendance was excellent, our best ever. Even with a large number of staff on hand, we were busier than we have ever been.” “With many new products on display we saw a large deal of interest, and we spoke with many interested existing clients alongside potential customers. In this business, it takes a while to convert a lead into a customer but we feel there were lots of good opportunities.” “Simply by traffic and the excitement generated, yes, we feel the show was extremely successful.” As for his highlights, Lopez said: “This was a big show for us in terms of product announcements.” “We introduced and presented Matrox Design Assistant 5, the latest evolution of our flowchartbased integrated development environment (IDE) for machine vision.” “We also announced and demonstrated MIL CoPilot, an evaluation and prototyping companion to the Matrox Imaging Library (MIL) collection of software tools.”

“On the hardware side, we showed our New Iris GTR smart, along with the Indio 8 input/8 output (I/O) and communication card and the Matrox Clarity UHD, a single-slot PCIe frame grabber that provides Mini DisplayPort®, HD-BNC, HDMI® and custom analog DVI connectivity for SD, HD and UHD video sources.” “This year we set up a theater for live demos of software and product presentations. We went into the show with 5 seats, expecting small groups of interested persons. For every presentation we had crowds standing in the aisles.” As for how VISION might be improved: “VISION is one of the shows that’s done really well by giving clients exactly what they expect, and not diluting the scope of the show by bringing in new industries or irrelevant information. It’s a very focused show with the most important players in machine vision being highlighted. Everyone knows what the trade show is about.” “Not an improvement, but a continuation of what they’re already doing, VISION needs to continue to promote the industry in Europe and internationally. Part of how they could accomplish this is to place more effort in including Asia and the Americas.” And do they intend to go back: “Absolutely, we wouldn’t miss it.”

Basler Basler said regarding VISION: “We are very pleased with the results. Of course, we would like to see an increasing number of overall visitors in order to meet new potential customers, ideally from different industries.” Regarding highlights: “The 3D/Time-of-Flight topic as well as the new Embedded Vision technology were the biggest attractions at our booth. We are very excited to already offer ready-to-go products for these two hot industry trends and happy to help users in getting started with these technologies to improve their performance.”

As for how the show could be improved: “We would like to see more visitors from other industries than the classic factory field to be able to present vision technology benefits to further potential users. We therefore really appreciate the tradeshow’s efforts in getting new industries and applications to the show.” And will they be back: “The VISION Stuttgart is one of the main shows and yes, we currently plan to attend in 2018.”

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TOUCH & AUTOMATE: THE NEXT LEVEL OF INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION Dr Christian Ripperda, Vice-President and Technology Director of ISRA VISION, presented this paper at the VISION 2016 opening press conference

Communicative networking in industrial production environments promises a maximum of efficiency as well as low cost manufacturing of even individualized products. Adaptive processes are the main prerequisite to make this vision come true. If “industry 4.0” describes an industrial production, able to quickly adapt to new tasks through online communication, ISRA VISION’s Touch & Automate is “beyond industry 4.0”: the future oriented system architecture enables wireless smart sensor networks – and thanks to task related software applications, the flexibility of Touch & Automate systems reaches a maximum.

sensors in the network, enabling the systems to quickly adapt to changing measurement tasks. New service applications such as automated maintenance and updates can be installed to the sensors easily. But even measuring parameters and lighting schemes can as well. As a result, the sensors are only limited by their hardware and users can exploit the full potential of the sensor technology.

What started out as the Plug & Automate portfolio of easy to install sensors develops into a networked system architecture. With Touch & Automate, the sensors become smart, based on high connectivity and on board intelligence – and are able to communicate between each other and a connected database via WLAN. This enables coordinated use of the sensors in measurement tasks of all sizes. The data obtained is available for collaborative data handling across the entire process, allowing all inspection systems in the line to react to changes. Information on relevant error types and new object geometries is available immediately throughout the sensor network. High flexibility through process adaptive software In addition to its use as a sensor network and the joint access to process data, another distinctive characteristic of the Touch & Automate concept is adaptive automation. The software modules required for a given task are downloaded to the

From sensor data to informed decisions: New quality and yield man-agement software creates process transparency

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Individual reportings for well informed decision making ISRA offers the EPROMI (Enterprise Production Management Intelligence) quality and yield management software for analyzing and visualizing information from the sensor network. Using customizable reports, the higher-level information software supports decision-making at every level of the company. The software can be used to compare production lines around the world, so users can already tap the benefits of networked production data today. System architecture of easy to install systems The Touch & Automate concept adds Wi-Fi capabilities and much more to ISRA’s Plug & Automate product range. The portfolio includes solutions for separating unsorted parts through bin picking (SHAPESCAN3D) and depalletizing (MONO3D). In addition, ISRA’s combined sensor enables the use of multiple measuring procedures and types of lighting. Together with a solution for inspecting reflective and curved surfaces (SpecGAGE), ISRA’s Touch & Automate is a networkcapable portfolio with a multitude of possible applications in all industries, in particular in the automotive industry.

The pioneering automation concept for machine vision enables the various sensors to be connected wirelessly.

Communicative networking in industrial production environments promises a maximum of efficiency as well as low cost manufacturing of even individualized products

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MATRIX VISION Demonstrating how easy it can be to prepare inspections, Matrix Vision were showing off their Smart Kits for Smart Camera. Top of the agenda was the mvBlueGEMINI smart camera and the intuitive mvIMPACT Configuration Studio software (mvIMPACT-CS for short). Matrix Vision is providing kits adapted to laboratory and industrial use, as well as kits for first-time users, which contain the smart camera mvIMPACT-CS and appropriate accessories. Matrix Vision was one of the first manufacturers to have integrated the 12 megapixel IMX253 sensor from Sony's Pregius family into a USB 3.0 industrial camera. The greyscale version of the Global Shutter CMOS sensor is currently being piloted and is available as mvBlueFOX3-2124G. It

offers high pixel density with a pixel size of 3.45 x 3.45 µm, impressive image quality, reduced noise and a dynamic range in excess of 71 dB. The sensor has a resolution of 4112 x 3008 pixels and achieves a frame rate of 34.6 images per second at full resolution. A new addition to the mvBlueFOX3-2 family of cameras comes in the shape of the mvBlueFOX3-2 USB 3.0 family which has been created especially for the IMX sensors from Sony. It has large 256 MB integrated image memory and is also equipped with a generous FPGA. This includes a number of smart features for image processing, along with 2/4 digital inputs and outputs. The camera is compatible with the GenICam and USB3 Vision standards. Drivers are available for Windows. Furthermore, the camera supports all USB3 Vision-compatible third-party image processing libraries.

COHERENT feature a linewidth that is 40% smaller than standard Coherent StingRay products (at the same working distance), and can achieve focused linewidths as small as 20 µm, thus providing increased spatial resolution and the ability to discern finer details. Based on cost-effective laser diode technology, StingRay µFocus modules are available at wavelengths of 520 nm, 660 nm, 785 nm, and 830 nm, at power levels of up to 200 mW.

Coherent has a new series of laser line generators which enables the detection of smaller features in machine vision applications based on triangulation. Specifically, StingRay µFocus (Micro Focus) lasers

Their lasers are targeted at any machine vision application that requires high precision 3D profiling. This includes numerous uses in microelectronics manufacturing, glass inspection, medical and dental implant production, high precision extrusion and feature alignment in automotive assembly.

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ACTIVE SILICON

Showcasing their high-end CoaXPress and Camera Link frame grabbers at VISION was Active Silicon. They also displayed a range of camera interface models for Sony and Tamron blockcams. Particular emphasis was placed on the new FireBird Camera Link 80-Bit (Deca) board, which is available in full height, or low profile. Also the FireBird Camera Link 3U cPCI Serial Frame Grabber, with extended temperature range for demanding embedded applications. And the FireBird Quad USB 3.0 Host Controller in PCIe/104 format which allows easy integration of USB 3.0 devices into embedded systems, as well as cameras using the USB3 Vision standard.

KAPPA OPTRONICS Kappa displayed their project camera with USB3 Vision and GigE Vision. With the new ‘FDC’ camera platform, Kappa say they have an answer to every wish for an affordable industrial camera. What’s more, they highlight the solution’s flexibility, both on the mechanical and design levels.

the GigE Vision industrial interface, as well as further I/Os and triggers. Using standardized data protocols, project cameras can be easily integrated and connected via plug and play to popular software solutions. Additionally, a development kit is available.

The FDC project camera is available as a PCB version and as one with a cubic housing (29x29x29 mm). It is also equipped with IP protection class and different mounts, as well as with other geometric dimensions and additional functionalities as requested. The continually expanding sensor portfolio, which currently consists of first-class CMOS and CCD sensors from Sony (e.g. Pregius), ON Semi and e2V, allows customization for customer needs. Sensor cover removal and cooling are also possible. Two outstanding interfaces are immediately selectable, USB3 Vision for single-cable data transfer with bandwidth up to 350 MB/sec, and

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BAUMER Baumer has further expanded its CX series with camera models including Sony Pregius sensor IMX253 in compact 29 x 29 mm size with USB 3.0 interface. High resolution of 4096 x 3000 pixel and high frame rates of 31 images per second make the cameras ideal in applications with demanding requirements for high-definition quality in image acquisition at high throughput. Thanks to high resolution and speed combined with low dark noise and high-dynamic 71 dB, the CX cameras are perfect for demanding applications such as surface inspection, 2D/3D measuring technology, packaging inspection and traffic monitoring. Sized at of 29 x 29 mm with M3 mounting capabilities at each side of the square housing, make for easy installation, even in narrow installation environments. Camera events and the integrated image memory ensure synchronized process control for long-term stability in image evaluation. The cameras endure up to 65 Â°C housing temperature for high application versatility at excellent image quality. To ensure the highest process safety, the integrated temperature sensor provides the current operating temperature at allÂ times.

and profile rate allow for precise acquisition of the 3D information to identify even the slightest deviations reliably at high processing speed. Aggregating profiles ensure reliable high-speed transmission while also significantly reducing the CPU load. Thanks to the pre-installed 3D applet, laser triangulation tasks can be immediately set up without the need for additional programming â&#x20AC;&#x201C; yet providing users with maximum flexibility in convenient adaptation to application-specific requirements. The 3D cameras are quickly integrated using third party software such as HALCON. System calibration is easily performed by 3D specimen.

The new VeriSens models 510, 700 and 800 of the XC, XF and ID series allow users to benefit from doubled productivity in image-based quality inspection. Integrating Industrial Ethernet, these vision sensors feature the high level of connectivity required by the Internet of Things, says Baumer. The 16 new VeriSens models provide enhanced processing performance, cutting image processing time in half in many applications, in part location and in code and text reading. Also on show was the Baumer portfolio of LX VisualApplets cameras with integrated image preprocessing. They are complemented by fast 2 and 12 megapixel models with 2K and 4K line width respectively and profile rates of more than 2.5 kHz at 128 lines for precise tasks in laser triangulation at high speed. These 3D cameras feature a particularly developed laser triangulation applet based on VisualApplets technology. It allows for locating the laser line focus directly in the camera with subpixel accuracy, so transmission will only contain the profile data. This will reduce the volume of data for transmission and processing for cost-efficient and flexible system setup with GigE interface. The high resolution

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INTRODUCING THE

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VDMA: INDUSTRIAL IMAGE PROCESSING SHOWS STRONG GROWTH In 2015 the European image processing industry grew by 10 per cent; in 2016, it remains on a growth path with 8 per cent

Non-industrial sectors on the rise "The image processing industry in Germany and Europe has been reporting growth for years. In In addition, image processing constantly creates Germany alone, sales have doubled within ten new customer industries and application areas. years, an end to the boom is not in sight. This year "Creative applications are every year new: food the industry will achieve a new record turnover of detection without barcode in the supermarket, track at least â&#x201A;Ź 2.2 billion. The image processing industry monitoring in the London Underground, shrimp in Europe will achieve sales growth of 8 percent sorting on the fish cutter - image processing proves in 2016. "says Dr Olaf Munkelt, Chairman of the to be a genuine all-rounder and has Executive Board VDMA Industrial long since conquered our everyday image processing at the opening VDMA also expects life!", says Olaf Munkelt. In 2015, of VISION, the leading trade fair the share of the European image another dynamic for industrial image processing. industry in non-industrial According to current surveys, development in the processing sectors was already 24 percent; VDMA also expects another industry for 2017 sales grew by 14 percent. The dynamic development in the growth drivers were, in particular, the industry for 2017. Intelligent Transport Systems, Medical Diagnostic Apparatus and Operation Technology, and Security Key component in the global automation race & Surveillance divisions. Image processing "Made in Europe" has become Automotive industry remains the largestÂ customer a key technology for automation worldwide. Machines can "see and understand" thanks to Broken down by sectors, the automotive industry image processing. This not only leads to the highest remains the strongest customer for the European product quality, but also to a higher productivity and machine vision industry with 20 per cent of competitiveness in the context of industry 4.0 by total sales worldwide. Sales of industrial image providing stable and efficient processes, as well as processing increased by 9 percent in 2015. Sales in flexibility and intelligence in production. the non-automotive manufacturing industry grew

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2012

2013

2014

2015

Germany

+13%

North America

+11%

China

+16%

Other Asia

+19%

Italy

+25%

France

+23%

United Kingdom and Ireland

-5%

Central-/Easter Europe

+14%

BENELUX

+17%

Austria and Switzerland

-4%

40%

Machine Vision 2015 Turnover - Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important markets

by 8 percent year-on-year. The electrical electronics industry - including semiconductors - was the second-largest customer, with a share of just under 12 percent, followed by the metal sector and the food and beverage industry, each accounting for 7Â percent. Growth engine Germany For the European machine vision industry, Germany was the most important market: 33 percent of sales were generated in Germany, 12 percent more compared to last year. North America was the second-largest export market (up 11 percent), followed by China with an 8 percent share of sales (up 16 percent compared to 2014).

