MVPro Media - Issue 3 - April 2017 by Clifton Media Lab

NEW FOR 2017

THE LATEST MACHINE VISION NEWS AND VIEWS

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HAPPENING ON THE CONFERENCE SCENE

ISSUE 3 - MARCH 2017

A COMING OF AGE FOR MULTIPIX IMAGING

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T H I S Y E A R S M O S T A N T I C I PAT E D C A M E R A S

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Welcome to MVPRO

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

Set to be a very interesting year

Latest news in Machine Vision

A COMING OF AGE FOR MULTIPIX IMAGING Neil Martin speaks with the co-founder of MultiPix Imaging Julie Busby

CAMERA, ACTION! We take a look at some of the main contenders on the market

EURESYS GRABS MARKET OPPORTUNITY MVPro speaks to Euresys CEO Marc Damhaut

GRABBING THE LIMELIGHT In conversation with Donal Waide (BitFlow) we look at the history of the frame grabber

FOR MACHINE VISION BY MACHINE VISION MidOpt filters for machine vision – now enhanced with robotic precision

CONFERENCE SCENE Machine vision events 2017

MULTISPECTRAL AND HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING SYSTEMS Improving the way we recycle, by Geralyn Miller, Teledyne DALSA

CAUGHT RED-HANDED The problem of counterfeit products

MEASURING A FINGERPRINT Adimec conducted an interview with Egidijus Auksorius of the Langevin institute

MVPRO: NORTH AMERICA The AIA expects the vision and imaging market in North America to grow across the board

A CASE OF WAIT AND SEE Main markets weigh-up future prospects

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

63 Introducing our new robotics title

A3: “A VALUABLE LIFE LESSON, I’M NOT AS GOOD AT TABLE FOOTBALL AS THE CHAPS AT IDS!” The A3 networking event in Florida was fantastic, not least because I learnt a valuable life lesson, I’m not as good at table football as the chaps at IDS (held during one of the final evening reception events I stress!). But in all seriousness, A3 was a great success allround. Assisted by the beautiful weather and resort location, the conference itself gave us at MVPro everything we could have wished for in terms of content and networking opportunities. The organisers deserve a big pat on the back for making it all work so seamlessly. Obviously, from an MVPro perspective, it was great to meet up with industry colleagues and leaders within the machine vision sector from around the world. But, additionally, the link in with the Robotics (RIA) and Motion Control (MCO) delegates, which are such closely related industries, made the event very special. Vibrant and Positive The key point for me to take away from a vision perspective was about how vibrant and positive the outlook for the industry is. And it was great to hear from so many influencers within the industry that our multimedia approach at MVPro – via the magazine, web site, e-mail and strong social media presence - is clearly the way forward, helping to communicate and educate new and existing users of machine vision of the latest developments and advances in technology.

Automate Now I’m very much looking forward to the Automate exhibition, in terms of picking up with new and existing clients, spreading the word on MVPro, and RoboPro, and helping to further develop our position in the US market. We’re also going to be filming at the event, so it will be great to capture some insight from leading exhibitors on their products on film, and be able to share that content to a much wider audience via our web site and social media channels in the following weeks. With a strong exhibitor list, I’m also looking forward to hearing more insight from within the industry and also learning more from OEM consumers on their needs and requirements, in this rapidly evolving and world changing environment. I’m always delighted to hear the latest innovations and applications that our readers are working on, which continue to astonish and feel like the world of the future is far closer than it otherwise can seem! Best wishes,

Alex

Alex Sullivan Publishing Director, MVPro

Additionally, as mentioned above, it was wonderful to have the opportunity to meet with so many leaders in the robotics field – arguably an area set for bigger growth than machine vision in the near future and with so many new applications opening up daily. I’m delighted to announce that this also helped confirm our decision to launch a sister publication to MVPro – RoboPro. The first supplement version of which appears in this issue, with the web site launch scheduled for 1st June and a standalone global edition launching in September, which will be the world’s first and only dedicated media vehicle for the robotics industry.

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SET TO BE A VERY INTERESTING YEAR Well, we’re well into 2017 now and things are set for an interesting year. One thing is for certain, the political and economic environment is going to provide us with an exciting backdrop. In Europe Brexit rumbles on and there are major elections in key European states. In the US, the new Trump administration continues to excite everyone, but the upside is, if he re-energises the American economy, then the machine vision sector could be one big beneficiary. Anecdotally, the impression we get in the MVPro office is that 2017 should be a good year for the industry, on a global scale. The industry is set to expand into new applications and sectors, professional associations are expanding their membership numbers and technical development continues at a fast pace. It’s also going to be a busy time on the conference front, notably Automate which is nearly upon us and the first ever UKIVA which takes place at the end of April. We’re going to give that conference, in our back yard, a lot of support, so we’ll see you there. Also on the horizon is Chii2017. Yes, it may sound like a trade fair for exotic teas, but it’s the first get-together for people who are involved with hyperspectral imaging. The organisers are asking you to follow the white rabbit and we certainly intend to. In this issue we’ve categorised our offering to ensure we cover as much of the industry as we can. So, apart from the usual news, company profiles and external contributions, and conference updates, we’re also taking a look at the North American market. We’ve also enlarged our Public Vision feature at the back of the magazine, allowing us to take a closer look at the companies in the industry which are listed on stock exchanges. Our key feature this month is cameras and we’ve assessed the current market and taken a look at some of the major new products. We’ve also had a long and interesting chat with Julie Busby, cofounder of MultiPix who’s been in the business well over 20 years and is still loving it. You’ll also notice a short supplement within this issue entitled RoboPro – our first foray into the exciting world of robotics. This is going to be a major growth sector over the coming years and could likely swallow machine vision as it marches relentlessly forward.

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It goes by the nickname of Robocop in the office – I’m old enough to remember when the original movie first came out. Let’s hope we get an easier ride as the robots begin to enrich our lives. We’ve launched it as a supplement to MVPro, but soon it will have its own website, digital platform and print magazine. We’re contacting all companies involved in the robotics sector at the moment, asking for news and updates. However, it’s not just the products we’re interested in, but all the investment opportunities behind them – we hope to bring a fresh new insight into what is a most exciting sector. Okay, so that’s it – I hope you enjoy this issue and as ever, please keep your news coming in; we'll cover as much as we can.

Neil

Neil Martin Editor, MVPro

Read The Dots

SureDot SureDot New! Matrox SureDotOCRâ&#x201E;˘

Innovative OCR technology for reading challenging dot-matrix text Matrox SureDotOCR is specifically designed to address the challenges with reading dotmatrix text produced in practice by industrial inkjet printers and dot peen markers at manufacturing line rates. It eliminates the need for case-specific image pre-processing, is straightforward to use and reliably reads information despite text distortion and orientation as well as uneven backgrounds and illumination.

Learn more about SureDotOCR www.matrox.com/suredotocr/mvpro

NEWS

IDS CREATES NEW UK SUBSIDIARY

N EW GIGE VISION CAM E RA FROM ALLI E D VISION

Allied Vision has released a new GigE Vision camera. The Manta G-895 which incorporates the high-quality Sony IMX267 CMOS sensor with Pregius global shutter technology, is now available for sale.

German based IDS Imaging Development Systems has created a UK subsidiary, upgrading its existing sales office which served Great Britain and Ireland. The manufacturer of industrial cameras says it’s a big step forward for the company and is partly down to the fact that many well-known international users are based in Great Britain and Ireland, which is one of Europe’s major locations for the machine vision industry International Sales Director at IDS Marian Petrovic said: “With our own subsidiary in the United Kingdom we want to reinforce and expand our presence in this important market and signal security, reliability and strength to our customers.”

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Responsible for the UK business as branch manager of the new IDS Imaging Development Systems Ltd is former sales director Steve Hearn (above). He said: “The foundation of the limited company sends out a statement that IDS considers the UK market to be strategically important.” The subsidiary will also include a post for a new applications engineer. Hearn again: “The investment in the company and new staff means that both new and existing customers can be fully supported on a local basis and helped to further develop their businesses in partnership.” As well as its base in the UK, IDS has branches in the USA and Japan, as well as offices in France, the Netherlands and South Korea.

The company says that users can take advantage of the benefits of this new sensor along with the flexibility of its Manta platform. A rich feature set for image optimization and pre-processing includes auto gain, exposure, white balance settings, gamma correction and look-up tables with which users can tailor image corrections to their needs. The camera also includes the new Trigger over Ethernet (ToE) feature. The image sensor has a resolution of 8.9 megapixels (4112 x 2176). It delivers an unprecedented image quality for a CMOS sensor. It has a high saturation capacity and very low noise resulting in exceptional dynamic range. The camera delivers up to 13.4 frames per second at full resolution and higher frame rates are possible by reducing the region of interest. Users can choose from a large variety of hardware options including Power over Ethernet, angled heads, optical filters, lens mounts, and a board-level variant for easy integration. The camera is supported by all popular image-processing libraries and Allied Vision’s Vimba 2.0 software development kit allows easy configuration with its new intuitive user interface.

NEWS

FOUR-CHANNEL COMPACT GIGE VISION SYSTEM FROM ADLINK Stemmer-Imaging has introduced a new high performance fourchannel compact GigE Vision system from ADLINK. Labelled the EOS-1300, it’s a high performance, compact embedded vision system designed for demanding machine vision and automation applications requiring multiple cameras, high computing power and time deterministic solutions. It features 6th Generation Intel Core i7, i5 or i3 processors, four Gigabit Power over Ethernet ports, four USB 3.0 ports, and FPGA-implemented digital I/O functions, all in a very small footprint. Stemmer-Imaging says that the EOS-1300 is ideally suited for industrial applications, as its robust construction includes extended shock and vibration protection. Also, its long-term

What’s more, with its 500 Gb capacity solid state hard drives and Windows embedded operating systems, the EOS-1300 is tolerant to any instant power loss. This makes it suitable for use in harsh environments. All I/O connectors are located on

LATEST FOU R CAM E RAS FROM I DS

It is suited for applications in the field of machine vision, medical engineering, or microscopy.

Four new USB 3.0 industrial cameras have been introduced by IDS Imaging Development Systems.