Source: VDMA Robotics + Automation

Record sales of cameras The most important component in a proportion of 30 percent of total sales of the European machine vision industry are the cameras. Sales grew by a whopping 9 percent in 2015. The turnover of image processing systems developed somewhat less dynamically with a growth of 6.5 percent. Trend Topic Embedded Vision This year VDMA panel discussion at the Industrial Vision Days deals with the trend topic 'Smarter Vision with Embedded Vision?'. The discussion will show which topics are hidden behind the term 'embedded vision' and which benefits the user has.

Automotive Electrical/Electronics (incl. Semiconductors) Metal Food, Beverage, Tobacco, including Filling and Packaging Glass Rubber and Plastic Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics and Healthcare Printing and Paper Wood Other Manufacturing Industries Intelligent Traffic Systems Medical Equipment Logistics and Postal Sorting Security and Serveillance Other Non-manufacturing Industries

0% 2014

2015

Machine Vision 2014-15 Turnover - Europe - share by industries

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25% Source: VDMA Robotics + Automation

The panel is prominently filled with representatives from Advantech Europe, ARM, BASLER, Imago Technologies, MVTec Software and SICK; In addition to classical companies from the image processing industry, external players are also heard. VDMA Machine Vision at VISION 2016 (8th-November 10, 2016 in Stuttgart) VISION is the Body text hereworld's leading trade fair for the image processing. Every two years VISION meets the Who-is-who of the image processing industry in Stuttgart and presents a product and service spectrum of an unrivalled breadth: from the sensor to the processor, from the cable to the camera, from the software to the lighting system, right up to Complete image processing systems and very specific applications for a wide range of industries are presented - from mechanical engineering to the automotive industry to medical technology and many, many more. VDMA Industrial image processing enjoyed a record-breaking VISION

2016 with more than 430 exhibitors - more than half of which are from abroad. VDMA IBV is a professionally-ideal local partner and organized the three-day series of presentations " Industrial VISION Days " - an expert forum, which holds a wide range of technology- and application-specific image processing issues for trade visitors, as well as the VDMA Technology Days , a joint stand under the motto "Research Meets industry "with a total of new exhibitors from the university environment. VDMA Machine Vision market survey 2016 The VDMA market survey industrial image processing, is carried out annually since 1995 and is a primary survey with direct survey of the image processing companies in Germany and Europe. In order to achieve the best possible results, both VDMA member companies and non-member companies are involved. A total of more than 180 image processing companies participated in 2015 inÂ Europe.

â&#x201A;Źbn

2.5

0.0 2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Machine Vision Germany Total Turnover - 2005 - 2016

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Source: VDMA Robotics + Automation

About VDMA Machine Vision The VDMA is the largest industry association in Europe and has more than 3,100 member companies in the capital goods industry and mechanical and plant engineering. As part of the VDMA Association for Robotics + Automation, VDMA Industrial Image Processing has more than 115 members: suppliers of image processing systems and components as well as integrators. The aim of this industry-driven platform is to support the image processing industry through a wide range of activities and services. The focus is on statistical analyzes and the annual market survey of industrial image processing, standardization activities, marketing, public relations, measurement policy, as well as networking events and conferences. For more information, please visit:www.vdma.org/vision

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VISION PRODUCT LAUNCHES We take a trawl through some of the main product launches at VISION 2016

SONY Sony Image Sensing Solutions used the show to unveil its latest series of GS CMOS cameras. The XCL-SG510 is a series of 5.1MP 154 fps GS CMOS modules offering, says Sony, clear benefits to designers and end-users in the factory automation and non-manufacturing markets. The high frame rate Camera Link V2.0 module with global shutters can accurately capture moving objects. The series is now shipping and the European Marketing Manager of Sony Image Sensing Solutions Arnaud Destruels said: “The fast-growing range of CS CMOS cameras is the culmination of Sony’s 30 years of R&D in the machine vision market. As you’d expect from Sony ISS, the module’s design extracts the full capabilities of the Sony Exmor sensor to deliver an unrivalled image quality from the chip.”

POINT GREY RESEARCH Point Grey Research is now part of FLIR Systems and from henceforth will be known as Integrated Imaging Solutions. It will operate within FLIR’s OEM and emerging division. The deal was completed just before VISION. On the trade fair floor, Point Grey Research, or Integrated Imaging Solutions, showcased its products under the general theme of “Empowering Your Innovation.” The idea being to demonstrate advanced camera technology to address real-life imaging problems and emerging vision applications. Within its overall theme, the company unveiled a brand new 10 GigE camera family whose Visioncompliant products will feature the latest global shutter CMOS technology and leverage 10 GigE’s high data rates to maximize sensor resolutions and frame rates. The first model will use the Sony Pregius IMX253 1.1” CMOS sensor. This features 4096 x 3000 (12.3 megapixel) resolution and supports 4K60 Ultra HD video. The 10 GigE interface will enable raw image transmission at speeds of up to ten times faster than GigE with minimal latency and no compression artifacts. It can be connected to standard network switches and interface cards via inexpensive Cat6A copper cable,

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allowing for flexible and cost-effective deployments over long distances. It also introduced its highest resolution camera to date. The new Blackfly S camera model features a 20 megapixel Sony Exmor R IMX183 1” CMOS sensor. The Sony Exmor R back-illuminated architecture increases quantum efficiency and reduces read noise for improved sensitivity and dynamic range. Introducing a number of new features to simplify and accelerate the creation of new vision application is the new Spinnaker SDK, based on the industry-standard GenICam3 reference API. The intuitive SpinView GUI integrates camera control and management software. This is meant to optimize user experience in evaluating new camera models and features. It also allows for fast deployment of user controls. What’s more, API logging enables code transparency and application debugging. Other products getting exposure at VISION were the new high resolution, high performance Grasshopper3 camera models, new 3D vision stereo technology, and the company’s latest 360-deg spherical vision camera.

ALLIED VISION Allied Vision themed their trip to VISION with the slogan ‘Imaging solutions for individual needs’ and presented camera solutions for diverse application fields. It did this via six different topic islands covering key factors in choosing the right camera. Highlighted were key topics from CMOS sensor technology through to high-resolution and highspeed cameras, and image processing in different spectral ranges. Focus was on the Mako and Manta camera families which are equipped with the latest IMX CMOS sensors from Sony. Also highlighted were the new high-resolution (with up to 26 megapixels) camera models of the highperformance Prosilica GT family.

The company also presented nine new camera models which expand its offering of highperformance GigE-Vision cameras. They range from the ultra-compact Mako camera family to the versatile Manta and the rugged Prosilica GT. It also revealed that the Manta camera family is expanding by four new models with the CMOS sensor technology of Sony’s Pregius series. The new Manta G-1236 comes with the 12.3 Megapixel IMX304 and the new Manta G-895 has the 8.9 megapixel IMX267 sensor. The Manta G-319 has the Sony IMX265 (3.2 megapixel) and the Manta G-507 has the Sony IMX264 Sensor (5 megapixel).

All the new Manta models offer the new Trigger over Ethernet (ToE) function and can be connected with a single cable to the imaging system, thanks to optional Power over Ethernet (PoE) operation. Also, the Mako camera is now available with the Sony Pregius CMOS sensors IMX264 (Mako G-507) and IMX265 (Mako G-319) sensors. On show were the new Prosilica cameras which are equipped with Global Shutter CMOS sensors from ON Semiconductor. The 26.2 megapixel Prosilica GT5120 camera has the Python 25k sensor, the 16.7 megapixel Prosilica GT4096 the Python 16k sensor and the 12.5 megapixel Prosilica GT4090 the Python 12k sensor. Allied Vision also detailed its latest CMOS sensor technology, offering cameras with highperformance Global Shutter CMOS sensors for all demands and application areas. The new Global Shutter sensors exceed previously available CMOS sensors with their high saturation capacity and concurrent low image noise. These new camera models are the most ideally suited candidates to replace CCD cameras with equal resolution and optical format. Allied Vision said that the new high-resolution Python CMOS sensors from On Semi have not only a clear cost advantage versus comparable CCD sensor technology, but that they are also the first high-resolution sensors available in an optional NIR version with increased sensitivity in the nearinfrared range.

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the stereo vision image, just as human eyes would do. Depending on the special requirements of the application, either the small and low-cost Mako G-125, or the enhanced Prosilica GT1290 is used.

Allied Vision also demonstrated a bin picking system which used its cameras and allows robots to see, and pick, objects in a 3D room. Its distribution partner, Spanish specialist for artificial vision Infaimon, has created a solution for Vision Guided Robotics that identifies, selects, picks and transfers defined objects within a bin.

The Mako G-125 is an ultra-compact (29 x 29 mm) industrial GigE camera with Sony's ICX445 CCD sensor and various mounting options. Mako cameras are small and light, and can easily be integrated into the robot’s head which further simplifies the usability of the system. For advanced applications requiring perfectly synchronized images at faster read out times, the bin picking system can also be equipped with Allied Vision’s high-performance, 1.2 Megapixel GigE Vision Prosilica GT1290 camera. This camera includes Precision Time Protocol (PTP) which ensures the synchronization of the cameras within 2 microseconds across an Ethernet network.

Allied Vision explained that in robotics and vision systems, picking refers to the combined process of identifying an object using a vision system, the determination of its position in the space and its subsequent picking and transfer to the destination point using a robotized system. Infaimon has developed a solution that goes beyond identifying objects placed on a plane conveyor belt; their Bin Picking software, “InPicker”, also permits the selection and extraction of parts stacked randomly in a bin. The solution uses Allied Vision’s cameras for recognition and location, and a robotics system for extraction and subsequent relocation. The bin picking system is based on stereo vision with two high resolution cameras implemented into the head piece of the robot. Two synchronized images enable the creation of a very precise, three dimensional map of all the objects in order to localize the best candidate for picking with great accuracy. Two of Allied Vision’s GigE Vision camera models were selected as the two “artificial eyes” delivering

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CONFERENCE SCENE New industry conference A brand-new industry conference has been put together by the European Machine Vision Association (EMVA) and VISION trade show organisers Landesmesse Stuttgart. Called Embedded VISION Europe, its scheduled for 12 and 13 October, 2017, at the ICS International Congress Centre Stuttgart. It will be the only European conference which focuses exclusively on the disruptive technology of embedded vision. It aims to show the capability of hardware and software platforms; will present applications and markets for embedded vision; and, will create a platform for the exchange of information.

image analysis and application solutions. This is why, together with our partner EMVA in 2017, we will launch this conference on embedded vision targeting developers and users of embedded vision systems. We are looking forward to host this event in Stuttgart next year and promote the dynamic developments with such a high level platform.” More information can be found at www.embeddedvision-emva.org and www.embedded-visioneurope.com. Repeat performance from European Machine Vision Forum

The European Machine Vision Forum successfully debuted in Heidelberg this year and the second iteration takes place on 6-8 September 2017 at the Austrian Institute of Technology. The focal topic is ‘Next Generation Vision Systems for Industry – Computational It will be the only Imaging, Machine Learning European conference and More.’

EMVA General Secretary Thomas Lübkemeier said: “Worldwide, embedded vision is making inroads. Interest is growing amongst a multitude of industries which focuses This forum was created to fill an on what can be realised with exclusively on the important gap where science these intelligent systems. Be it automotive, automotive guided disruptive technology meets industry to not only from each other, but also vehicle systems, drones, the of embedded vision. learn to discuss the latest research medical sector, automation, results as well as problems from sports and entertainment, or even applications. It also offers a chance learn about marketing – embedded vision systems take care emerging application fields and discuss research cothat tasks are performed automatically, stand-alone, operation between industry players and academic fast and smart." institutes. The conference will be held in English. It’s for EMVA Board member and chair of the European developers and users of embedded vision systems Machine Vision Forum Professor Dr Bernd from all industries. A number of companies will also Jahne said: “The conference targets scientists, show their products and applications. system engineers, hardware designers, software VISION Project Manager Florian Niethammer said: programmers and technology scouts alike, and “Being the organiser of the world’s leading trade provides a mix of plenary sessions, poster and demo fair VISION it is exciting to follow the development teasers and extended coffee breaks, lunch breaks of industrial and non-industrial applications of and two evening sessions.” embedded technologies. It is equally exciting to EMVA’s aim with the forum is to establish a witness the cross-fertilization between the newly productive network between industry and developed computer vision processing platforms academics which accelerates the transformation and industry-proven image acquisition devices,

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Forthcoming Conference Diary

A3 Business Forum

Hannover Fair

18 - 20 January 2017

24 - 28 April 2017

Disney Yacht & Beach Club, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States

Hannover, Germany

Control 2017 SPIE Photonics West

28 Jan. - 2 Feb. 2017

9 - 12 May 2017 Messe Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany

The Moscone Center, San Francisico, United States sps ipc drives Italia Vision China

14 - 16 March 2017

23 - 25 May 2017 Parma, Italy

Beijing, China 15th EMVA Business Conference Israel Machine Vision Conference

28 March 2017

22 - 24 June 2017 Prague, Czech Republic

David Intercontinental Hotel, Tel Aviv, Israel 2nd European Machine Vision Forum Automate 2017

3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 April 2017

6-8 September 2017 AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Vienna, Austria

McCormick Place, Chicago, US 1st European Embedded Vison Conference UKIVA Machine Vision Conference & Exhibition

27 April 2017

12-13 October ICS Stuttgart

Arena MK, Milton Keynes, UK

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MAKE CAKES... READY GO

CONNECTING YOUR VISION BUY ONLINE AT WWW.LAPPGROUP.CO.UK

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IT'S 2017: NEW YEAR THOUGHTS We take a few soundings on what companies think about what 2017 might have to offer

It’s a new year and 2017 should be a very interesting period for the machine vision industry. Consolidation is set to increase, as is the pace of technological development. Pleora Ed Goffin, Marketing Manager at Pleora Technologies, told us: “From a business perspective, we did see a general market slowdown in the first half of 2016, which was countered by a much better Q3 and a record Q4. We're anticipating continuing growth in 2017, driven primarily by significant design activity in the defence, security, and medical imaging markets. Computer vision is playing an increasing role in these markets, and designers are turning to proven machine vision products to help streamline design, reduce costs, and meet performance demands. “From a technology viewpoint, bandwidth limitations are an increasing concern in both established and emerging imaging markets. We're seeing strong interest in the bandwidth flexibility and cost-benefits afforded by our NBASE-T interface products, and expect other companies to deliver NBASE-T solutions over the coming months.” MVTec

“The use of trend technologies, such as deep learning and hyperspectral imaging, will become more important. The new major release 13 already provides capabilities for enhanced, deep-learningbased optical character recognition (OCR): By implementing new, deep-learning-based pretrained fonts and the corresponding classifier, the character recognition rate is significantly improved. Hyperspectral imaging is a camera technology that is currently being used more and more in hardware and – thanks to HALCON - is opening up entirely new dimensions in machine vision.

“More flexible automation tasks under Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) scenarios are also foreseeable. MVTec is continuously further developing its 3D vision technology for this purpose. The importance of embedded technologies will also “From a technology continue to grow. The HALCON viewpoint, bandwidth imaging software is well prepared for this trend. Another key limitations are an development is the merging of increasing concern in two worlds: MV and automation both established and (PLC). Working together with partners and committees, MVTec emerging imaging plays an active role in developing markets. appropriate uniform standards and interfaces.”

Dr Olaf Munkelt, co-founder and Managing Director of MVTec Software, commented: “Machine vision will continue to develop rapidly in 2017, where both the technical functions and application scenarios are concerned. “Further, improving machine vision usability and making it even easier to create machine vision applications, remain important goals. For this purpose, MVTec has created MERLIC, a

practical software tool that is being resolutely further developed.

Matrox Imaging Director of sales and marketing at Matrox Imaging Sam Lopez said: “We’ve seen a growing trend toward easier to use tools and development environments over the past few years. Demand is growing for these types of solutions. As a company, we have been focusing a lot of energy to help people accelerate development and do it more easily.”

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“Everyone is looking for faster time to market, lowering development costs, and better overall functionality. Our aim is to help with all of this and make complex applications easier.” “3D is growing in demand in recent years with respect to machine vision. We have put a big push into meeting these requirements as well.”

“We are also happy to announce the opening our new Tokyo (Japan) office. Along with our offices in Singapore and China (Shanghai), Euresys Japan KK will ensure we offer premium support to our customers in Asia.” Edmund Optics

Director of Edmund Optics Greg Hollows said: “In the short term, there should be returning investment from the Semiconductor industry, as well as an Managing Director of ProPhotonix (IRL) Simon increase in demand for sections of consumer Stanley said: “ProPhotonix remains committed to electronics. The area of Life Sciences should also delivering innovative solutions for the machine be continuing to invest in automated diagnostics. vision market and fully expect to see continued Additionally, general factory automation should growth in demand for machine vision lighting continue to provide opportunities for some growth. solutions following a number of successful product Unfortunately, factors outside of our industries launches in 2016. We continue to strengthen control could dampen near term opportunities. our OEM customer base by Potential economic instability providing innovative solutions in Europe along with unknown Potential economic for the machine vision market. economic policies in the USA, instability in Europe along as it relates to foreign trade/ “In terms of the machine with unknown economic relations and the tech sectors vision industry, we expect general, could hinder growth to see continued growth in policies in the USA, as it in expectations and opportunities. hyperspectral imaging systems ProPhotonix

and a corresponding growth in demand for multispectral lights. ProPhotonix has recently, launched a multispectral line light, COBRA RGB, to address these types of applications and have a full product roadmap that will build on this development.”

relates to foreign trade/ relations and the tech sectors in general, could hinder growth expectations and opportunities.

Euresys Euresys CEO Marc Damhaut said: “Euresys sales will show double digit growth in 2016 and we do not see any sign of that slowing down in 2017. Most of the growth is coming from our new CoaXPress frame grabbers. The new products that we previewed at Vision Stuttgart gathered a lot of interest. The new Coaxlink Quad 3D-LLE, our new hardware 3D profiling CoaXPress card, and the Open eVision EasyOCR2 library will both be available in Q1.

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“In the long term, the perspectives for imaging are bright. The proliferation of lower cost imaging and sensor technologies will allow new applications to be developed on a regular basis. Moreover, Embedded Vision could very well change the way many suppliers develop and deploy products. What will come for the Autonomous Vehicle market alone will likely change our market forever. "However, an intriguing aspect of the future is that it will come with distinctive changes to our industry including how suppliers bring products to market, a likely increased in supplier consolidation, new competition not regularly seen in our industry, and the need for far more rapid product development. Suppliers need to create strategies now in order to adjust changing dynamics, or they will probably miss exciting growth opportunities.”

EMVA UPDATE Neil Martin attends the E MVA press conference at VISION and learns that a lot is going on, including a new standards initiative for embedded vision The European Machine Vision Association (EMVA) held a comprehensive press conference for VISION, outlining what’s ahead over the coming years.

description of a uniform data sheet, allowing the direct comparison of the data of different cameras. Version 3.0 has an active community to which 160 companies are enlisted.

Hosted by EMVA General Secretary Thomas The GenICam standard is now ten years old and Lübkemeier, the others speakers were: Jochem the accepted basis of all machine vision interface Herrmann, EMVA President and Chief Scientist at standards such as GigE Vision, USB Vision, Adimec Advanced Image Systems; Dr Fritz Dierks, CoaXPress and Camera Link HS. Now thoughts are Chairman of the GenICam Working Group and turning to version 4.0 and its readiness to support Director of Platform Development, Basler; and, the new trend for embedded Florian Niethammer, Project vision. EMVA reported that Manager VISION, Landesmesse Five machine vision 24 companies are ready Stuttgart. associations worldwide some to support the development The event kicked off with news of have decided to set-up of GenICam 4.0 and the a brand new industry conference, accompanying enterprise to an Embedded Vision Embedded VISION Europe, standardise the cables, and Study Group which takes place next October, connectors for MIPI CSI. effectively sitting in between the Education Updates main VISION shows. See our Conference News section for more details. There we also provide an The EMVA updated on its education initiatives, update on the second European Machine Vision including a new web service called ‘Machine Vision Forum which takes place September 6-8. Fundamentals.’ It’s a series of articles on its website which serves developers and users by providing Higher Standards an introduction to various aspects of the machine EMVA updated on their industry standards. vision industry. They aim to be both an entry point for newcomers, as well as a topic refresher for Details were given of a new Embedded Vision experienced people. standards initiative which is being driven by the increasing use of smartphones and tablets. Such devices reaquire the rapid development of embedded systems with video capture and processing abilities. Five machine vision associations worldwide have decided to set-up an Embedded Vision Study Group (EVSG) to firstly evaluate requirements, to identify technological candidates and to describe possible implementation concepts for machine vision standards for embedded systems. The five associations are: EMVA, VDMA, AIA, JIIA and CMVU. The release of 3.1 EMVA 1288 is due at the end of the year, adding a major feature. A clear and flexible

Board member Gabriele Jansen said: “Like other high tech industries the vision industry has a high demand for well-educated and well trained professionals. For EMVA this is a high motivation to support and drive forward educational activities for the benefit of our industry as a whole. “The range of topics will include pattern matching, lighting, camera models and calibration, real-time vision, triangulation, radiometry, and others. In addition, explanations are given of fundamental design-rules and procedures for successful machine vision solutions.”

Thomas Lübkemeier E MVA General Secretary

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NEIL MARTIN CAUGHT UP WITH AIA VISION ONLINE AT VISION Catching up with Jeffrey Bernstein, President, of AIA, and Alex Shikany, Director of Market Analysis

Alex Shikany

Director of Market Analysis

Jeffrey Bernstein President of AIA

Both were in good form. Bernstein was looking forward to the A3 Business Forum in Florida on 18-20 January and also to Automate which takes place in Chicago on 3-6 April. He also highlighted the association’s education courses which offers Certified Vision Professional training on two levels, Basic and Advanced. People can attend either set of courses in person, or online, then take the corresponding certification exams at one of AIA's designated testing locations. These included VISION, and also at the ITE Show in Japan and Automate.