The UI-3270CP USB 3.0 delivers up to 57 fps at full resolution (full HD at up to 80 fps) and is aimed at cost-oriented applications in the fields of mechanical engineering, machine vision and metrology. Both camera models are available in colour, or monochrome versions.

Two of the models are equipped with the Sony IMX252 sensor and IMX265 sensor, and are aimed at customers with high demands on image quality and dynamic range. The IDS UI-3070CP model has the Sony IMX252 sensor and the UI-3270CP the IMX265. Both are full HD cameras for machine vision applications, providing a resolution of 3.2 MP (2056 x 1542 pixels). The UI-3070CP accelerates up to 134 fps at full resolution (with full HD up to 187 fps) and allows 16x multi Areas Of Interest and longterm exposure up to 30 seconds.

component availability eliminates the failure points commonly found when non-industrial PCs are used in industrial vision applications.

The other two models come with the light-sensitive rolling shutter IMX178 sensor and IMX290 sensor, from the STARVIS series, and are suitable for applications in the fields of traffic monitoring, machine vision and microscopy.

one side of the unit for easy installation. The latest processors provide the computing power needed for demanding machine vision applications. Four independent PoE (power over Ethernet) ports deliver fast data transfer rates up to 4.0 Gb/s. This allows a wide variety of high-resolution Gigabit Ethernet cameras to be used even in high throughput inspection applications.

resolution images, its suitable for visualization tasks in microscopy, and for cost-oriented options in traffic monitoring (ITS). It delivers frame rates of up to 60 fps at full resolution. The UI-3860CP has a Sony IMX290 1/3″ rolling shutter CMOS sensor and offers a resolution of 2.1 MP (1936 x 1096 pixels, full HD at 120 fps). It is aimed at customers with high demands on image quality and speed.

The USB 3.0 UI-3880CP has the Sony IMX178 1/1.8″ rolling shutter CMOS sensor which offers 6.4 MP (3088 x 2076 pixels). With high light sensitivity and high resolution for high-

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UKIVA APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN Taking the helm at UKIVA is Paul Wilson (below, left), Managing Director of Scorpion Vision. Wilson becomes the new Chairman, having taken over from Ian Alderton (below, right) at the recent UKIVA Annual Members’ meeting held at Arena MK. He holds the position for two years, having been the association’s Vice Chairman for two years. Scorpion Vision was established by Wilson in 2006 and he has grown the company from a component sales business to a machine vision specialist integrator. Coming in as the new Vice Chairman is Allan Anderson, Managing Director of Clearview Imaging, who was also elected for a period of two years. Wilson, who thanked Alderton for his tenure as Chairman and especially for his efforts in bringing together the forthcoming Machine Vision Conference, said the association was going from strength to strength.

Wilson said: “The UKIVA Machine Vision Conference, to be held on 27th April 2017 at Arena MK represents a milestone for industrial vision in the UK. This is the first independent event of its kind. We are well on track to achieve our aim of 50 technical vision seminars across a broad range of vision topics and we already have over 40 of the industry’s leading companies signed up for the accompanying exhibition. “Visitor registration is now open at www.machinevisionconference. co.uk, and we are looking to attract a broad cross section of delegates, from those who are completely new to vision through to experienced vision engineers. There will be something to interest everyone, and of course, a wonderful networking opportunity.” Wilson added: “Allan is to be congratulated. His efforts, with the help of the committee and the experience of the team at the PPMA, have made the Conference a reality.”

Founder Norman Edmund

Explore EO’s Impact on the World of Optics

www.edmundoptics.eu/75-years

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UK: +44 (0) 1904 788600 GERMANY: +49 (0) 721 6273730 FRANCE: +33 (0) 8 20 20 75 55

sales@edmundoptics.eu

NEWS

MIDOPT INTRODUCES THREE NEW IMAGING FILTERS Three new imaging filters have been made available by MidOpt. The primary use is for the blocking of unwanted nearinfrared light. The filters are: SP635 Absorptive Visible Shortpass/Near-IR Block Filter; SP644 Near-IR/Mid-Red Dichroic Block Shortpass Filter; and, AB555 Acrylic Absorptive Near-IR/UV-Block Visible Bandpass Filter. A number of mounting options are available, including Standard Threaded Mounts, Slip Mounts that easily adapt to lenses without filter threads, the 25.4 C-Mount for easy installation into cameras, and custom fabrication of unmounted shapes and sizes. The SP635 filter is mostly used inside cameras to block infrared light. The SP635, when working with any camera that has been modified and its internal IR cut filter has been removed can return function once again like the unmodified camera. An absorptive infrared rejection filter, it is also recommended for protecting a camera’s sensor from stray light emitted by lasers, or other high power near-IR light sources. These filters are A/R coated on both sides to maximize visible band transmission while offering superior out-of-band blocking. Peak transmission is ≥90%.

The SP644 is one of several dichroic filters offered mainly for use as an internal infrared blocking filter in colour cameras. It achieves uniform blocking of near-infrared wavelengths out to 1100nm, uniformly high transmission across the visible range and a 50% point in the middle of the red portion of the spectrum. This, says MidOpt, makes it an ideal choice for cameras with typical CMOS sensor responsivity. It can achieve natural colour rendition with superior response in the blue channel. Its useful range is 395638nm with a peak transmission ≥90%.

The AB555 passes light in the visible range and blocks all nearinfrared, ultraviolet and violet wavelengths. It offers excellent laser protection at 1064nm (O.D. 6) and additionally, optical density exceeds 5.0 in the UV (190-375nm), near-IR (7601070nm) and at 10,600nm. The standard thickness is 3.5mm and the material is a light greenish colour in transmission. Sheet stock can be quickly laser cut to a wide variety of custom sizes and shapes, particularly when used as a cover for an enclosure, or a laser protective window.

NAVITAR COM PLETES PIXE LI N K DEAL

The business, assets and employees of Canadian-based PixeLINK, a developer of camera technology, have now been fully transferred to Navitar, a fellow Canadian company which designs, develops, and manufactures innovative optical solutions for customers and enterprises across the globe.

Solutions provided by Navitar include complete optomechanical and electrooptical assemblies, and sub-assembly systems. Its components and systems are used in a wide variety of industries including life science, medical, defence and security, industrial, entertainment and projection.

Navitar has completed its acquisition of PixeLINK. Navitar acquired PixeLINK so it can provide a fully integrated endto-end lens and camera imaging solution to customers worldwide.

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NEWS

RUGGED MIKROTRON CAMERA LAUNCHED AT SPIE PHOTONICS WEST 2017 range testing, materials and bio science, and manufacturing troubleshooting.

Mikrotron introduced a new highspeed recording camera at SPIE Photonics West 2017. Called the EoSens Quad 1.1, it has been specifically designed to meet the demands of high shock and vibration environments, with a resistance of 100 G’s.

3D-ON E EXTE N DS AVIOR SE RI ES: SI NGLE CAM E RA FOR ACQU ISITION OF RGB+N I R I MAGE

Mikrotron says that its compact design (63x63x95 mm), with the smallest cross section and weighing just 500 grams (the lightest weight of any camera on the market), makes it ideal for applications such as automotive crash tests, scientific R&D, military

The new multi-spectral model, M4VNIR, can acquire a RGB+NIR image from a single camera. This means that users can now benefit from a single camera solution to replace today’s complex two-

The Quad 1.1 achieves 2,500 fps at full resolution of 1.280 x 864 pixel and 3,220 fps at 1.280 x 720 pixel. It has a 14.9 µm 10-bit pixel resulting in high sensitivity for both mono and colour cameras. Two analog and four digital I/O inputs (per CRS sheet) enable recording video and sensor data in total sync. What’s more, Sync in and Sync out allows the set up multiple camera recording configurations. The camera uses GigE interface for an easy adaption to standard PCs. It is available in both C-Mount and Nikon FG-Mount and is supported by a new camera control and player software called VisualMARC.

camera set-ups for RGB/NIR imaging. The camera features a four-band multi-spectral sensor for snapshot acquisition of RGB+NIR images. The sensor includes microlenses to improve the quantum efficiency and sensor response. Key abilities of the camera includes snapshot imaging; acquires up to 120fps, 2048×1088 pixels; four bands for RGB+NIR imaging; CameraLinkmini and PoCL; and, low power, low mass and compact outline. The camera is aimed at medical imaging, surveillance and food processing applications. Avior develops cameras for OEM customers looking for a compact and robust solution for multi and hyperspectral imaging.

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Machine vision: key technology for automated production. Experience how robots react flexibly to their environment. Meet industry visionaries and innovators, discuss important topics such as embedded vision, and discover the path that non-industrial machine vision is taking. At VISION, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading trade fair for machine vision.

06 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 08 November 2018 Messe Stuttgart, Germany www.vision-fair.de

NEWS

TATTILE INTRODUCES NEW SMART CAMERA A new smart camera from Tattile is to be launched at SPIE Photonics West 2017. The S12MP has been designed and manufactured by Tattile to meet the most complex machine vision requirements. It is a highperformance camera, sturdy and compact, which features a very high processing capability. It’s based on a powerful image processing architecture, the Xilinx Zynq 7030 and a Cortex-A9 Dual Core 667MHz processor. The Xilinx Zynq 7030 includes a Kintex7 FPGA with 125 K elements which allows images to be acquired and pre-processed at a very high speed. The Cortex-A9 processes the data, performs the controls required by the application and sends the results either to the machine or to the user line.

The image storage capability reaches up to 32 GB with the use of an integrated SD card. . Technical Product Manager at Tattile Fulvio Pozzalini said: “Thanks to the FPGA the working load of the CPU is reduced to the minimum so that it can be exclusively devoted to image

analysis. Moreover, the FPGA can be easily programmed through the VHDL language. The user has the chance to directly implement its proprietary algorithms into the FPGA to decrease the load of the CPU which in turn has the only task of analysing the data being extrapolated by the FPGA.”

MACHINE VISION TECHNOLOGIES MARKET TO GROW TO $30.8 BILLION BY 2021 The latest industry report from Research and Markets shows that the global market for machine vision system components will grow from $19.0bn in 2016 to $30.8bn by 2021 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.2% for the period of 2016-2021. The report, entitled ‘Global Markets for Machine Vision Technologies,’ covers the market for MV hardware and software. It includes smart cameras and

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smart sensors, compact vision systems, PC-based MV systems, MV lighting and cameras, and frame grabbers. When estimating the market forecast, a wide range of factors were considered, including plant construction and upgrades, the rate at which new MV technology is being applied in new areas, the underlying economic growth of the overall market, and the growth rates reported by

manufacturers and end users of MV products. The report details an overview of the global market; analyses of global market trends; examinations of the global market for the various components that make up an MV system; discussion of the structure of the industries involved in the research, development, design, and manufacture of MV components and systems; and, profiles of major manufacturers.

NEWS

NEW LINE OF COMPACT HIGHRESOLUTION HIGH-SPEED CAMERAS FROM MIKROTRON A new line of compact highresolution, high-speed CoaXPress and CameraLink machine vision cameras from Mikrotron were featured at SPIE Photonics 2017. The new models are EoSens 25CXP+, EoSens 12CXP+ and EoSens 25CL+. Each is powered by an OnSemi PYTHON CMOS sensor. The company says that the high resolution of the CMOS global shutter, combined with a precise trigger and synchronization, and a high frame rate and short integration times, gives a perfect image quality. This allows them to capture, for example, even the smallest details of components in PCB assembly in high speed. The camera’s photo-sensitivity of 5.8 V/lux*s @550nm delivers reliable image information even in low-light conditions. The cameras are housed within a unique, robust and compact design measuring 80 x 80 x 66 mm. They are engineered for use in rough environments and

the fanless design guarantees vibration-free operation.

offers 165 frames per second at 4,096 x 3,072 pixel resolution.

EoSens 25CXP+ offers up to 80 frames per second at the extremely high 5,120 x 5,120 pixel resolution and EoSens 12CXP+

The new cameras are GenICam and EMVA 1288 compliant, enabling easy handling and integration.

more accurate the final depth measurements. In the past, the disparity range had been fixed at 112 pixels, but a range of up to 256 pixels is now possible.

More precise measurements at a reduced frame rate can be obtained at the larger disparity range. Nerian says even at the full frame rate, their SP1 can now process a 14% larger disparity range, leading to an equally sized error reduction.

N EW SP1 FI RMWARE FROM N E RIAN DOU BLES DE PTH RESOLUTION Nerian Vision Technologies has released new firmware for its SP1 stereo vision system, more than doubling the achievable depth resolution. This has been made possible by allowing the SP1 to search a wider image overlap region – the disparity range – for corresponding image points. The company notes that the larger the disparity range, the

The SP1 is used in a wide range of applications, some focussed on accuracy, others on speed.

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NEWS

TELEDYNE DALSA ADDS FOUR NEW MODELS TO GENIE NANO GIGE VISION CAMERA SERIES framework for full systemlevel monitoring, control and diagnostics, from image capture through transfer to host memory. Industrial imaging applications include intelligent traffic systems, printed circuit board inspection and metrology. Key features include: • TurboDrive for fast frame rates and full image quality;

Teledyne DALSA has added four new models to its small format Genie Nano GigE Vision camera series. The new 12 bit, 8.9 and 12 Megapixel cameras deliver, says the company, both speed and high quality imaging. The four colour and monochrome models – M4030, M4020, C4030 and

C4020 – are built around the Sony Pregius’ IMX 267 and 304 LL and LQ image sensors. They feature a global shutter and a 3.45 µm pixel. The new cameras, along with the rest of the Genie Nano series, can be used with the Sapera LT Software Development Kit (SDK) and Trigger-to-Image-Reliability

• Trigger-to-Image-Reliability for easy system control and debugging; • Small footprint / light weight: 44mm x 29mm x 21mm / 46 grams; • Wide temperature range (-20 to 60°C) for imaging in harsh environments; • Support for Linux operating platform is also available.

A CAM E RA FI RST FROM ALKE RIA

The CELERA camera series from Alkeria is the world’s first to use the dual-USB3 technology. This technology, says Alkeria, allows the camera to fully exploit the sensor, surpassing the actual speed limit of the USB3 interface, though maintaining its ease of use and lower costs when compared to Camera Link solutions. The data is acquired by the sensor and then divided according to

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a proprietary algorithm, and sent through two USB3 ports with a programmable smart master/slave system. The host PC, running software drivers by Alkeria, then reconstructs the data packets. By doing this, the bandwidth is doubled, making it possible to reach up to 340 fps at full resolution. Given its high performance, Alkeria is targeting this range of cameras at the high-end segment

of the market for pharma and industrial applications. Currently available in 2Mpx and 4Mpx, the CELERA range comes complete with CMV CMOS sensors in monochrome, colour and NIR option. They also feature 12-bit Analog/Digital and come with a SDK for Windows and Linux. The cameras were first revealed at SPS IPC DRIVES 2016 in Nuremberg.

NEWS

RESOLVE OPTICS SETS OUT ITS STALL OF RADIATION RESISTANT LENSES It believes it is one of the few companies that can produce small quantities of high performance, mounted lenses with the professional look, feel and quality equivalent to the best professional photographic and broadcast TV.

A new brochure from Resolve Optics sets out to provide an informative introduction to radiation resistant optics, their capabilities, areas of use and specifications of standard lenses available off-the-shelf. The company is a specialist lens designer and manufactures small production quantities of radiationresistant (non-browning) lenses and optical products. Lens developed by Resolve Optics are used in a number of applications, including industrial machine vision, aerospace, broadcast TV, instrumentation, security and the nuclear industry.

The company’s radiation resistant lens are made using cerium oxide doped glass, or synthetic silica. This enables them to withstand radiation doses of up to 100,000,000 rads and temperatures up to 55°C without discoloration, or degradation of performance. They also provide high image resolution and minimum geometric distortion from 400 to 750nm. Resolve Optics told MVPro Magazine: “Whilst we have extensive experience of supplying fixed focus and zoom radiation resistant lenses for applications in Nuclear reprocessing and power generation – today our expertise is helping organisations operating

in a growing number of different and interesting applications. “In medical research – Resolve Optics radiation resistant lenses form targeting elements in synchrotron radiation therapy machines and also in commercial x-ray instrumentation. In outer space all instrumentation, sensors and cameras are subject to constant bombardment by radiation that will quickly degrade and make inoperative standard optical components. Space borne applications present a challenging environment, subject to radiation, where camera lens servicing or replacement is highly undesirable. “Recently NASA selected Resolve Optics to supply them with a selection of high performance, radiation resistant zoom lenses because of their expertise in this area and willingness to work on adapting standard 3x and 6x nonbrowning zoom lens designs to be ‘space ready’.”

LI NX HOLDS SUCCESSFU L SE M I NAR ON MV AN D I IOT LINX, a leading Japanese machine vision technology provider, hosted a three-day private seminar in Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo.

The seminar, which was a attended by over 1000 people, focused on machine vision and industrial IT (IIoT).

recent trends and examples of actual applications of the latest industrial technologies, as well as LINX’s latest products.

Called LINXDays, the seminar is the seventh to be held and guests come from the factory automation, semiconductor, electrical and electronics, automobile, food and healthcare industries. The seminar explored

The seminar was organised in two parts, the second of which was called the LINX Machine Vision Seminar. It highlighted the recent market trends of image processing technologies in Japan and introduced the latest

machine vision components with examples of actual applications. CEOs from some of LINX’s key vendors also attended the seminar, including MVTec Software and 3S-Smart Software Solutions. LINK was established in 1990 and is based at Aoba-ku, Yokohama, Japan.

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NEWS

GET IN YOUR ENTRIES FOR THE EMVA YOUNG PROFESSIONAL AWARD 2017 Entries are being asked for the EMVA Young Professional Award 2017. People interested in applying should send in a short abstract of two pages in English language describing the work and a short bio of the author. This has to be submitted to the EMVA Secretariat, Mrs Célina Ruppert, at ypa@emva.org, no later than 21 April, 2017. The award is bestowed annually to honor the outstanding and innovative work of a student, or a young professional in the field of machine vision, or image processing. EMVA supports innovation in the industry, to contribute to the important aspect of dedicated machine vision education and to provide a bridge between research and industry. This Award encourages students and young scientists from European institutions to focus on challenges in the field of machine vision and to apply latest research results, and findings in computer

COGN EX BUYS TWO TECH COM PAN I ES Cognex continues to hit the acquisition trail, announcing that it has purchased a further two technology companies, this time in the areas of 3D vision and industrial ID. It acquired Colorado-based Chiaro Technologies, which produces a 3D machine vision sensor called Cloudburst, on 30 November, 2016. The sensor is said to offer high-speed, real-time 3D image streaming that is useful in applications where speed is

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E U RESYS EXPAN DS I N ASIA

vision to the practical needs of the machine vision industry. A statement from EMVA said: “The winner of the award will be announced at the15th EMVA Business Conference 2017 taking place June 22-24 in Prague, Czech Republic, and will have the opportunity to present the awarded work to the machine vision industry leaders from Europe and abroad. This presentation will be covered by the international machine vision press leading to further publication options on an international level. “Connected to the honor of the EMVA Young Professional Award and the publicity for the research work is a whole package of benefits that has been extended this year. It includes a free conference pass and coverage of all travel costs to the EMVA Business Conference; plus for the first time prize money of 1.500 Euros and free entry to the European Machine Vision Forum 2017 taking place in Vienna.”

Euresys has expanded in Asia with a new office in Japan. The company has created a base in Japan to support its local distributors and expand its customer base. Heading up the new office is support manager Kazuhiro Tanaka. CEO of Euresys Marc Damhaut said: “This new office, close to our customers, will allow us to provide fast and efficient pre-sales support and technical services to our growing market. We will work closely with our local distributors in order to enhance our contributions to our customers’ success.” The office is based in Yokohama.

more important than capturing a high resolution image.

applied accurately before items are shipped.

The deal means that Cognex now has a technology complementary to the company’s highperformance 3D sensors, which are used for the most challenging 3D vision applications.

President and CEO of Cognex Robert J Willett said: “These acquisitions add important capabilities in two high-growth areas of Cognex’s business. The Cloudburst sensor enables Cognex to address a wider range of applications and price points in the fast-growing 3D vision market. And the combination of Webscan’s verification software with our rugged and flexible DataMan product line will enable Cognex to provide the industry’s broadest range of highperformance and easy-to-use verification solutions.”