+20 VIEW ONLINE AT: WWW.MVPRO.EU/AIA-SLIDES

US Market Update Shikany gave a presentation on the North American Vision Market which you can view here:

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APRIL 3-6, 2017 | MCCORMICK PLACE | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS USA

North America’s Broadest Automation Solutions Show

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Collocated with

PROTOTYPE OPTICAL VISION SYSTEM FOR INVESTIGATION An Optical vision system with both E DIC (Episcopic Differential Interference Contrast) / E F (Epifluorescence) for the detection of low levels of both Proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous contamination on surgical instruments surfaces. A white paper from Dr Eric Best of Best Scientific

Background This proposed optical vision system will establish the effectiveness of surgical instruments sterilisation after they have been sterilised in the SSD. As there are reasons to believe that highly dangerous and robust biological agents may remain infectious and undetected even after standard cleaning and sterilization procedures have been employed. Methods and materials This prototype optical vision system is able to provide the means of viewing via a TV monitor with protein images on screen and via eyepieces. It has the ability to provide two different wavelengths to identify cellular contamination using the reagent like Spyro Ruby and Thioflavin T (ThT). These filter combinations are specially prepared and have been designed by Best Scientific in conjunction with an established provider of filter combination to enable the very best visualisation to be achieved given that new technology that has now arrived in this area. Findings / Results Based upon previous research carried out at Southampton University Journal of clinical Microbiology study of surgical instruments from Sterile Services Departments, 15 August 2006. This vision system will be able to detect 1-um-diameter

area of protein with an average molecular mass of 30kDa and 3um in height was calculated to be approximately equivalent to 1 pg. With the combination of EF, Epifluorescence, and EDIC this enables the operator not only to visualise the object of interest but also gives an indication of the position of the object. This three dimensional process of peaks and troughs enabling topography of the surface to be analysed. Best Scientific’s new EDIC system has the ability to refine the topography by changing its polarised beams before it reaches the specimen. Unlike the present EDIC system which is fixed. Best Scientific have also recently added to their EDIC invention the facility to detected crystalline structure containing biofringences again this is a non-touch system. This is something that could be added at a later date if required. This fluorescence ability is driven by a customised Led Light emitting diode whereby we can change the wave form to maximise the image intensities and quality. This is obtained via a special optical collimator designed by Best Scientific for this vision system. The magnification range of this system is from 100x to 1000x with the ability to add Digital magnification of up to 1500x to 2000x if required the working distance is 5 to 10mm these are special designed optical lenses to accommodate very high resolution

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whilst having room to see and rotate any surgical instrument for observation enabling small inclusions to be viewed and analysed.

interments to be accessed for contamination levels after sterilisation.

We have incorporated into this vision system a manual stage with a stage insert 75mm x 50mm this is the total viewing area that can be seen by scanning using the stage control. This enables our special designed test control plate with its compartmentalised marked numerically in one direction and alphabetically in the other so establishing the true sterility from the autoclave and its efficiency once these controls test plates have been processed.

The ineffective cleaning of surgical instruments may be a path for the transmission for hospital –acquired infections this vision system will enable us to provide for the first time a suitable system that will provide a sterilisation standard for the very first time.

Future Concerns This vision system via high resolution camera is Fragments of sticky proteins found in the brains of able to identify fluorescence intensities to establish people with Alzheimer’s disease could potentially be the levels of contamination left after sterilisation spread to others via contaminated process has been applied. It surgical instruments and other As there are reasons to is able to store information procedures, scientists into files and provide believe that highly dangerous medical warn. comparisons, overlays and and robust biological agents grafts. The emission from Researchers called for further may remain infectious and the reagent can then be work into the possibility that analysed and formulated undetected even after metal instruments used in into a fail or pass procedure. medical procedures could pick standard cleaning and Once the test controls have up harmful proteins which survive sterilization procedures been established. This vision conventional sterilisation with system has the ability to have been employed. formaldehyde. This has been provide Image histograms highlighted by in the mainstream RGB via separation of colour media by Ian Sample, Science Editor, Guardian. channels. Area measurements: ellipses, rectangles, Conclusions and irregular shapes.

Best Scientific believes that this vision system will set the benchmark for a process for the removal and detection of all Hospital acquired infections that have the potential to remain on surgical instruments after the sterilisation has taken place.

A second test plate is being designed to enable surgical instruments and box joints e.g. artery forceps, hinges and serrations of such surgical

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MATROX NOTCHES UP 40 YEARS Neil Martin listens to Matrox Imaging’s Sam Lopez who talks about the company’s 40 years in business

Matrox Imaging clocked up 40 years in business this year and Director of Sales and Marketing Sam Lopez took a time out to look back. The company is based in Dorval, Quebec, with offices in the UK, Ireland and Germany. As a developer of component-level solutions, it serves OEMs and integrators in the manufacturing, medical diagnostic and security industries. Components include cameras, interface boards and processing platforms. End-users are in factory automation, process control, electronics and pharmaceutical

packaging, semiconductor inspection, robotics, radiology, microscopy, and video surveillance. Shift Towards Software Most of what the company sells is hardware (60%), although over the last decade, there has been a shift towards software. The company breaks down its markets into three segments: North and South America, Europe and Asia. Lopez explains: “Sales are fairly evenly split among these three areas, with Asia skewing slightly higher than the other two. The Asian market is predicted to show very strong growth for the foreseeable future. Even with the predicted economic slowdown in this region, there will still be growth in Asia.” Changed As to what has changed over the last 40 years, Lopez said: “At 40 years old, Matrox has seen many firsts: we were the first company to deliver PC frame grabbers, first to offer highly integrated full-featured vision controllers, and the first to build stand-alone image processing sub systems. “We’ve been there since the beginning of Machine Vision, and we really opened up the possibility of doing machine vision. Having helped forge an industry that was almost nonexistent 40 years ago means that we’ve seen the complete evolution of the industry.” Milestones The company has many milestones said Lopez, but two stand out: “The advent of the PC presented new opportunities for Matrox in 1984. We were quick to embrace that technology and quickly create a line of products that could capitalize on this.

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“The release of Design Assistant about six years ago opened up a whole new realm of opportunities for Matrox in terms of industries and markets Matrox wasn’t involved in prior to this point. We still see huge growth potential in these various markets.” He went onto say that 2016 had been a good year for the company which achieved some new significant goals and objectives: “We’re expanding into new market areas and segments, and the prospects for growth are looking quite good.” “One thing that “We announced a number of new products this year both in our hardware and software lineups, all intended to make tasks in machine vision easier, faster, and more accurate.”

Vision is growing in double digits, and forecasted to continue growing in double-digits for at least the next five years. It’s not just in the traditional areas surrounding manufacturing but in new fields surrounding research and automation outside of the factory floor. Our goal is to make sure that we are taking the opportunities that are presented to us.”

He also touched on what might represent the biggest threat around the corner: “There’s not one easily identifiable threat right now, but there’s always uncertainty is certain, surrounding the global economic Machine Vision is growing in situation, and there’s fear of double digits, and forecasted another global recession. So in broad strokes, the biggest threat to continue growing in would be a global recession, in double-digits for at least the that this industry is end-consumer driven and in that circumstance, next five years." consumers would stop spending.”

Economic and Political Developments

GTR Smart Camera

Lopez took a minute to think about the latest economic and political developments which have marked the year and replied: “Having been around for 40 years, we’ve seen and gone through many ‘disruptive’ changes, and we’ve found a way to weather the storm and prosper.

He finished by highlighting one of the company’s products: “Well I’d love to talk about all of our products, but we’re particularly proud of the Iris GTR smart camera announced earlier this year. We believe this device, that integrates processing directly on the camera, will allow Matrox to once again break through many barriers in machine vision and create new deployment opportunities for machine vision where it may not have been accessible or feasible in the past.”

“Matrox is a global company. Our business is well diversified and as such we don’t depend on one territory. So, world affairs can have some impact, but what happens in one country should likely not have a major impact on overall projects.”

Matrox is now set for the next 40 years.

Biggest Opportunity He moved on to consider what he thinks is the biggest opportunity with the machine vision industry: “One thing that is certain, Machine

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APPROACHABLE ROKS HELPS TELEDYNE EVOLVE Neil Martin has a sit-down with Dr Edwin Roks at VISION 2016, the Dutch head of Canadian-based Teledyne DALSA

You can tell a lot from a company by visiting their stand at an exhibition. You can’t help asking yourself, does the stand look good, is it busy, are the staff attentive?

Roks is both the President of Teledyne DALSA and Vice-President of Teledyne Technologies, the parent company.

Dutch Heritage

further stock price rises are expected.

There was no such preamble from Roks, which probably not only reflects his Dutch heritage, but also how the company does not appear to stand on ceremony.

Based in California, Teledyne is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the moniker of TDY and at the time of writing, enjoys a market capitalisation of $4.3bn.

Roks spends his time between the HQ of Teledyne DALSA, which is based in Waterloo, Ontario, I approached slightly early for my appointment, Canada, and his own office which is many having seen it a few times on previous passes. thousands of miles away in Eindhoven, deep in I’ll let you know the answers to each of my own southern Netherlands. It’s a place dominated by questions at the end the piece, but I stood there the stadium of its famous football team. I know, for a few seconds, and seeing that the reception I’ve been there (many years ago). It’s also the home area was busy, I stood patiently to one side. I was of the High Tech Campus of quickly approached by one course, the base for over 140 of the team who asked me if Over the years you get companies and institutions, and he could help. I’m here to see used to all the power plays their 12,000 staff. Dr Edwin Roks I announced enjoyed by some executives: and commendably, without Roks spends a fair amount of pause, he pointed out a the long wait in reception, time crossing the pond (I was tall, lean figure in deep the careful positioning in too polite to ask how many air conversation with another miles he has amassed) and helps an office so that you can man. I’ll hang back I said, not out with investor conference wishing to disturb a possibly appreciate all the person’s calls when the parent company important conversation. achievements and then has to present their latest figures But, I was propelled forward, equally careful scene-setting to Wall Street. with the words, don’t worry, regarding their past. Roks replies that Teledyne has he’s only talking with one a supportive relationship from of us, just break in. He was its investors, largely due to the fact that the group actually talking to Kirk Petersen, Director, Marketing is evolving from a “very nice aerospace & defence Communications, and I have to say, I warmed to company”, to one which is tapping diverse and them both straight away. They took my interruption growing markets on a global scale. in stride. Over the years you get used to all the power plays enjoyed by some executives: the This seems borne out by the company stock price long wait in reception, the careful positioning in an which, at the time of writing, is reaching an all-time office so that you can appreciate all the person’s high. It has risen over 30% since April. Wall Street achievements and then equally careful scenescribblers are expecting big things for Teledyne, setting regarding their past. which they say has very strong fundamentals and

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Teledyne Technologies Teledyne Technologies has over the years evolved from an aerospace and defence company, to a far-reaching group of companies that serves multiple markets. The thing they have in common is that their customers require advanced technology and high reliability. Current markets include deepwater oil and gas exploration and production, oceanographic research, air and water quality environmental monitoring, electronics design and development, factory automation and medical imaging. Teledyne DALSA is one of many companies that make up the parent group. DALSA was acquired in 2011 and was established in 1980. Roks: “Teledyne kept DALSA intact. It let the teams stay together and does not have a top down approach. It said, please do what you should do. It’s how modern companies work together.” Teledyne DALSA employs some 1,350 people, out of a total group workforce of 9,000 people. The parent company, as well as Teledyne DALSA, has strong connections to academia, which is obviously a must in companies that have to stay ahead. CEO Robert Mehrabian is a former Professor and is close to a number of universities, which proves a useful sounding board for their R&D and allows them to watch for talent. Roks is himself an academic, but one with a military background. He holds a B.Sc. from the College of Advanced Technology, an M.Sc. from the Technical University of Eindhoven, and a PhD. in Advanced CCD Imaging from the University of Twente. After lecturing, as an officer, at the Royal Military Academy of the Netherlands, he joined Philips Research Laboratories in 1989. There he worked on semiconductor lasers and image sensors, and became CTO of Philips Polymer Vision and R&D Director of Philips Imaging Business Line. He left in 2005 to join DALSA and stayed on when it was bought by Teledyne Technologies, where he became their CTO before becoming President of the Teledyne DALSA Group. As a committee member, he was involved in leading international conferences, including the International Electron Devices Meeting (USA) and the IEEE Workshop on CCDs and Advanced Image Sensors (USA, Japan, Europe). Roks also remains close to academia in the Netherlands and his Dutch office is situated in the HighTech Campus 27. He has authored and co-

authored more than 50 technical papers and holds ten patents in the imaging field. Diversified Group As Roks points out, the fact that the Teledyne is made up of a diversified group of companies is an advantage. One of the key activities of the group is the oil and gas sector which, as we all know, is going through a tough patch. And with Teledyne DALSA achieving organic bottom line growth of around 20% a year, there’s no doubt that it’s adding a healthy contribution to the group’s coffers. When not on duty with the group, Roks’ main focus is building on the company’s position as one of the global leaders in high performance digital imaging and semiconductors. It designs, develops, manufactures and markets digital imaging products, and solutions. It also provides semiconductor products and services. Its core competencies, as it says on the box, are specialized integrated circuit and electronics technology, software, and highly engineered semiconductor wafer processing. Roks said that VISION was their biggest show in a busy conference calendar and they had committed 26 staff to meeting new and existing customers. Roks says with some satisfaction: “And everyone is busy!” As for which sector is currently stand-out for the company, Roks highlights medical. When it comes to X-rays, Teledyne DALSA is one of the top firms in the world. It’s a global market and alongside machine vision, has great growth prospects says Roks. When thinking about the future of the industry Roks says: “In my view, there is still a lot of consolidation to come. Two years ago there were more companies in this sector. This consolidation will continue. But, more teams are likely to be created, especially as 3D becomes prominent.” As for Teledyne DALSA, they will continue their R&D led approach which does require significant resources, but will allow it to exploit markets worth billions of dollars. Answers As for my questions at the start of the piece, the answers are yes, yes and yes. The company looked to be having a good VISION and having been given forty minutes by Roks, I heard nothing to dissuade me from that view. Teledyne DALSA is certainly one to keep an eye on.