Cognex also acquired Webscan, a barcode verification solutions company based in Longmont, Colorado. The deal was completed on 9 December, 2016. Using the Webscan solution, manufacturers can ensure that barcodes marked on packages, parts and components are

NEWS

SEEING RAISES £15M AFTER PLACING AND SUBSCRIPTION The AIM listed company Seeing Machines, which focuses on operator monitoring and intervention sensing technologies and services, has raised £15 million, before expenses, through a placing and subscription.

The net proceeds of the placing and subscription, said the company, will provide growth capital to continue the ongoing commercialisation of its technology, including the FOVIO automotive business.

The company’s broker, finnCap, placed 329,611,500 new ordinary shares with institutional investors at a price of four pence per share. Also, 45,388,500 ordinary shares have been subscribed for with the company at the placing price by its strategic investor, V S Industry Berhad and by Ken Kroeger, Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Chairman of Seeing Machines Terry Winters said: “We are delighted with the support shown by investors in the Placing and Subscription. We are seeing strong demand for our advanced Driver Monitoring Systems from global car makers and from their tier 1 suppliers. We previously considered spinning out our FOVIO automotive business however the Directors have resolved it is in the best interests of shareholders to retain full

The fundraising is conditional upon shareholder approval.

ownership. All our intellectual property including data, our SiP Driver Monitoring System chip and all our key staff will remain available to all Seeing Machines’ target industries. “We continue to execute on our multi-sector transportation market strategy and this capital raised supports the ongoing commercialisation of our technology across these target markets, including our FOVIO automotive business. I would like to thank investors for their support, and invite eligible existing shareholders to participate in the proposed capital raising by way of the Australian Offer and the Overseas Offer.”

AUTOLIV DEMOS PRODUCT AT CES aims to meet the ever increasing standards of the global five-star safety programmes. Fourth generation models will be ready for 2020 and will feature new algorithmic approaches. Algorithms are developed in house at Autoliv, and support adoptable and scalable vision systems solutions in the day, or at night.

Swedish-based Autoliv, one of the leading automotive machine vision suppliers, demonstraed its products at CES 2017 in Las Vegas. The company develops monocular, stereo and night

vision systems solutions that support global vehicle safety ratings and highly automated driving capability. It’s third generation monocular camera is coming to market next year via a German car maker and

The company is a pioneer of automated driving systems whereby features and raw detection data are combined to support higher levels of driving automation. This supports centralized decision making as well as digital map creation. Autoliv has 68,000 employees in 27 countries and in 2015, total sales came in at $9.2bn. Its shares are quoted on NASDAQ.

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NEWS

KICKSTARTER PROMOTES OPENSOURCE QUAD-CORE SMART MACHINE VISION CAMERA An open-source quad-core smart machine vision camera has been promoted on the Kickstarter site. The camera, known as the JeVois A33, is the brainchild of Professor Laurent Itt. He’s professor of computer science, psychology, and neuroscience at the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles. His academic research interests are in visual neuroscience, machine vision, artificial intelligence and robotics. The JeVois has been created to provide powerful machine vision to all PC/Arduino/Raspberry Pi projects. The target funding wass $50,000 and 466 backers have already

N EW H IGH-SPE E D HYPE RSPECTRAL I MAGI NG SYSTE M FOR NORTH AM E RICA German-based Cubert and US company Bodkin Design & Engineering have teamed up together to produce a new highspeed hyperspectral imaging system which will now be available in North America. Bodkin Design became Cubert’s exclusive North American distributor early in 2016 to address the global hyperspectral imaging market opportunity which has a compound growth rate of 12% per year.

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raised $33,388 at the time of writing. JeVois started as an educational project which was designed to encourage the study of machine vision, computational neuroscience and machine learning as part of introductory programming, and robotics courses at all levels (from K-12 to Ph.D.). Currently, says JeVois, the courses often lack a machine vision component. The new camera aims to fill this gap by providing a self-contained, configurable machine vision engine. It can deliver both visual outputs of how it is analysing what it sees (useful to understand

the algorithms) and text outputs over a serial link that describes what it has found (useful to send to a micro-controller that can control a robot). The JeVosis consists of a video sensor, plus a quad-core CPU, USB video and serial port, which is all in a tiny, self-contained package measuring just 28 cc or 1.7 cubic inches. Users can insert a microSD card loaded with the provided open-source machine vision algorithms (including OpenCV 3.1 and many others), and then connect to their desktop, laptop, and/or Arduino, to give their projects the sense of sight immediately.

The system, which will be demonstrated at the 2017 Photonics West show in San Francisco, is used in UAVs for precision agriculture. It’s also used by other researchers, agronomists, geologists, chemists and manufacturers to deliver datasets for chemical analysis, quality control, pollution monitoring and more.

offers a full line of hyperspectral products utilizing not only the Hyperpixel Array (HPA), but also graded filters, filter arrays, filter wheels, and multiple focal plane technologies. Instruments are now available covering a variety of wavelengths from ultraviolet to longwave infrared as a complement to our customized engineering solution services.”

The snapshot hyperspectral system allows spectral and spatial information to be collected simultaneously into a threedimensional dataset, or as a video stream yielding a fourdimensional dataset.

Cubert’s Director of Global Sales Kevin Lynch said: “Positive North American response to our product line debut earlier this year warrants additional joint marketing efforts to jumpstart 2017 business. That includes exhibiting and speaking at Photonics West, as well as client visits and a week of presentations on both coasts.”

Principal of Bodkin Design Andrew Bodkin said: “With this collaboration, BD&E now

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A COMING OF AGE FOR MULTIPIX IMAGING Being a distributor can be a tricky business. Sitting between manufacturer and the end user requires a particular type of operator, one with a cool head and a sharpened business mind that fully understands the concept of margins. Neil Martin spoke with the co-founder of MultiPix Imaging Julie Busby who, with over 20 years in the machine vision business, is still “loving it.”

I caught up with Julie just before Christmas – we have long lead-in times when it comes to the print magazine schedules – and by now the world will have taken a few more spins and moved on. The new year is relevant for MultiPix. As a distributor which is celebrating 20 years in business, it has just closed off its first quarter of the new financial year, their year running from November to October. Julie admits: “December and January can be a bit of a mountain to climb.”

According to Julie: “The trick really is to keep evolving the business to maintain your position and grow, and hopefully further your position in the marketplace.” Brexit As Julie brought up Brexit, we stay on that topic for a few minutes and I ask, as I always do, whether the referendum had yet had an impact on her company.

LAST YEAR THE

“I would say there was a tiny ripple, but do you know what, we've been through a lot worse. When you think back to 2008/9, it felt like the lights would go out, as everything just stopped, literally overnight.

Last year the company COMPANY HAD ITS BEST had its best sales ever and SALES EVER AND SAYS says Julie, things are also looking good this year as JULIE, THINGS ARE ALSO well. She also admits to a LOOKING GOOD THIS great deal of challenges, “I suppose in some ways, YEAR AS WELL. albeit ones that come from we were thinking, oh my outside influences. She goodness, if the country explains: “It’s more of an votes for Brexit , will the external challenge. There’s an awful lot going same thing happen again as it did in 2008/9, on out there at the moment, that at times you and we were almost expecting that to happen feel completely powerless, but know that it because of the scare-mongering. In fact it could affect you, your business, and depending didn’t happen at all, there might have been a on what you read, or who you listen to, it could slight ripple, but I wouldn't say we've seen the affect you considerably. Brexit is one of those full effect of it yet either.” things, and there is also the other political She continues: “When we really do start the turmoil going on in Europe, and throughout the process of leaving, I think the key thing is world obviously but it’s nothing that you have for the Government to be very clear on its influence over. I suppose that’s the challenge, messaging. Should any doubt creep in, this is whilst all that is going on we need to stick where we ultimately could be affected; we are to the business plan and continue with that, right at the heart of it because distribution is changing it only if it makes sense for the long where the sales process starts for committed term future.”

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orders, so if the guys at the top are not going to commit spending money on the machines, then ultimately they are not going to need the products we are selling, however many people there are in between. “Looking ahead I think potentially Brexit could be fantastic for the UK, because investment will be required across a broad spectrum of industries and manufacturing in particular. The Government will have to make extra effort in that case, make more incentives available, and give a boost to manufacturing and engineering, which we know has been lacking for many years. “If ever there was a prime mover to address it, it’s now, so looking ahead, for our market and for machine vision, and for vision and automation in general, it could be fantastic for the UK. But only time will tell”

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UK and Ireland MultiPix operates solely in the UK and Ireland. Julie admits that there is a pull to go further afield (aided by it being much easier to communicate these days and by the fact they get enquiries from all over the world), but she and her team like to remain loyal to their fellow distributors and suppliers, and so pass on any leads they get outside of their territory. We move on to discuss how hard it is for distributors sitting in the middle of the process. Julie explains that from MultiPix’s point of view, they don’t see themselves as taking a mute part in the process: “It depends on how you view the distributor role. The foundation of MultiPix is technical, so my background is engineering, and my co-founder's background is engineering, and although a distributor could be seen as a box shifter, that was never our intention for Multipix. There was always our knowledge and

interest and experience to add, both to the customer and supplier. This is our foundation “We have a sales team and a technical team. We basically advise the customer on what we think they need and equally, we go back to our suppliers and provide feedback in what the customers are requesting, or if what we are seeing is a shift in the marketplace, and what a product needs to do and offer. We get a lot of enjoyment out of that role, because of that interaction with both customer and supplier.

and I really believe that, especially with the likes of MVTec for example, they are really at the pinnacle and leading the arena of machine vision.” Julie says that a good distributor has to know their industry and the products available inside out. You need to think on your feet as often you’ll be swapping rapidly between different technologies, from 2D to 3D, and to thermal for example. Many clients look to the distributor for key advice. Pricing

I ask whether, at the end of the day, much comes Julie says that it’s not always an easy place to sit: down to the pricing: “If we are competitive on the “Because you are pulled from both directions and price, we stand a great chance of winning it, but you have to try and cushion it from both directions sometimes it is the soft facts quite often. You are a mediator that make the real difference in many senses, depending like customer service and on what is happening at the experienced technical support.” time between customers and FOR JULIE AND HER TEAM, suppliers; that's how seriously Pricing has been made harder IT IS MUCH EASIER TO we take our role. for the likes of MultiPix, because “Not all distributors in our industry are the same as that some don't get so involved in that challenge, some just supply what's being asked for, as opposed to asking why the customer might need that.”