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GROUND CONTROL TO MAJOR VISION Neil Martin speaks to Marco van Hout about 3D-ON E’s new camera and how it all started with the international space station

The new camera from 3D-ONE has been specifically designed for OEM customers seeking a compact and robust solution for hyperspectral imaging. Avior was launched on the internet a few weeks prior to VISION 2016, but it was given its main public showing at Stuttgart. Marco van Hout of 3D-ONE said: “We made a demonstration system to record features that fluorescent on plant leaves while illuminated by a UV light source. We used an Avior camera equipped with the 5 x 5 NIR snapshot sensor from IMEC and wrote our own software code to display the features in a real time in a false coloured image on the computer screen. The demo system showed in real time the capabilities of the hyperspectral imaging technology and gained a lot of attention from the show visitors. Actually even the engineers from IMEC came to our booth, with their customers, to show the abilities of their technology.” “What was interesting and what makes our camera so special for people looking for quality inspection, is that our camera supports the read-out of selected spectral bands, to acquire the information more fast, and that's a special feature for machine builders. Moreover we paid special attention to the thermo-mechanical design of the camera resulting in a low and stable operating temperature that benefits the camera SNR.” The Avior camera features a global shutter CMOS sensor with IMEC filter technology for hyperspectral imaging. The design of the camera is optimized for size, weight and power; it has a form factor of only 46mm and a mass of less than 175g. The industry standard CameraLink interface guarantees reliable data transfer and robust synchronization. The interface features PoCL to enable single cable operation of the camera. The first units have already shipped and van Hout says they plan to ship many more throughout 2017. 3D-ONE is a spin-out from Cosine Measurement Systems and is still owned by them; van Hout joined three years ago to take on the job of developing the company.

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It all began around six years ago when the newly created 3D-ONE took on a major project. van Hout explains: “Cosine developed a 3D camera to make 3D recordings in space, in the international space station, and to stream these 3D recordings to earth using a live internet connection. In fact this was the first stereoscopic camera offering realtime 3D capabilities in HDTV resolution combined with optical zoom capabilities. That project was so successful, that it was decided to further develop the 3D technology for industrial applications.” 3D-ONE, which has an office in Warmond, close by to Schiphol Airport, shares resources with Cosine and the 35 staff work for both companies. van Hout: “I have been working in the imaging industry since 1996 and made a short side-step into the industry of high-tech capital equipment. Some 3 years ago I got the opportunity at Cosine to take responsibility for the development of 3D-ONE and to move back into the imaging industry. As imaging is where the heart is I decided to take opportunity and I am still enjoying this decision every day!” He describes 3D-ONE as primarily a design house for custom specific solutions in embedded vision, but one with its future mapped out. “We see ourselves as a thought leader in this industry. Our main vision is that we offer a lineup of advanced vision cameras for requirements drafting and integration which we will turn into an embedded solution with processing power tailored to meet the requirements of an application. Especially in hyperspectral imaging, this is very interesting, because of the amount of data that you have to calibrate and process in relation to other components in the imaging chain such as the illumination.” Having cut their teeth on the international space station, 3D-ONE must be expecting big things from their new camera.

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GARDASOFT LOOKS AHEAD AT VISION Neil Martin takes a look around the Gardasoft VISION stand with Paul Downey

Paul Downey showed me around a busy stand and he was keen to highlight the company’s three main products. Gardasoft Vision has its HQ in Cambridge and also has offices in Weare, New Hampshire. Back in May it was acquired and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of The OPTEX Group of Japan.

Downey then pointed out a demonstration of the TR100 LED Controller board which was taking place for the first time at VISION. This fully functional LED controller for machine vision, said Downey, provides further possibilities for the development of truly embedded vision systems: “Its compactness and flexibility is ideal for the miniaturizing of OEMs systems.”

Gardasoft, which was originally founded in 1999, continues to trade under its existing name, and branding. It is one of the leaders in the design, manufacture and application of high performance LED control technology and high intensity LED lighting. Optex is a global solutions group with sales of £180m (¥28bn). Within the Group is a company called Optex FA Limited, an established LED lighting and lighting control systems business, which serves the factory automation sector.

What’s more, the TR100 provides the flexibility to be adapted by OEMs who wish to incorporate machine vision into their own systems and who have high performance, high volume LED controller requirements. Downey explained: “The compact, embedded format of the TR100 offers the potential for creating SafeSense creates a safe an integrated intelligent machine vision system without the need working environment for for a PC.”

controllers that overdrive LE D lights using constant current in order to generate much increased light intensity for machine vision.

Downey first pointed out a demonstration of the enhanced version of the new TR-CL Series of single channel industrial Lens Controllers. It’s designed for repeatable control of Optotune EL-10-30 and EL-1640 focus-tunable lenses. The TR-CL lens controller has additional waveform input options including Square, Triangle, Saw tooth, Sine and User Defined. These are particular useful for life Science and Medical Technology applications when an increased depth of field is required. The demonstration was used in conjunction with a laser displacement sensor which detects the height of the object to be imaged and sends an analog signal to the controller to drive the lens to the correct setting for subsequent focusing. This arrangement allows macro changes in lens settings to be completed in less than 10ms.

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The final demonstration focussed on new LED controllers which are, says Downey, the industry’s highest power controllers for machine vision LED lighting. The TR-HT series have two independent output channels, each rated at 150W and each capable of delivering 40A in pulsed mode and 5A in continuous mode. They are ideally suited to driving high power LED area and LED bar lights. The TR-HT Series benefits from both SafePower and SafeSense technology. SafePower automatically adjusts the supply voltage to make the most efficient use of the power which allows the output voltage to the lighting to be higher than the supply voltage without limitations on pulse frequency. SafeSense creates a safe working environment for controllers that overdrive LED lights using constant current in order to generate much increased light intensity for machine vision.

TRULY INDEPENDENT SOFTWARE Neil Martin meets MVTec’s Dr Wolfgang Eckstein at VISION 2016 for a chat and gets a surprise In this age of crowd-funding and investor support, it’s rare to come across a major player in a particular market which does not have any external investors, nor which has never had any external investors, nor wants any. In fact, I was so surprised by this, that I had to ask Dr Wolfgang Eckstein, co-founder and joint managing director of MVTec Software, the same question a couple of times: “… so no investors?” I must have sounded incredulous, because Eckstein gave me a patient smile and we continued our chat. The Munich-based MVTec is a leading international developer of software for machine vision used in most areas of imaging, including semiconductor industry, factory automation, quality control, robotics, medicine and surveillance. It’s two main products, HALCON and MERLIC, are well known and well used in the industry.

combines reliable, fast performance with ease of use. University Spin-Off MVTec is a spin-off from Munich University of Technology and its three founders and still owners – Eckstein, Dr Olaf Munkelt and Professor Dr Carsten Steger – are still actively involved. And things appear to be going well, as it has recently doubled its office space and boosted staff numbers from 100 to 120 people. The company is achieving growth rates of around 18% to 20%, against an industry surprised average of around 10%.

In fact, I was so by this, that I had to ask Dr Wolfgang Eckstein, cofounder and joint managing director of MVTec Software, the same question a couple of times: “... so no investors?

HALCON, now in its 13th iteration, is regarded as the standard software for machine vision with an integrated development environment (HDevelop). It is used worldwide. Two of its biggest boasts is that it enables cost savings and improved time to market. What’s more, HALCON’s flexible architecture facilitates rapid development of any kind of machine vision application. MERLIC is pitched as an all-in-one software product for quickly building machine vision applications without programming. It is based on MVTec's extensive machine vision expertise and

Eckstein explained that growth within the $2bn market vision market comes not only from having leading products, but being able to exploit a large untapped potential which sits between the hi-end and the straight services section of the market. “It’s the power of the library we have and for those not so capable of programming, they can still make use of it.” One of the benefits of the company’s independence is continuing its commitment to pure research and development. Some 15% of the company’s turnover are ploughed back into this area and engineers and developers are encouraged to think beyond the usual perimeters. Future Competition I asked Eckstein if he was worried about future competition from companies keen to get a slice of the action, but he said that given the high entry barriers – having to play catch-up, the costs involved and the specialist staff needed – made it highly unlike that someone would do it organically. Which begged the question, so when will the three principles sell: “We are having fun in what we are doing and we have a lot of ideas to make machines see, so this question is simply not arising,” came the emphatic reply from Eckstein, who says they have numerous offers every year for the company. From many people, that statement would be hard to believe, but with Eckstein and his colleagues who have built a significant company without investor support, it might just be true.

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BLUETECHNIX IN POLE Bluetechnix enjoys being in pole position at VISION as Neil Martin grabs some time with Thomas Maier

Being situated near to the main entrance of Hall One can be viewed either as an advantage (lots of keen footfall), or a disadvantage (people can sweep on by), but it didn’t seem to put off Thomas Maier, in charge of Sales for Bluetechnix. VISION was proving to be an ‘intimate’ show for Maier and his team. He said that last year around 40% of the visitors to the stand were new customers, 60% existing, whereas this year it’s more 50/50. It’s a ‘local’ show for the company and as they have been around for some six years, they get a great attendance.

Security Security and Retail are strong areas for the company, where there is large development around big data services, but Maier reckons that the big growth is coming from the medical and farming sectors, where demand for advanced sensors is high.

One particular project Bluetechnix has been involved is within the healthcare system. “RoomMate“ is a solution from Xcenter, and is used by elderly people who prefer to stay in their own homes, rather than move into care homes. They are equipped with discreet sensors that activate ToF Experts a call to an emergency service, The company considers itself should the resident fall over and as the experts on Time of Flight The company considers require assistance. RoomMate (ToF) based depth sensors. Their was introduced in the Norwegian itself as the experts products are used in autonomous market in 2016 and given the vehicles, advanced robotics, 3D on Time of Flight (ToF) impact of aging within the scanning and security. Much of European Union there is a major based depth sensors their work involves developing international market outside of products for OEMs. As Maier puts Scandinavia for this kind of assistant it: “We are a jack-of-all-trades, we’re very flexible.” living solutions. The company main products and services are 3D cameras, sensors and customer specific solutions. It divides its activities into three main areas, Bluetechnix Products (embedded system design, ToF based Depth Sensors, 2D Smart Cameras and System on Modules for Blackfin DSPs und i.MX ARM processors); Bluetechnix Solutions (building on top of Bluetechnix’s own range of embedded hardware platforms, developing customer specific embedded systems); and, Bluetechnix Laboratories (Bluetechnix’s own accredited inhouse EMC laboratory in Vienna offering various Electromagnetic Compatibility services including development support). With a newly formed entity “BECOM Bluetechnix” which is part of an electronics manufacturer, it also covers high volume productions for OEM customers.