SUPPLY SOMETHING TO A CUSTOMER IF THEY TRULY BELIEVE IN IT.

Whole Vision Range MultiPix sells products for the whole vision range and acts as sole distributor for the majority of products they sell. Julie explains that it’s important to have as fewer conflicting suppliers as possible which originally was quite an easy thing to do. Now, it’s getting harder, especially with camera manufacturers. “Camera manufacturers seem to be morphing into the same thing. You used to have the hi-end camera manufacturer and the low-end camera manufacturer; many now offer a very similar low-to-mid range of cameras “As a distributor, we decided long ago to have a wide portfolio of products from low to high end as well as a mix of technology. So with cameras for example we offer not only standard imaging products but also thermal imaging, 3D imaging and cameras for science , research, and aerospace.” “So we do cover a wide range, but I must say in the mid to low end it is quite hard to differentiate camera manufacturers these days purely on specification, so it comes down to customer service, the odd unique feature on the camera, and obviously the quality of the camera.” For Julie and her team, it is much easier to supply something to a customer if they truly believe in it: “In that sense we've worked hard to be in a position where we are working with the top manufacturers,

they are dealing with fluctuating exchange rates, primarily the dollar and euro for them.

“It’s costing us more pounds to buy the product in. In the middle of the year, one of the challenges was how to lessen the impact on our margins. Generally speaking, suppliers don't offer more discounts, regardless of the pound against their home currency. We have to soften that internally and take a hit on our margins, or if it gets to the extremes as unfortunately it did a few months ago, then we have to pass it onto the customer, we have no choice. It’s not like we are playing with large margins in the first place, but we have taken a hit this year because of it, and you can’t predict it all. If I could I would be working in the City of London. “ In common with many people in business, Julie laments that the frustrating thing about exchange rates is that they move rapidly not so much on concrete data, but on rumour and hearsay. Few people know what’s going to happen, but conjecture is rife. Competitive Is the sector more competitive I ask Julie? “I think more than ever in some ways, not because there are more and more distributors, but because there are very similar products from a number of suppliers. The suppliers, i.e. manufacturers, they have got great expectations for growth. It doesn’t always correlate with what we are seeing on the ground so to speak and is not always entirely clear if I'm honest, but of course they have expectations and you have to do your best to meet them.”

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She admits it keeps them on their toes. She adds: “It used to be that the people in the industry were from the industry, it isn't so much the case now, you've got people coming into companies that are there to drive the business forward regardless, and they are business people. “It's no longer what you might know, or who you might know, or even how technically competent you are; some seem to be only looking at the bottom line. It’s understandable, that’s business, but it’s not always quite as straight forward as that, because selling, winning OEMs, wining long term projects, they take quite a long time in the machine vision industry, and, if you are going to succeed, you do need a high level of technical input and commitment into those sales. This is our main focus and goal at Multipix” Distributor Model This reflects the fact that the distributor model is changing, not only because the client is changing, but because they now have to offer the complete package across a much wider range of industries. Julie expands on this. “20 years ago our main focus was manufacturing – across a number of industries. But the growth that is required and expected, and predicted in the market, doesn't come from only those traditional areas. So your business model, or our distribution model, has to evolve also to be successful in those new areas and that is a continual process. It is understanding how to best support these customers, some of whom may not have extensive technical knowledge.

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“I remember when I used to go home and I have a chat with friends or family and they would ask what we were doing at Multipix . I would answer it’s about inspecting labels on bottles or tins , or measuring/ inspecting products for faults and alike. Now it’s this still but at much greater speed and other inspections of much greater complexity such as 3D imaging. “Suddenly those little areas which we've been working on for pretty much 20 years, as projects, at University, or research centres, can now be seen in real-life applications.” Challenge The challenge for Julie is how the distributor approaches all those different industries and how they cope not only with the evolutionary changes which are happening, but how they cope with the pace of change. One of ways that the company has changed has been to upgrade its digital media presence, including a new website and lead generation strategy. “In 1997 I was sat in a room writing, printing and faxing key contacts, that was how I was getting hold of them. That's how I started MultiPix, by phoning and visiting people, but beyond the phone what was there? I thought; let’s use the fax to get some momentum. It worked. “So we’ve come all the way from there, to now generating leads and contacting customers through extensive digital media campaigns; we have continually evolved the business and invested in IT, that is the key.”

Engineering. After University she went back to Marconi for a couple of years, before entering the machine vision industry as an applications engineer for a local company. Two years later she founded MultiPix. She remembers thinking: “This machine vison industry , it looks exciting I think there's a business opportunity here, to be a distributor that offers something a bit different, very much with a technical lead, as opposed to a sales lead. I could see how we could offer a level of service that differentiated us for the competition so that's when Peter and I decided to form MultiPix Imaging and focus on technical know-how and customer support” Role Model I wonder if, as a woman, Julie sees herself as some sort of role model in an industry which is male dominated: “I just see myself as another person in the industry really, I don’t see it as a male and female thing, although I would love if my experiences meant that younger girls would consider looking at engineering and the rewards that it can offer you, and the opportunities and the difference it can make.” The Future We then move on to what Julie thinks will drive the machine vision industry in the future. “Not one particular sector. I think robotics yes, because it is heavy investment from top down to automate and have a greater use of robots in the UK, for us this will mean a growth in 3D imaging in particular. There is of course automated guidance, whether factory based or with road based vehicles. I think one area which is quite exciting is in agricultural, with the automation of crop inspection and harvesting. “In the UK you don't have one dominant manufacturing sector, apart from maybe food and beverage and in terms of the type of inspection you're be doing, it will be more powerful, faster and wide-spread. “I'll be honest with you, the technology advances are interesting and are allowing our customers to create solutions previously impossible, but will it open up brand new industries or sectors – that I am not sure about. I think it is more likely to provide expansion in the areas we are currently working in or are already aware of.” Julie founded the business alongside Peter Hunt, both of whom remain the majority shareholders. The company has no external investors. Background I ask her about her own background in the industry. She started out, at the age of 16, as an engineering apprentice with Marconi Space Systems, and at 19, finished one year early to go to Loughborough University where she studied Electrical and Electronic

Does she hope to see more females in the industry: “I would have hoped by now, bearing in mind that I am 20 years older, that there are a few younger ones coming through, but I haven’t seen much evidence of that.” But, as she and Peter were both apprentices (he with GEC), they are keen to do their bit in return. They currently employ two apprentices and Multipix is also a patron of the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre in Coventry. The centre focuses on advanced manufacturing and Julie goes there on a regular basis to talk about her industry to the apprentices, especially as most of them do not realise that machine vision exists. As for the company’s 20th year, they are planning a summer bash and a number of mini-celebrations with customers. As for her next 20 years, Julie says: “I'm focussed on evolving the business. I enjoy that, it’s my challenge, to know where we are going to be heading, so that we are in the right place in a few years’ time, and it moves really quickly. It’s a challenge to know which way to move at times what to invest in, and how best to utilise all these new tools and gadgets that can help you promote your company to a wider audience.” Happy And finally, is she happy as a distributor: “Yes, personally my role has evolved, I don’t do day to day sales, or day to day technical support anymore, my role is now focused on evolving the business and looking to the future. It’s really exciting and fun and ultimately, the decisions we make will shape our future, for better or worse. There’s always pressure, but I love the position we're in.”

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CAMERA, ACTION! The start of the year has seen a raft of new cameras being released onto the market and we take a look at some of the main contenders

The Camera Market Overall, the European machine industry vision grew by ten per cent in 2015, according to the VDMA, and notched up eight per cent in 2016. Camera turnover rose by nine per cent in 2015 and overall, it enjoyed a 30 per cent share of the market. As we jog into 2017, we are in unchartered waters, with worries over Brexit, a slowing global economy and a new US administration adding to the list of uncertainties.

As we jog into 2017, we are in unchartered waters There is also the worry that the lower end of the market has become commoditised and buying decisions are based on price alone. Which is why many companies are now seeking the safer waters of the hi-end market, where price lists are less of an issue. Also, camera manufacturers now speak of the complete solution; it’s no longer enough to supply the camera, but you now have to solve the customer’s total requirement and provide all the accessories.

might be included. This is why manufacturers and their distributors have to work hard to promote their camera’s values, be that software support, or a unique feature. The hi-end part of the market is still distinct, because the applications tend to me more demanding, such as aerospace, thermal imaging, 3D imaging and scientific research. But, the problem is that for many manufacturers, their cameras are so similar to their competitors, that standing out in the crowd is becoming increasingly hard. Lorenzo Gaudenzi Sales and Marketing Manager at Alkeria Lorenzo Gaudenzi gave his views on the current state of the market: “Our overall perception is that – thanks to the modernization of emerging countries industry – the camera market is still active and alive. However, cameras are becoming more a commodity where all-in-one solution like smart cameras are now able to perform a big part of applications required. Line scan cameras are a more specific field where higher expertise is required and – especially in emerging countries – it’s an ongoing process, so in that kind of vision systems the camera is still the key and the product to determine the whole system.

This will lead to further industry consolidation, as companies acquire aligned businesses in order boost their total offer.

“However, providing the whole solution is day after day a frequent request, so vertical applications with ease of use benefits for the customer, or partnership between producers to provide a full solution are probably the next step for vision industries.

One of the problems that camera manufactures have is that the mid and low-end markets are starting to merge, where it can be difficult to differentiate between manufacturers and products. What marks individual cameras out now is not the pure specification, but the level of service offered by the manufacturer, the quality and the odd feature which

As for long term prospects, he said: “For the camera market, we have the perception that embedded computing and neural networks are going to have always more a relevant role. For Alkeria, we would like to strengthen the custom possibilities on our standard cameras, as well as probably go

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for some vertical applications in medical and diagnostic fields.”

ALKERIA CELERA RANGE

Alkeria Alkeria has just released its latest family of cameras. The CELERA range has now started distribution and features exclusive dual-USB3 technology which has been developed in-house. It’s going to be a busy year at the company, as it plans to introduce a new family of cameras, as well extend the NECTA and CELERA ranges with new models and sensor options. It also intends to establish partnerships and distributors worldwide, and to bring on the custom side of the company with new OEM co-developments (which are confidential at the moment). The CELERA range was first previewed in a demo at SPS IPC DRIVES 2016 in Nuremberg and is the second step from Alkeria in the world of creating standard cameras for machine vision. The range was born from the experience gained with OEM projects for pharma and industrial sectors, and highlights, says the company, its expertise with USB3 cameras.

CELERA is the world's first camera to use the dualUSB3 technology Alkeria says that CELERA is the world's first camera to use the dual-USB3 technology, which allows it to fully exploit the sensor surpassing actual speed limit of USB3 interface, though maintaining its ease of use and lower costs when compared to Camera Link solutions. The solution to overcome USB3 throughput limit was developed in-house and the data acquired by the sensor is divided according to a proprietary algorithm and sent through two USB3 ports, with a programmable smart master/slave system. The data packets are then reconstructed on the host PC by software drivers provided by Alkeria. This doubled the bandwidth available, making possible to reach up to 340 fps at full resolution. Such performances means that CELERA can be aimed at the high-end segment of the market for pharma and industrial applications.

The CELERA camera is available in 2Mpx and 4MPX, with CMV CMOS sensors in monochrome, colour and NIR options

The CELERA camera is available in 2Mpx and 4MPX, with CMV CMOS sensors in monochrome, colour and NIR options. It features 12-bit Analog/Digital conversion, come with an SDK for Windows and

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Linux with a wide set of code samples in the most common languages such as C# and C++. Sales and Marketing Manager at Alkeria Lorenzo Gaudenzi said about CELERA: “With a competitive price and the benefits of USB3 technology, CELERA has raised considerable interest prior to its distribution and will represent a smart choice for high-demanding applications.” IO Industries A new high-resolution industrial video camera offering a combination of high resolution and high frame rate has been launched by IO Industries. Called the Flare 50MP, it comes complete with a 35mm full frame global shutter CMV50000 sensor. It can produce 7920 x 6004 images at over 30 fps. IO Industries says that with its capabilities, plus its higher precision and throughput, means it is enabled for a variety of digital imaging applications. With its electronic global shutter capability, the Flare 50MP can image fast-moving objects without the distortion commonly seen with rolling shutter sensors. And because no mechanical shutter is required, maintenance is eliminated. The company says: “Comparable-resolution industrial cameras are only capable of generating a few frames per second, which limits the throughput of production lines that use optical inspection for quality assurance. As well, other sensors with such high resolution often exceed the common 35mm full frame size, which limits lens selection to expensive large-format options.” Four CoaXPress digital video outputs are provided with the Flare 50MP, enabling high-speed data transmission at up to 25Gbps. This means that high-resolution video can be rapidly sent to realtime image processing systems, or uncompressed recorders such as the DVR Express Core 2 series which is provided by IO Industries. Flare 50MP’s vital statics are: • 35mm Full Frame CMOS sensor w. global shutter; • 7920 x 6004 resolution with 4.6µm square pixels; • up to 30 fps at full resolution with 8/10/12-bit formats; • monochrome and color models available; • CoaXPress digital output with single/dual/quad-link configurations; • multiple lens mount options (Nikon F, Canon EF, M58 and more); • compact size: 79.7 x 79.7 x 78.0 mm, 610g (with F-mount, no lens); • fanless design with low 7.5W power consumption.

Basler Basler has started production of 12 ace models with IMX250, IMX252, IMX264 and IMX265 sensors from Sony's Pregius line. They feature resolutions of 3.2 to 5 megapixels; deliver up to 120 frames per second, are available with the proven GigE or USB 3.0 interface and conform to the GigE Vision 2.0, or the USB3 Vision standard. The PGI feature set is included with the colour models. This consists of a unique combination of 5x5 debayering, colour-anti-aliasing, denoising and improved sharpness. The cameras come are supplied with standard interfaces and 2/3" lenses. The cameras are suitable for a variety of applications from factory automation and traffic monitoring, to medical and microscopy applications. Basler reckons they are perfectly suited as an upgrade for older CCD systems. This is down to their compact design, large and powerful CMOS sensors with the latest global shutter technology and an excellent price/ performance ratio.

A big push for Basler in 2017 is embedded vision A big push for Basler in 2017 is embedded vision. Products were launched at the VISION in Stuttgart and they will also be exhibited at embedded world 2017 in March. Being shown off at embedded world 2017 will be Basler’s board level camera modules, as well as development kits and software for the embedded vision field. Head of Product Market Management at Basler Gerrit Fischer said: "The combination of top quality and convincing price/performance ratio have earned our camera modules a market-leading position in the Machine Vision field. These cameras are extremely attractive in the embedded realm as well, with intelligent image processing and uniform interface standards that spell out major cost savings during development. "Together with our partner companies, we'll be demonstrating at our booth just how flexible and powerful embedded vision systems featuring highquality cameras can be, and will be highlighting tools that make life easier for system developers designing these solutions." Also on show will be a new development kit from Basler. Called the PowerPack for Embedded Vision, it integrates a Basler dart camera with a BCON for LVDS interface. The kit contains a dart camera module, a processing board based on the Xilinx

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ZYNQ-7010, as well as additional accessories. It offers, says Basler, a complete sample setup for an LVDS-based camera connection. The idea behind the kit is to simplify the sometimes complex and time-consuming job of integrating LVDS-based camera modules into embedded vision applications. To help get around this, the PowerPack contains reference implementations for both the hardware and software side that can be used as a template for designing a complete embedded vision system. It means that developers can integrate a Basler dart camera with the BCON for LVDS interface into an SoM (system-on-module) with suitable architecture.

MATRIX VISION MVBLUEFOX3-2

Matrix Vision New cameras have been launched by Matrix Vision which are based on the latest sensors from Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pregius range of advanced CMOS image sensors. The 8.9MP and 12.4MP sensors are already available in their full speed versions, IMX255 and IMX253. The company have now also implemented these sensors into both their USB3 Vision family, mvBlueFOX3-2 and into their dual GigE Vision cameras, mvBlueCOUGAR-XD.

IMX255 and IMX253 sensors have now been implemented into the USB3 Vision family, including the mvBlueFOX3-2

EYECHECK 5XXX

Matrix Vision is also adding more economical versions of the sensors Matrix Vision is also adding more economical versions of the sensors which offer the same image quality and dynamics, but at reduced frame rates. The 8.9 megapixel (4112 x 2176) IMX267 sensor and the 12.4 megapixel (4112 x 3008) IMX304 sensor are available now. In their GigE configuration, sensors will be incorporated into the standard GigE family, mvBlueCOUGAR-X, which gives fps figures of 20.8Hz and 15.1 Hz respectively.

MATROX IRIS GTR

They will also be offered in the dual GigE Vision cameras, mvBlueCOUGAR-XD, where the additional bandwidth achieved through link aggregation will allow frame rates of 32.2 Hz and 23.4Hz for the 8.9MP and 12.4MP respectively. Plus, both new sensors will also be extended into the mvBlueFOX3-2 USB3 Vision cameras alongside their faster stable mates. Here they can run continuously at 31.9 fps and 23.2 fps. By comparison, their fully specified cousins run at 42 and 31 frames per second continuously, and faster still when operated in Burst Mode. Matrix Visions says that the superior performance of the Pregius sensors superior, compared to previous CMOS families, comes to the fore when there are difficult lighting conditions. An example of they give is within the transport sector, where identification of drivers and vehicles as well as unambiguous imaging

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of number plates is often required without post capture enhancement. Here the camera must reliably image bright and reflective road signs at the same time as the dark interior of a vehicle. The company has three main camera ranges: mvBlueCOUGAR-XD Dual GigE, mvBlueCOUGAR-X GigE and mvBlueFOX3-2 USB 3.0. EVT Eye Vision Technology The new EyeCheck 5xxx camera range, from EVT Eye Vision Technology, can be bundled with the EyeVision image processing software or as OEM version (called RoseCam). Both versions are Linux (Ubuntu) smart cameras and come equipped with a quad-core Intel ATOM CPU. They are also available with a Windows 10 Operating System (Windows 10 IoT Enterprise). The EyeCheck 5xxx offers 4 GByte DRAM and 64 GByte storage, as well as a HDMI display port. It contains CCD and CMOS sensors with resolutions between 0.3 and 12 Megapixel. Both also have a LED ring light, which can be dismounted if necessary. They also have two programmable, constant LED drivers. The company says that the EyeCheck 5xxx is supplied with integrated EyeVision software and is perfect for fast and accurate image evaluation. It can be applied to tasks such as pattern matching, code reading (bar code, DMC, QR), OCR/ OCV, object detection, measurement technology and surface inspection. Matrox Imaging A new generation smart camera has been introduced by Matrox Imaging and will be available in May. The Matrox Iris GTR is designed for system integrators, machine builders and OEMs of factory automation solutions. It is, says Matrox, smaller, faster and more cost-effective than its predecessor Iris GT, and is ideal for factory automation applications.