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It’s an example of how the company works. It enables customer specific ToF systems by building on top of it’s own range of ToF products and boardlevel sensors. They work closely with a client, seeing through each development stage such as the requirement, use-case specification, system design, HW and SW development, prototyping, testing, production, calibration and certification. Main Markets Bluetechnix’s main markets are Germany (around 30%, most of it industrial and automotive), Benelux, Italy and France. Maier said that the ripples of the 2008 financial crisis hit them late and France remains a difficult market. They are seeing signs of growth in Japan and the UK is also picking up after Brexit. The US remains steady.

BRIDGING THE BANDWIDTH GAP IN VISION John Phillips from Pleora Technologies and Kamal Dalmia from N BASE-T Alliance discuss the implications of a looming data capacity crunch

A data capacity crunch is looming for imaging designers. In established and emerging markets, multiple imaging sources and more advanced sensors output millions of pixels for real-time processing and display. While designers deal with new bandwidth demands, they must also be conscious of system costs and future scalability.

promotion of the IEEE 802.3bz standard, and facilitating the development and deployment of interoperable products. NBASE-T technology was initially developed to help existing campus networks meet new bandwidth demands created by data-hungry mobile devices, Internet of Things applications, high-definition video streaming and teleconferencing, and quality of service demands for multiple users. With new 802.11ac wireless access points aggregating up to 5 Gbps of throughput, designers struggled to find a cost-effective solution to connect access points and local networks.

The imaging industry faced a similar set of challenges a decade ago, with the GigE Vision standard borrowing from established networking and telecom standards to solve cabling, networking, and multicasting challenges. In addition, the standard afforded imaging system designers with A data capacity crunch greater access to lower cost, is looming for widely available, field-proven imaging designers. components. Advances from the networking industry are again set to help support nextgeneration imaging systems, with NBASE-T™ 2.5G and 5G-BASE-T technology emerging as a solution to help designers address the bandwidth gap. The Basics of NBASE-T Technology The NBASE-T specification, compatible with the recently adopted IEEE 802.3bz™ standard, defines a new type of Ethernet signaling that boosts the speed of twisted-pair cabling well beyond the previous limit of 1 Gbps to support 2.5 and 5 Gbps speeds at up to 100 meters. The specification supports auto negotiation between the new NBASE-T rates, and slower 1 Gbps rates, or – if the network infrastructure supports it – 10 Gbps. The specification is governed by the NBASE-T Alliance™, a consortium of over 45 companies representing all major facets of networking infrastructure. Alliance members are focused on encouraging the widespread use and deployment of 2.5G and 5G Ethernet through

By boosting the bandwidth capability of the large installed base of Cat5e and Cat6 cabling, NBASE-T solutions enable users to accelerate their networks in the most cost-effective, least disruptive manner. Beyond solving capacity challenges for wireless local area networks, the technology is also being used to connect client and desktop PCs to Ethernet switches, network attached storage devices to wired network infrastructure, and gateways for cable and telco triple-play voice, video, and data services. NBASE-T and the Vision System Design NBASE-T technology offers a natural evolution for high-performance imaging thanks to its bandwidth support, low-cost cabling, and compatibility with the GigE Vision standard. With GigE Vision over NBASE-T and IEEE 802.3bz, designers can transmit uncompressed images at throughputs up to 5 Gbps over Cat 5e copper cabling and 10 Gbps over Cat 6A copper cabling. The extended-reach, flexible, and field-terminated cabling can be easily routed through systems to ease installation and maintenance.

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This has One of the benefits of the GigE Vision standard is that it is agnostic to the physical layer. This has enabled manufacturers to create 10 GigE and 802.11 wireless interface solutions that communicate using the GigE Vision standard. Similarly, designers can create NBASE-T cameras and vision systems that are natively compatible with GigE Vision compliant software. An NBASE-T network interface card (NIC) and Gigabit Ethernet NIC are treated the same by Windows, Linux, and other operating systems. This means existing GigE Vision-compliant software and software development kits (SDKs) are compatible with NBASE-T without any modifications. System-level, PHY, and component products compatible with the NBASE-T specification are already shipping, with more products in development scheduled for release over the next 12 months including GigE Vision over NBASE-T solutions for cameras, X-ray panels, and other imaging devices. New Imaging Application Opportunities NBASE-T technology promises to help imaging system manufacturers and designers meet increasing bandwidth requirements, while taking advantage of existing cabling in retrofit upgrades and less expensive, field-terminated cabling in new installations. For example, designers can upgrade quality inspection system to increase throughputs while employing GigE Vision over NBASE-T solutions to transmit higher bandwidth video over installed copper cabling. Video can be multicast from multiple imaging sources to reduce computing and component costs in distributed and pipeline processing systems.

Designers are also evaluating GigE Vision over NBASE-T video connectivity for flat panel detectors (FPDs) used in medical imaging applications. GigE Vision over NBASE-T video interfaces are especially beneficial in fluoroscopy systems that minimize a patient’s exposure time by using multiple moving X-ray sources to irradiate tissue from numerous incremental angles in just seconds. X-ray images are converted into a GigE Visioncompliant video stream and transmitted over long-reach Cat 5e cabling to processing and analysis equipment located outside the sterile environment. The video processor then creates a composite image from the multiple image sources that is then multicast over the Ethernet network to various displays. Continuing Evolution NBASE-T technology joins a growing list of recent technology advances, including GigE, 10 GigE, USB 3.0, and wireless, that are now playing a key role machine vision. For imaging system manufacturers, these new capabilities are helping simplify design, lower costs, and enhance performance for traditional machine vision applications, while supporting the migration of vision expertise into new markets. John Phillips is product manager at Pleora technologies (www.pleora.com), a leading provider of video interface products for high-performance image applications. Kamal Dalmia is president of the NBASE-T Alliance (www.nbaset.org/) a consortium focused on promoting and advancing 2.5GBASET/5GBASE-T Ethernet, enabling compatibility across the ecosystem and ensuring smooth deployment as the standards evolve.

‘NBASE-T technology offers a natural evolution for high-performance imaging thanks to its bandwidth support, low-cost cabling, and compatibility with the GigE Vision standard.’

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E2V ACCEPTS £620M FROM TELEDYNE

e2v Technologies has been acquired by Teledyne Technologies for a cash consideration of around £620m.

become increasingly aligned. In fact, every business within e2v is highly complementary to Teledyne. As important, there is minimal product overlap.

e2v is quoted on the London Stock Exchange’s main market and has accepted an cash offer of 275 pence per share for each share, valuing the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital, at approximately £620m on a fully diluted basis.

“For example, we are both leaders in space and astronomy imaging, but Teledyne largely provides infrared detectors and e2v provides visible light sensors. While we both provide microwave devices, e2v’s largest product and market are magnetrons for cancer radiotherapy. Teledyne supplies solid state and vacuum microwave systems, but no magnetrons, and we primarily serve defence markets such as electronic warfare, radar and communications. However, Teledyne serves the healthcare market with specialized X-ray sensors.

It is expected that the deal will complete in the first half of 2017. e2v’s directors have unanimously recommended that e2v Shareholders vote in favour of the offer. Teledyne has received irrevocable undertakings from e2v directors and irrevocable undertakings, or letters of intent from e2v shareholders, representing approximately 46% of the entire issued ordinary share capital. For the year ended March 31, 2016, e2v had sales of approximately £236 million. Excluding transaction-related expenses, Teledyne management expects the transaction to be accretive to earnings per share. eV2 is a big player in the machine vision market and provides high performance image sensors, custom camera solutions and application specific standard products. It also provides high performance space qualified imaging sensors and arrays for space science and astronomy. And it produces components and subsystems that deliver high reliability radio frequency power generation for healthcare, industrial and defence applications. The company also provides high reliability semiconductors and board-level solutions for use in aerospace, space and radio frequency communications applications. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Teledyne Robert Mehrabian said: “We have followed e2v for more than a decade. Over time, as both Teledyne and e2v evolved, our businesses have

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“In machine vision applications, e2v’s advanced capabilities in proprietary CMOS sensor design add to Teledyne’s strengths in cameras and vision systems. While Teledyne designs advanced mixed signal circuits for government and commercial applications, e2v’s broader product portfolio enhances our offerings and channels to market.” Chairman of e2v Neil Johnson said: “Teledyne has recognized the value inherent in our business and prospects by making a cash offer at an attractive premium to the share price. The Board of e2v has also considered the merits of being part of a larger, complementary group with enhanced scale and a wider range of capabilities to service its key customers and management and employees having access to the opportunities available in a larger group. The Board of e2v is therefore unanimously recommending e2v Shareholders to vote in favour of the acquisition.” e2v is advised by Investec Bank and N M Rothschild acted as financial advisors and Macfarlanes as legal counsel. Teledyne is advised by Citigroup Global Markets as financial advisor and Eversheds as legal counsel.

CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE BANDPASS FILTERS FOR HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING O Pust and H Fabricius of Delta Optical Thin Film present a paper detailing a different approach to filters for hyperspectral imaging

• The spectrum covers more than one subwavelength range, for example UVA, visible and near-infrared or NIR and SWIR. The advent of alternative approaches makes HSI attractive for volume markets or even consumer products, for example cancer detection, precision farming with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or directly at the plant, food testing in supermarkets and many more.

Figure 1: Continuously Variable Filter based Hyperspectral Imaging detector

Introduction Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has been used for a couple of decades in applications such as satellite imaging, air reconnaissance and other not overly price sensitive markets. Still, there is no clear definition of the term hyperspectral imaging. Sometimes techniques that produce 2D images with more than the typical three RGB colours (or spectral channels) – for example by inclusion of a near-infrared channel – are already called hyperspectral. Mostly though, this is not considered sufficient. Typically, even ten spectral channels are still to be called multi-spectral rather than hyperspectral. In the following, we require that certain criteria are fulfilled for an imaging technique to be hyperspectral: • For every pixel in the image, we measure the spectrum of the incident light or radiation. • The measured spectrum is continuous and not discretised to a limited number of channels or bands.

Alternative approaches comprise sensors that are coated at wafer-level with fixed wavelength bandpass filters (e.g. PIXELTEQ or imec). Common are also thin film coatings on glass substrates that can be patterned during deposition (in situ), or by using a photolithographic process over the coating to block the addition or subtraction of materials deposited on the substrate surface (e.g. Materion). These micro-patterning techniques allow (a) filters that have a staircase of different centre wavelengths in one direction (also called stepped filters, suited for the so-called push broom technique) or (b) 2D mosaics (suited for the socalled snapshot technique). However, according to the above criteria, strictly speaking these solutions do not provide hyperspectral capability but are inherently multispectral due to their discrete changes in centre wavelength. Typically, between 10 and 100 different wavelengths or channels are offered. A truly hyperspectral sensor offers a continuous change in centre wavelength and as such a virtually unlimited number of channels. Delta Optical Thin Film A/S follows a different approach to filters for hyperspectral imaging. Based on our extensive experience with Linear Variable Filters we develop and manufacture custom Continuously Variable Bandpass Filters (CVBPF) for mid-size and full-frame CCD/CMOS sensors (e.g. 25 mm x 25 mm or 24 mm x 36 mm). These filters offer very high transmission levels and are fully blocked in the light-sensitive

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wavelength range of silicon-based detectors (200 nm to 1150 nm or higher). The combination of CVBPFs with silicon detectors allows the design of very compact, robust and affordable HSI detectors that offer several advantages and benefits over conventional approaches: • Huge aperture compared with grating and prism • Higher transmission than grating and prism • Short measurement time • High suppression of stray light • Excellent signal to noise ratio The first filter from Delta that was used for hyperspectral imaging was a Linear Variable Bandpass Filter with a centre wavelength range from 400 nm to 700 nm. It was actually designed for a non-imaging application in an absorbance reader. Although it was not fully blocked in the silicon range and was rather large, customers saw its potential for HSI and built prototypes and products. A second LVBPF extending the wavelength range to 1000 nm was developed and produced on customer request.

like temperature and humidity, and spectrally and mechanically stable. The filters are ideally suited for long-term use in airborne or space application without any degradation. Delta produces its filters in coating chambers that are specifically modified to create a thickness gradient of the deposited coating material along one direction of the filter substrates. As the centre wavelength of a bandpass filter depends on the optical thickness of the interference layers, the thickness gradient creates a filter, whose centre wavelength changes continuously along the filter length. Figure 2 shows the transmission characteristics of an LVBPF that covers a centre wavelength range from 450 nm to 880 nm with a bandwidth of approximately 2% of its centre wavelength.