Designed for system integrators, machine builders and OEMs of factory automation solutions It features Semiconductor PYTHON CMOS image sensors with high readout rates and an Intel Celeron dual-core embedded processor. This allows it to inspect on faster moving lines, or perform more inspections in an allotted time. The camera measures just 75mm x 75mm x 54mm, which allows it to fit into tight spaces. Because it has a IP67 rated housing and M12 connectors, the

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camera is immersion-resistant, extremely rugged and able to cope in dirty industrial environments. Software can be pre-installed Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard 7, or Linux. Product Manager at Matrox Imaging Fabio Perelli said: “Our customers developing automated visual inspection applications are always looking to increase throughput, boost performance and reduce costs. We’ve taken their feedback and packed the new Matrox Iris GTR with the features they need to tackle demanding projects within tight budgets.” Various image sensors can be chosen, monochrome and colour, with resolutions from VGA to 5 Mpixels. A dedicated LED intensity control interface simplifies setup and use of the overall machine vision system by enabling integrating illumination regulation via an application’s user interface. A dedicated interface for controlling a Varioptic Caspian auto focus lens also facilitates setup, use and maintenance by enabling focus position adjustments via an application’s user interface. The company has three main camera ranges: mvBlueCOUGAR-XD Dual GigE, mvBlueCOUGAR-X GigE and mvBlueFOX3-2 USB 3.0. Mikrotron A new range of high resolution, high speed CoaXPress and CameraLink machine vision cameras were showcased at SPIE Photonics West 2017. The range consists of three new cameras: EoSens 25CXP+, EoSens 12CXP+ and EoSens 25CL+, and each one is powered by an advanced OnSemi PYTHON CMOS sensor. Mikrotron says that the high resolution of the CMOS global shutter, when combined with a precise trigger and synchronization, a high frame rate and short integration times, provides a perfect image quality. It also allows, for example, the capture of even the smallest details of components in PCB assembly in high speed. They are also deliver reliable image information in low-light conditions, thanks to the photo-sensitivity of the high-speed cameras of 5.8 V/lux*s @550nm. The cameras have a robust and compact housing, measuring 80 x 80 x 60, and are able to cope with rough environments. Vibration free operation is guaranteed by a fanless operation.

Vibration free operation is guaranteed by a fanless operation The CXP+ models come with a 4-channel CXP-6 CoaXPress V1.1 interface. This transmits the data at

speeds up to 25 Gigabits per second in real time. The CL+ camera utilises CameraLink technology. EoSens 25CXP+ offers up to 80 frames per second at the extremely high 5,120 x 5,120 pixel resolution. EoSens 12CXP+ offers 165 frames per second at 4,096 x 3,072 pixel resolution. The company says that windowing down the image resolution further increases the frame rate up to 765 frames per second for 1,024 x 768 pixel resolution. All models of the new high–resolution high-speed camera family are GenICam and EMVA 1288 compliant. Mikrotron has also introduced a new high-speed recording camera at SPIE Photonics West 2017. Called the EoSens Quad 1.1, it aims to meets the demands of high shock and vibration environments, with a resistance of 100 G’s. Mikrotron says that its compact design (63x63x95 mm), with the smallest cross section and weighing just 500 grams (the lightest weight of any camera on the market), makes it ideal for applications such as automotive crash tests, scientific R&D, military range testing, materials and bio science, and manufacturing troubleshooting. The Quad 1.1 achieves 2,500 fps at full resolution of 1.280 x 864 pixel and 3,220 fps at 1.280 x 720 pixel. It has a 14.9 µm 10-bit pixel resulting in high sensitivity for both mono and colour cameras. Two analog and four digital I/O inputs (per CRS sheet) enable recording video and sensor data in total sync. What’s more, Sync in and Sync out allows the set up multiple camera recording configurations. The camera uses GigE interface for an easy adaption to standard PCs. It is available in both C-Mount and Nikon FG-Mount and is supported by a new camera control and player software called VisualMARC. Tattile Mikrotron’s sister company Tattile also introduced a new camera at SPIE Photonics West 2017. The company says that their new smart camera, the S12MP, combines high-speed and compact size for demanding machine vision applications. Designed and manufactured by Tattile, the S12MP features a very high processing capability and a sophisticated technology in a compact product. The camera is based on a powerful image processing architecture, the Xilinx Zynq 7030 and a Cortex-A9 Dual Core 667MHz pro. The Kintex7 FPGA includes 125 K elements which allows images to be acquired and pre-processed at very high speed. The Cortex-A9 processes the data, performs the controls required by the application and sends the results either to the machine or to the user line. A storage capacity of up to 32 GB is possible when using an integrated SD card. “Thanks to the FPGA the working load of the CPU is reduced to the minimum so that it can be exclusively devoted to image analysis”, said Technical Product Manager at Tattile Fulvio Pozzalini, “Moreover, the

FPGA can be easily programmed through the VHDL language. The user has the chance to directly implement its proprietary algorithms into the FPGA to decrease the load of the CPU which in turn has the only task of analyzing the data being extrapolated by the FPGA.” The combination of the sensor and the Zynq architecture means that an acquisition speed up to 300 frames/second (fps) at full resolution can be reached. This can be further increased by partializing the acquisition and therefore reducing the image size. Also, the 12 Megapixel CMOS Global Shutter image sensor allows even very small objects to be detected. The S12MP is mainly targeted to applications where high speed is required in the most diversified industries and applications, including the semiconductor industry and the 2D and 3D analysis. Teledyne DALSA Four new Nano models from Teledyne DALSA were introduced at the start of the year. The new additions are based on Sony Pregius’ IMX 267 and 304 LL and LQ image sensors. In both colour and monochrome, they are pitched to offer high quality, versatility and power-over-Ethernet in resolutions of 8.9 and 12Megapixels.

The four boost the company’s small format Genie Nano GigE Vision camera series. The four boost the company’s small format Genie Nano GigE Vision camera series. System architects can now choose from a growing number of Genie Nano models powered by 39 industry-leading CMOS image sensors. The range - M4030, M4020, C4030 and C4020 have been developed for an expanding number of industrial imaging applications, including intelligent traffic systems, printed circuit board inspection and metrology. They feature a global shutter and a 3.45 µm pixel. The company says that customers can expect high picture quality, high resolution, and high-speed imaging without distortion, and even faster throughput with Teledyne’s award-winning TurboDrive technology. They also take advantage Sapera LT Software Development Kit (SDK) and Trigger-to-ImageReliability™ framework for full system-level

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monitoring, control, and diagnostics from image capture through transfer to host memory. Key Features:

TATTILE S12MP

• TurboDrive for fast frame rates and full image quality; • Trigger-to-Image-Reliability for easy system control and debugging; • small footprint and light weight: 44mm x 29mm x 21mm / 46 grams; • wide temperature range (-20 to 60°C) for imaging in harsh environments; • support for Linux operating platform is also available.

Allied Vision The Manta G-1236 is a new camera from Allied Vision. It comes completes with a Sony IMX304 CMOS sensor, a Power over Ethernet option, angled head and board level variants and videoiris lens control.

GENIE NANO GIGE VISION - M4030

It incorporates the high quality Type 1.1 (17.6 mm diagonal) Sony IMX304 CMOS sensor with Pregius global shutter technology. At full resolution, the camera runs 9.7 frames per second, although higher frame rates are possible with a smaller region of interest. Features include the three look-up tables, sophisticated color correction capabilities, a robust metal housing and many modular options. By default monochrome models ship with protection glass B 270 (ASG) and color models ship with an IRC Hoya C-5000 IR cut filter. 3D-ONE 3D-ONE, which develops vision solutions for OEM customers who build vision enabled products, has extended its Avior series with a multi-spectral model to acquire an RGB+NIR image from a single camera.

3D-ONE AVIOR

Labelled the M4VNIR, it has a four-band multispectral sensor for snapshot acquisition of RGB+NIR images. This means that customers can now benefit from a single camera solution to replace today's complex two-camera set-ups for RGB/NIR imaging. The sensor includes micro-lenses to improve the quantum efficiency and sensor response. Features include: snapshot imaging; acquires up to 120fps, 2048x1088 pixels; four bands for RGB+NIR imaging; cameraLink-mini and PoCL; and low power, low mass and compact outline. Features include: snapshot imaging; acquires up to 120fps, 2048x1088 pixels; four bands for RGB+NIR imaging; cameraLink-mini and PoCL; and low power, low mass and compact outline

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IDS Imaging Development Systems Newly introduced from IDS are four new USB 3.0 industrial cameras. Two of the four are equipped with the Sony IMX252 sensor and IMX265 sensor. They are aimed at customers with high demands on image quality and dynamic range.

IDS UI-3860CP

They are aimed at customers with high demands on image quality and dynamic range. The Sony IMX252 is fitted to the IDS UI-3070CP model and the UI-3270CP comes with the IMX265. Providing a resolution of 3.2 MP (2056 x 1542 pixels), both models are full HD cameras for machine vision applications.

SONY IMX252

The UI-3070CP accelerates up to 134 fps at full resolution (with full HD up to 187 fps) and allows 16x multi Areas Of Interest and long-term exposure up to 30 seconds. It is suited for applications in the field of machine vision, medical engineering, or microscopy. The UI-3270CP USB 3.0 delivers up to 57 fps at full resolution (full HD at up to 80 fps) and is aimed at cost-oriented applications in the fields of mechanical engineering, machine vision and metrology. Both camera models are available in colour, or monochrome versions. The other two models come with the lightsensitive rolling shutter IMX178 sensor and IMX290 sensor, from the STARVIS series, and are suitable for applications in the fields of traffic monitoring, machine vision and microscopy. The USB 3.0 UI-3880CP has the Sony IMX178 1/1.8" rolling shutter CMOS sensor which offers 6.4 MP (3088 x 2076 pixels). With high light sensitivity and high resolution for high-resolution images, its suitable for visualization tasks in microscopy, and for costoriented options in traffic monitoring (ITS). It delivers frame rates of up to 60 fps at full resolution.

SONY IMX178 SENSOR

The UI-3860CP has a Sony IMX290 1/3" rolling shutter CMOS sensor and offers a resolution of 2.1 MP (1936 x 1096 pixels, full HD at 120 fps). It is aimed at customers with high demands on image quality and speed. The BSI sensors from the STARVIS series, with their above average light sensitivity, are particularly suitable for cost-oriented applications in the fields of mechanical engineering, machine vision, metrology, medical engineering, or microscopy.

Other models of the IDS come with the light-sensitive rolling shutter IMX178 sensor and IMX290 sensor, from the STARVIS series

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

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EURESYS GRABS MARKET OPPORTUNITY MVPro speaks to Euresys CEO Marc Damhaut, about to launch a new, affordable four channel frame grabber.

Euresys intends to fill a gap in the market with the imminent launch of the Coaxlink Quad CXP-3, an affordable four-channel CXP-3 frame grabber that is significantly cheaper than the CXP-6 version.

grabber that is a lot cheaper than the CXP-6 version. It can be connected to four CXP-3 cameras. “What we have done is basically taken one of our cards and used a slower chip. The 6 Gbps chip is pretty expensive, it is a significant part of the manufacturing cost of our card. But the cheaper version that runs at 3 Gbps is good enough for many applications, so we are releasing a CPX-3 version of our four channel card this year which will be significantly less expensive than 6 Gbps version.” Marc also explains that the idea for the new frame grabber came from one of their partners, Japanesebased CIS, which now offers compact CXP-3 cameras.