As a result of further customer projects, filters with the following specifications are available as standard products: • Centre wavelength range 450 nm to 880 nm, bandwidth approximately 2% of centre wavelength, transmission 60% to 90%, blocking range 200 nm to 1150 nm, blocking level OD4, for sensor size 24 mm x 36 mm • Centre wavelength range 450 nm to 850 nm, bandwidth approximately 4% of centre wavelength, transmission 70% to 90%, blocking range 200 nm to 1100 nm, blocking level OD4, for sensor size 25mm x 25 mm • Centre wavelength range 800 nm to 1000 nm, bandwidth approximately 0.6% of centre wavelength, transmission >70%, blocking range 200 nm to 1200 nm, blocking level OD4, for sensor size 19 mm x 8 mm • Centre wavelength range 796 nm to 1084 nm, bandwidth approximately 1% of centre wavelength, transmission >85%, blocking range 200 nm to 1150 nm, blocking level OD4, for sensor size 32 mm x 18 mm The sizes are given as height x length, where height is perpendicular to the wavelength gradient and length is along the wavelength gradient. The filters can be diced to smaller sizes. Delta’s CVBPFs are thin film filters that are coated with silicon dioxide and metal oxides on a single fused silica substrate without the use of glue, colour glasses or thin metal layers. The resulting filters are very robust against environmental conditions

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Figure 2: Transmission and blocking characteristics of Linear Variable Bandpass Filter

In a wide wavelength range, the transmission is higher than 90%. The transmission below 550 nm is underestimated due to the limited ability of our spectrophotometer to resolve narrow bands. A new camera-based test system is under development and will reproduce the peak transmission of narrow bands more accurately. But even more important than the peak transmission, all undesired light from 200 nm to 1150 nm is suppressed better than OD4. Due to the diffractive nature of gratings or prims, their use requires a certain large distance between sensor and diffractive element. This results in a large instrument that is prone to misalignment due to mechanical influences. Furthermore, a slit is needed to obtain high spectral resolution (see Figure 3). The slit limits the light throughput considerably. The signal to background light level is typically not better than 1000:1.

Without a slit, every acquired image shows the complete scene. This makes it possible to use the so-called step-and-stare technique. It allows to arbitrarily image the scene from different positions without the need for precise synchronisation of lateral movement and image acquisition like with the push broom technique. With the stepand-stare technique, it is possible to construct the hyperspectral data cube using image pattern recognition techniques (see Figure 4). Comparison with wafer-level coated detectors Figure 3: Design of a classical Hyperspectral Imaging camera with grating (by courtesy of Headwall Photonics)

Continuously Variable Bandpass Filters, on the other hand, can be mounted directly on top of or close to the sensor. Options include gluing onto the sensor surface, replacing the cover glass with the filter or a mechanical holder. The resulting detector is very compact and robust at the same time. The optical design does not require the use of a slit. Light is collected through the full aperture of the lens. Together with the high transmission and the optical bandwidth of the filter, the hyperspectral imaging camera becomes very light efficient. The deep broad-band blocking of the filter ensures a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) end eliminates spectral crosstalk.

What makes wafer-level coated detectors attractive is the possibility to coat filters in arbitrary patterns also on small imaging sensors. Small size can be a crucial factor in certain applications. The same is true for snapshot capability (acquisition of the hyperspectral data cube with only one image). In this case, the sensor is coated with a 2D pattern of bandpass filters with different but constant centre wavelengths. The snapshot capability of course comes at the cost of reduced spatial resolution. Another typical trade-off of coating at wafer level is the limited spectral complexity of the filters. Imec for example offers simple Fabry-Perot filters that do not create sharp bands and have strong side bands that limit the overall wavelength range and the obtainable SNR . Delta’s filters are suited for larger sensors. To maintain their high performance and large wavelength range the filters cannot be made much smaller than 20 mm in the variable direction with current production technology. An approach to enable snapshot Hyperspectral Imaging with Linear Variable Bandpass Filters is currently investigated and makes use of 2D lens arrays (plenoptics cameras) that are for example used in light field cameras . 3D Hyperspectral Imaging

Figure 4: Image acquisition and workflow with filter based Hyperspectral Imaging camera

For some applications, for example precision farming or quality control of manufactured components, it is advantageous to combine hyperspectral data with 3D surface information. In precision farming this provides both information on nutrition and health of crop as well as its height and growth. However, it is hard to imagine how the height information could be extracted

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from traditional hyperspectral cameras that use slits and only image a narrow slice of the object, especially under imaging conditions in which the relative movement between camera and object cannot be precisely controlled like with UAVs. Even with snapshot cameras that might prove difficult because of their limited spatial resolution that might not be sufficient for 3D reconstruction. On the other hand, hyperspectral cameras using a LVBPF or CVBPF have superior spatial resolution that allows 3D reconstruction of the imaged scene by standard stereoscopic image processing. This makes use of the fact that each object in the scene is viewed from different angles while passing by (see Figure 5).

are typically not perfectly linear with respect to centre wavelength versus position on the filter. This can easily be compensated for by a calibration curve or a one-time calibration of the assembled detector. However, there are good reasons for designing filters that deliberately are non-linear. As can be seen from the transmission curves in Figure 2, the bandwidth is proportional to the centre wavelength. This is a natural property of the multi-cavity design that is used in the filters. As a consequence – if we for example compare light with 450 nm and 900 nm – there are twice as many neighbouring pixels on the sensor that see light of 900 nm as there are pixels that see light of 450 nm. This can be compensated for with an exponential relation between centre wavelength and its spatial position on the filter. Other design targets are possible. Desirable are filters that cover a larger wavelength range over a shorter length. Currently, filter designs are under development that for example cover 400 nm to 950 nm over 36 mm.

Figure 5: Relative movement between camera and object enables 3D Hyperspectral Imaging

Conclusion and outlook All three approaches have their specific strengths. Classical hyperspectral cameras with gratings and prisms achieve the highest spectral resolution and are well suited for demanding applications in research. Sensors that are coated at pixel level allow the most compact cameras, offer total flexibility with respect to filter pattern and are readily suited for snapshot imaging. Cameras based on Delta’s CVBPF combine high light efficiency, high SNR and high spectral resolution with compact- and robustness. An in-depth discussion is made available by Renhorn et al.

Although the emphasis of this article lies on hyperspectral imaging, it should be mentioned that the same technology can be used to replace gratings in compact spectrometers – making them even more compact. Thanks to Delta’s ultra-hard coating technology, the filters can be diced to very narrow stripes that can be mounted in front of a line scan detector. This concept is for example used in wearable devices to measure the oxygen content of blood. Another promising application is the fusion of fluorescence microscopy and hyperspectral imaging as hyperspectral fluorescence microscopy. The technology is applicable to both laser scanning microscopy and wide-field microscopy.

Although some of the filters that are discussed above are usually called linear variable filters, they

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NEWS

CHRONOCAM SECURES $15M FUNDING ROUND Chronocam has just secured Series B funding of $15m. French-based Chronocam is a developer of biologically-inspired vision sensors and computer vision solutions for automotive, IoT and other applications. The new money will be used to bring to market innovative bio-inspired vision technology that enables devices and machines to see. It will also allow it to expand into key markets, including the US and Asia. Participants in the funding round were Intel Capital (lead investor), along with iBionext, Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH, 360 Capital, CEAi and Renault Group.

positioned to capitalize on this significant market opportunity; and we appreciate the confidence demonstrated by our investors as we roll out our technology to an increasing number of customers.” Senior vice president at Intel and president of Intel Capital Wendell Brooks said: “The world is becoming increasingly connected and intelligent. And computer vision is a key enabler of this trend, particularly for the automotive industry and Internet of Things. Connected machines can quickly and accurately visualize their environment and act on that data in real time, for example, bringing the potential to protect lives with safer roads. We look forward to helping Chronocam bring the next generation of smart machine vision systems to market.”

Chronocam says it is continuing to build a worldclass team to accelerate product development and commercialize its computer vision sensing and processing technology CEO and co-founder of Chronocam Luca Verre said: “Conventional computer vision approaches are not well-suited to the requirements of a new generation of vision-enabled systems. For example, autonomous vehicles require faster sensing systems which can operate in a wider variety of ambient conditions. In the IoT segment, power budgets, bandwidth requirements and integration within sensor networks make today’s vision technologies impractical and ineffective. “Chronocam’s unique bio-inspired technology introduces a new paradigm in capturing and processing visual data, and addresses the most pressing market challenges head-on. We are well-

CH ECKI NG OUT TH E BALLS ON BGA The EyeScan AT 3D sensor from German-based Eye Vision Technology can check the flawlessness and position of balls on a Ball-Grid-Array, as well as inspecting the correct position of pins. An accuracy of a micrometer (µm) can be achieved when the connectors of BGAs are inspected with the 3D sensor for various characteristics. The EyeScan is used in conjunction with the EyeVision image processing software.

The faulty balls of a BGA are detected with the laser triangulation method of the EyeScan AT. The laser line stays focused and distortion-free on the surface of the component thanks to the Scheimpflugprojection. The result is that even for a high-speed applications, the captured images have a high resolution, due to the big lens and short aperture time. Once the images are sent to the EyeVision software, it is then evaluated and can be further examined by the customer’s own programmes.

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NEWS

PLEORA UNVEILS GIGE VISION OVER NBASE-T VIDEO INTERFACE Pleora Technologies has unveiled the first solution that brings the bandwidth and Cat 5e cabling advantages of NBASE-T technology to the vision industry. Pleora, one the world’s leading supplier of high-performance video interfaces, says that leading X-ray flat panel detector (FPD) and camera manufacturers are already designing it’s GigE Vision over NBASE-T video interface hardware into advanced imaging devices for medical and machine vision applications. President of Pleora Technologies Harry Page said: “Pleora has set a new performance benchmark for the imaging industry. With our NBASE-T embedded video interface hardware, manufacturers can meet challenging bandwidth and cost requirements for advanced imaging devices with an easy-to-integrate solution that significantly reduces design time, cost, and risk.” The new solution was showcased at VISION. Pleora says that the NBASE-T specification is compatible

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with the recently adopted IEEE 802.3bz™ standard and defines a new type of Ethernet signaling that boosts the speed of Cat 5e and Cat 6 cables well beyond the previous limit of 1 Gbps. Pleora belongs to the NBASE-T Alliance, a consortium of over 45 companies which represents all major facets of networking infrastructure and helped streamline the development of the new standard. Chairman of the NBASE-T Alliance Peter Jones said: “Pleora’s latest video interface brings the proven connectivity and cost benefits of NBASE-T technology to the imaging market, and demonstrates the broad applicability of the technology. The recent ratification of the IEEE standard, along with an existing ecosystem of shipping products, dramatically simplifies the adoption of this technology. It enables a broad range of industries to immediately leverage the added bandwidth provided by NBASE-T, without the expense and difficulty of replacing Ethernet cabling.”

TE LE DYN E ADDS TWO CAM E RAS TO ITS LOW-COST SE RI ES Teledyne DALSA has added two very high resolution models to its low-cost Genie Nano GigE Vision camera series. The new 16 and 25 Megapixel monochrome cameras are powered by ONSEMI’s Python image sensors and, says Teledyne, deliver fast, high quality imaging. The idea behind the new cameras is to give systems designers even more choice from a growing number of Genie Nano cameras powered by 33 of the industry’s leading CMOS image sensors. Both cameras have been developed for industrial imaging applications, including intelligent traffic systems, printed circuit board inspection and metrology. They feature a global shutter and 4.5v µm pixel, providing high quality, high-speed imaging without distortion. Even faster throughput is achieved with Teledyne DALSA’s TurboDrive technology. In common with the series, the new cameras take full advantage of the Sapera LT Software Development Kit (SDK) and Trigger-to-ImageReliability framework for full system-level monitoring, control, and diagnostics from image capture through transfer to host memory. They can function in harsh environments, with a -20C to 60C temperature range.

NEWS

UKIVA ANNOUNCES NEW MACHINE VISION CONFERENCE

The UK Industrial Vision Association (UKIVA) has developed a brand new event for the imaging industry in the UK. The first ever UKIVA Machine Vision Conference & Exhibition (www.ukiva.org/mvc) will take place at ArenaMK in Milton Keynes on 27 April 2017. With 50 technical vision seminars and 30 live demonstration stands, this new one-day event will highlight the latest developments, technologies and applications within the Machine Vision and Imaging industry.

With contributions from a broad spectrum of imaging specialists, the conference will provide a breadth of information through multiple informative presentations across a variety of vision topics. There will be plenty to interest all attendees, from those new to machine vision who are unsure as to the benefits the technology could bring, to the most experienced users or system integrators. The emphasis will be firmly on the benefits that vision technology can bring for a host of different industries and applications. Visitors will see and hear about real world examples of how machine vision delivers value and creates competitive

advantage, learn about what’s coming next in terms of cutting edge research and gain valuable insight into the latest trends. The main themes of the day will cover 3D vision, camera technology, software, embedded vision, optics, illumination and lasers, systems and solutions as well as the basics of vision systems. Acrovision, Clearview Imaging, IDS, Scorpion Vision, Lambda, Matrox, Point Grey, CIS, Photonfocus AG, NET and Sick UK are some of the companies that will be presenting seminars and exhibiting at this new event. For more details contact Chris Valdes (+44 (0)20 8733 8111, chris.valdes@ppma.co.uk).

Press Enquiries: In Press Public Relations Ltd, PO Box 24, Royston, Herts, SG8 6TT, Tel: +44 (0)1763 262621 E-mail: denis@inpress.co.uk. Internet: www.inpress.co.uk Other Enquiries: Ian Alderton, UK Industrial Vision Association, New Progress House, 34 Stafford Road, Wallington, Surrey, SM6 9AA. Tel: +44 (0)208 773 8111, Fax: +44 (0)208 773 0022 E-mail: info@ukiva.org Internet: www.ukiva.org

COGN EX BOOSTS 3D VISION CAPABI LITI ES WITH TWO ACQU ISITIONS Nasdaq quoted US company Cognex has acquired two companies specializing in 3D machine vision technology, boosting its capabilities.

and sells a library of field-tested 3D vision tools. It also supplies a configuration software package to help customers set up their 3D vision applications.

The purchase of EnShape GmbH, a maker of advanced 3D vision sensors and software based in Jena, Germany, was completed a few days ago. The company’s 3D sensors use patented area-scan technology for fast image capture at high resolution. This eliminates the need to mechanically move objects in front of the device as required with laser line scanners.

Vice President of Vision Products for Cognex Joerg Kuechen said: “We see a growing number of opportunities for 3D vision in industries such as automotive, consumer electronics and logistics, to name just a few. We believe that our acquisition of these two companies, especially the addition of two highly experienced new engineering teams, will accelerate our ability to bring innovative new 3D products to market.”

Back in August AQSense, a provider of 3D vision software based in Girona, Spain, was snapped up. AQSense develops

The amount paid for both companies was not disclosed.

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& EXHIBITION 27 April 2017 Arena MK, Milton Keynes

Join the new exciting Conference & Exhibition that brings you up to speed with the latest developments in the industrial machine vision and imaging world

technical vision seminars from beginner up to expert

Network with leading companies at the forefront of machine vision technology

Learn about what's coming next. Hear from industry experts and cutting edge vision research

Gain valuable insight into the latest technology and trends - prepare for expanding global competition

See real-world examples of how machine vision delivers value and creates competitive advantage

· 3D Vision · Soﬅware · Vision Basics · Camera Technology · Systems and Solutions · Image Sensors · Embedded Vision · Optics, Illumination & Laser Contact Chris Valdes (chris.valdes@ppma.co.uk) or ﬁnd out more on www.ukiva.org/MVC

FR at EE te t nd o

live demonstration stands

NEWS

GIGE MARKET FORECAST TO GROW AT 11% YEARLY A new report from Research and Markets forecasts that the global gigabit Ethernet (GigE) camera market will grow at a CAGR of 11% during the period 2016-2020. GigE is one of the fastest growing interfaces being used for digital cameras. GigE is now a universally accepted digital interface, rapidly penetrating a wide range of applications, from image processing to military and defence. The report, entitled ‘Global Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) Camera Market 20162020,’ covers the Americas, APAC and EMEA. It presents the market as it stands now and looks at growth prospects. It also looks at the vendors operating in the market, including Adimec Electronic Imaging, Allied Vision, Alrad Instruments, Basler, Baumer Optronic, Bytronic Automation, GEViCAM, IMPERX, JAI, MATRIX VISION, Matrox Electronic Systems, Multipix Imaging, Point Grey Research, Qualitas Technologies, PixeLINK, Sony, Teledyne DALSA and Toshiba Teli.

TE LE DYN E DALSA TO SHOWCASE FLAT X-RAY DETECTORS Teledyne DALSA is to showcase its Xineos family of CMOS dynamic flat X-Ray detectors at the RSNA 2016 Technical Exhibition which took place between November 27 and December 2, at the McCormick Place in Chicago. Teledyne DALSA is the medical community’s largest supplier of CMOS flat X-ray detectors. They are considered, says the company, as the industry

benchmark for minimally invasive image-guided diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and for routine screening and advanced breast tomosynthesis modalities. Xineos detectors deliver a number of benefits, including a superior clinical performance at reduced patient dose, in real time with no compromise in image resolution; switchable saturation dose; high dynamic range; calibration stability; and, unsurpassed low dose signal-tonoise performance.

the opportunity for early intervention, patient recovery and reduced treatment costs. A variety of models will be on display on Stand 3716. Teledyne DALSA is part of Teledyne Technologies.

What’s more, Xineos detectors enable earlier diagnosis of medical anomalies, increasing

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NEWS

NEW GIGE UEYE FA CAMERA SERIES FOR USE IN HARSHEST INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS IDS Imaging Development Systems has introduced the GigE uEye FA camera series for use in the harshest industrial conditions. The camera system is protected from dirt, dust, water splashes and cleaning agents, as well as accidental shifting of the optics, by a camera housing, lens barrels and connectors which meet IP65/67 requirements. CMOS sensors available with the new cameras are available from Sony, ON Semiconductor and e2v, offering a choice of resolutions. A 2.3 Mpixel (1936 x 1216 pixel) IMX249 global shutter CMOS sensor from the Sony PREGIUS series is fitted on the first model of the range. The series of cameras aim to deliver great image quality with 41 fps at full resolution, even in lowlight conditions. Ideally suited for multi-camera operation, the series has an

integrated image memory that decouples image acquisition from image transfer. Pixel preprocessing, LUT, or gamma, are internal camera functions which minimise the processing power required.

for GPIO, trigger and flash are available. Accessories are available, including cables suitable for use as drag chains, and various screw-on options enhance versatility and facilitate integration.

The cameras also have an 8-pin M12 connection with X coding for data transmission and Power-over-Ethernet (PoE). An 8-pin Binder connector

Support for the cameras is provided by the IDS Software Suite, or the GigE Vision standard.

New filters from MidOpt

MidOpt has launched four new imaging filters for plant health surveillance applications. Designed for use in aerial vegetative monitoring, the Bi725 Red Edge Bandpass Filter is a 25nm FWHM filter which isolates the wavelength region where the most rapid change in reflectance occurs in foliage. This occurs when plants are stressed or

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dying, and photosynthesis slows down, or stops. IR wavelengths are absorbed, whilst more visible light, particularly red light, is reflected. The transitional 725nm band is uniquely affected by vegetative health changes and provides information relating to chlorophyll and nitrogen status used to distinguish thriving from stressed vegetation. Healthy vegetation will absorb (not reflect) green light and strongly reflect near-infrared light. So the DB550/850, when modifying a single colour camera by removing its IR blocking filter, allows reflected near-infrared light (850nm) to be captured in the camera sensor’s red channel and reflected green light (550nm) to be captured in

the sensor’s green channel (the blue channel is not used). This information can then be used to apply a false colour gradient to images to better highlight the contrast between regions of healthy vegetation as opposed to areas with stressed, diseased, or no vegetation. Two new Triple Bandpass filters, TB475/550/850 Blue+Green+NIR and TB550/660/850 Green+Red+NIR, will be available by the end of February. These can be mounted in converted consumer cameras used in aerial surveying applications, and they can help provide a more affordable, lightweight alternative versus systems employing three, or more cameras, or sensors.

CITY NEWS

PUBLIC VISION Neil Martin takes a look at what might be happening in the US markets and how Cognex is fairing in all the recent turmoil

US markets are in the spotlight as Donald Trump’s surprise victory caused a temporary panic (known delightfully as the Trump Dump), before investors quickly changed their minds and decided that the new commander-in-chief might actually be good news. We are now in a strange state of limbo. The US markets are reaching record highs (the Dow Jones edging nearer towards 20,000, the S&P 500 north of 2,000 and the Nasdaq heading towards 5,500, at the time of writing), but no-one really knowing if these highs are built on solid foundations, or shifting sands. One senior asset manager said global markets (not just the US) are impossible to call at the moment and investors should stick to their own long-term strategies. Fund managers in the City of London say that the main performers across the pond are small-cap stocks, with industrials being a key sector of interest, mainly down to hopes of reduced regulation as a consequence of the election. What concerns them about the future is that there are comparisons with the huge over-heating in 1999. Is there a correction on the horizon? The view is that the current performance is technically driven and investors are wondering if the time to invest is right, given that the markets since the summer have been basically dull and its only now, with the changing story as Trump gets ready to settle into the White House, that some excitement might be returning.

Cognex As regards Cognex (listed on NASDAQ:CGNX), the share price has been riding high of late and at the time of writing was just over $60, slightly off one of target prices set by the ten active brokers who follow the company. The company has a market cap of $5.21bn and the 50-day moving average is $54. The one-year low is $28.01 and the high is $61.14. Last quarterly results were issued on Monday 31 October, 2016, and earnings per share hit $0.61, beating the consensus estimate by $0.13. Revenue came in at $147.95m for the quarter under review, up 37.5% from the $50.93m posted the same time last year. Cognex has been attracting a decent amount of broker following, with around four on active Buy recommendations. Company executives has also been doing some selling, with CEO Robert Willet and CFO Richard Morin selling stock on 11 November. Institutional investors are also taking a keen interest in the company, with JP Morgan Chase & Co and various BlackRock funds all increasing their positions. London-based fund managers Henderson Group also upped their holding in the company and now has a sizeable number of shares. The Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio slightly reduced its holding. Outside investors now hold just short of 92% of the company’s stock.

CREATING THE MACHINE VISION DIALOGUE So two months have passed and already my conversations with customers have evolved from background discussions about our new approach, to detail that has led us to create content in new formats. We created videos at Vision for Imperx, Euresys and Edmund Optics which are reaching new machine vision professionals via our digital channels. Following some great conversations in Stuttgart with the likes of Matrox, Teledyne DALSA, Stemmer Imaging, Matrix MultiPix, Gardasoft, and many more, we are working on a number of initiatives which we are looking forward to sharing with you this year. I want to thank everyone for their kind words and positive feedback which has all enabled us to grow so rapidly in such a small space of time. Happy new year from all of us at MVPro â&#x20AC;&#x201C; We are looking forward to building many more industry relationships so that together we can embrace the challenges and opportunities over the year and help you to reach your objectives. The future looks bright!

Cally We are looking forward to seeing you at: A3 Business Forum

15th EMVA Business Conference

18 - 20 January 2017, Disney Yacht & Beach Club, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States

22 - 24 June 2017, Prague, Czech Republic

Automate 2017

2nd European Machine Vision Forum

3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 April 2017, McCormick Place, Chicago, US

6-8 September 2017, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Vienna, Austria

UKIVA Machine Vision Conference & Exhibition

1st European Embedded Vison Conference

27 April 2017, Arena MK, Milton Keynes, UK

12-13 October, ICS Stuttgart

Control 2017 9 - 12 May 2017, Messe Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany

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