Marc says most of their customers started to use CoaXPress because of the bandwidth. And what camera and frame grabber manufacturers saw in CoaXPress, was a solution to go beyond Camera Link Full. The first cameras available used the full bandwidth, with four simultaneous connections at 6 Gbps (CXP-6). “Today, we see different applications where CoaXPress is used for its other advantages. A single coaxial cable carrying video from the camera, control data and power to the camera,” explains Marc. Several camera manufacturers such as Adimec, Vieworks, Sentech and CIS now make compact one-connection CoaXPress cameras. Customers see CoaXPress as an easy upgrade path from analog.

President of camera-maker CIS Yusuke Muraoka said: “Not only for its high bandwidth, but also for its reliability and cable length, we saw CoaXPress as an ideal next-gen interface for addressing various applications where signal integrity matters. CIS has started launching CXP cameras with resolutions ranging from VGA to 25MPix., and for our CXP-3 models, we are seeing a rise in demands ranging from conventional machine vision to ITS and robotics applications. “In order to fully cater to the CXP-3 customer requirements, the only and key missing link was the availability of affordable, multi-channel frame grabber. We welcome Euresys’ introduction of Coaxlink Quad CXP-3 as a blessing, and a critical step forward for further expansion of CXP applications." And Euresys hopes that the robotics sector in particular, as mentioned by CIS, will become a major user of the Coaxlink Quad CXP-3.

But, as Marc highlights, many of these applications do not need the full CXP-6 bandwidth and CXP-3 is enough. The key point is that CXP-3 is significantly cheaper than CXP-6. And at CXP-3 speed, the maximum cable length is over 100 meters, whereas it is 40 meters with CXP-6. Marc: “Which is why we are releasing the Coaxlink Quad CXP-3, an affordable four-channel CXP-3 frame

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NEW

GRABBING THE LIMELIGHT The frame grabber plays a vital role in the machine vision industry and Donal Waide, Director of Sales at BitFlow, has been involved in the sector since the 1990s. In this, the first conversation with Donal, we look at the history of the frame grabber.

BitFlow, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, has been developing industrial frame grabbers and software for the imaging industry since 1993. The company specializes in interfacing to cameras with very high data/frame rates. The frame grabbers are working in environments with complex triggering and I/O requirements, and operate in applications where every CPU cycle is precious. Donal is a key historian of the frame grabber and tracks its rise to the demand for higher quality control levels. He highlights the fact the over the last four decades, the demand for quality in manufacturing has dramatically increased. He told us:

The Quality Inspector “It was during this time period that manufacturers began to deploy in-line assessments on their production lines conducted by the “quality inspector.” It was they who examined random items visually for defects and while this helped reduce waste at the end of the line, there was still a missing factor: machine vision.

“For the purpose of illustration, let’s consider a Friday afternoon, or a Monday morning when the quality inspector was simply too tired, or distracted, to be effective at the job. Some defects inevitably slipped through, damaging the company's reputation and angering customers. Of course, it wasn’t just the attentiveness of the inspector, but there are also limitations to human vision MACHINE VISION FOR QUALITY due to the brightness, speed and distance of the CONTROL IS THE PROCESS OF object being examined.

“Until the 1970s, the typical final inspection of a product was conducted at the end of a production line where it was given a ‘once over’ visual check. If defects ACQUIRING AN IMAGE OF AN were found, a decision was “This is when machine OBJECT AND ANALYSING IT FOR made either to rework the vision for quality control product, or simply ship it as DEFECTS OF ANY SORT first came to be seen is. In order to avoid costly as a benefit. And while waste, or rework time, a there was a common good number of inferior misconception at the time that still lingers today that products entered the marketplace. machine vision replaced human jobs, the reality is just the opposite. Because machine vision enhanced “Consumers at the time were more forgiving, but overall product quality, it enabled each company now, they do not accept minute scratches on a utilizing it to sell more products at higher profit new car, computer, furniture, or bicycle. And for margins, ultimately requiring the company to expand manufacturers, the challenge has been to meet its workforce. consumers’ rising standards in the most costeffective, reliable manner. Simplest Form “From the 1970s, companies began to get more “Broken down to its simplest form, machine vision for competitive and operate on a global basis, and any quality control is the process of acquiring an image marketing edge was used to bring the consumer of an object and analysing it for defects of any sort, onto their side. Sometimes it was price, but quality whether it is shape, text, colour or scratches. And the quickly became a rallying cry as manufacturers came demand for quality shows no signs of diminishing. to realize that consumers would pay significantly Where once a scratch of 1mm was acceptable, the more for their products if they recognized them as electronics industry today touts surfaces with no consistently reliable.

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blemishes of more than a few microns. Advances in machine vision have enabled these micro-defects to be observed and captured. “Over the last 15 years, camera sensors have become larger and faster. Because of this, it ispossible to take higher resolution images at very high speeds. Where once the only option for a machine vision system was an analog camera imaging 640 x 480 pixels at 30 frames per second (fps), we now see cameras on the market where image size can be as large as 4080 x 3072 at 190 fps and more. “This means a data rate of 9.2 MB/S has being replaced by a potential data rate of almost 2.1 GB/S. This is a multiplier of several orders of magnitude. Higher speed, or higher resolution translates into a product being manufactured faster with fewer defects. The end result is a lower cost of manufacturing that, if passed onto the consumer, can result in higher sales and the prompt growth in a company. More Computer Power “More data traveling at higher speeds has required more computer power to sort out the good from the bad. If the camera sensor is larger, then the method of transferring the data to the host computer has to be faster, and the method of analysing the data has to be quicker as well. “All of this brings us to the frame grabber. Yes, computers today are more powerful than ever before, capable of crunching huge amounts of data

and coming to a “go,” or “no go” decision within hundredths of a second. “But in order to transfer acquired data from the camera’s sensor to the computer the system, developers must integrate a high-end frame grabber. Predicted Death of the Frame Grabber “Once upon a time, frame grabbers were the main method of getting data from a camera into a computer, using the PCI slot or one of its predecessors. With the advent of GigE vision, USB, Firewire and similar interfaces, many industry insiders predicted the death of the frame grabber. “But, while the frame grabber has been on the tech death watch list for several years, it has reinvented itself every time in order to become even more indispensable to the high technology industry as new interface standards have emerged roughly every decade, including the recent introduction of CoaXPress interface. “And despite the new digital interfaces, analog cameras still have a strong position in the vision industry. Camera manufacturers are still selling lots of analog units to OEMs who continue to recognize that analog cameras work well, are understood by their engineers and are very cost-effective.” In the next issue, we’ll be looking at the current use of frame grabbers, as Donal continues the story of this indispensable piece of kit.

WHILE THE FRAME GRABBER HAS BEEN ON THE TECH DEATH WATCH LIST FOR SEVERAL YEARS, IT HAS REINVENTED ITSELF EVERY TIME

MORE AT BITFLOW.COM

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FOR MACHINE VISION BY MACHINE VISION MidOpt filters designed for machine vision are now enhanced with robotic precision. By Barry Warzak

Midwest Optical Systems (MidOpt) has more than 30 years of experience in industrial optics and is a worldwide leader in manufacturing filters specially designed for machine vision applications. MidOpt sets the industry standard for filter performance, and their recent addition is no exception to their tradition of excellence and innovation. MidOpt unveils an industry first, introducing cutting-edge robotic technology into their assembly system to ensure quality and repeatability by limiting the possibility of human error in the manufacturing and inspection processes. MidOpt filters offer many distinct advantages, including StablEDGE® technology, improved contrast, optical flatness control and an automation process that ensures filters that are free of imperfections. StablEDGE® Filter Designs: MidOpt offers exclusive StablEDGE® technology across a full range of products. Compared to traditional coated interference filters, StablEDGE® designs are less sensitive to angular shifting, more rugged and offer superior lower wavelength blocking. Short-shifting, shown below, occurs when conventional filters are placed in front of industrial imaging lenses with focal lengths of 12mm or less (lenses with greater than 50 (+/-25) degree angular fields of view). This accounts for almost 60% of all lenses used today—a number that continues to grow as the demand for space forces inspection footprints to shrink. Red Laser Line – No Filter

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Monochrome Camera & 6mm FL Lens Imaging a Red Laser Line When a StablEDGE® filter is used, the entire line is visible. When a traditional filter is used, only the center of the line is visible due to the angular shift.

Color Images of White Light Projected Through a 6mm FL Lens & Filter The angular FOV imposed by the lens causes the outer portion of the traditional filter to “short-shift” while the StablEDGE® filter exhibits little change.

Gaussian-Shaped Bandpass Design: To ensure that machine vision bandpass filters are most effective when used in monochrome applications, the position, height and width of the passband should emulate the bellshaped spectral output curve of the LED illumination being used. MidOpt bandpass filters are designed with this principle in mind. While some filters are marketed as having a high and flat transmission profile to provide more even illumination, this shape can actually lead to an undesirable loss in contrast, as seen below. In these cases, the weaker tail ends of the LED spectral output curve dictate the fit of the bandpass design, allowing an overwhelming amount of ambient light to pass through in these regions. 100

MidOpt Gaussian Filter Profile

MidOpt Red Gaussian Filter

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Control of Optical Flatness Following Mounting: When assembling optically flat, precision polished filters into tightly screwed down filter mounts, interferometric measurements reveal drastic deformations caused by the stress of assembly. The resulting optical distortion can significantly impact image quality, as seen in the examples below. New MidOpt robotic technology allows each filter to be gently and securely held in the filter mount by the retaining ring. After ideal torque is applied, controlled amounts of thread-locking compound are dispensed to prevent the retaining ring from shifting.

MidOpt BP635 Filter PV: 0.068 wave

Competitor #1 635nm Filter PV: 2.870 wave

Competitor #2 635nm Filter PV: 3.440 wave

MidOpt PR032 Polarizer PV: 0.432 wave

Competitor Polarizer PV: 5.131 wave

*PV = Transmitted Wavefront Irregularity

Greater Consistency in Inspection for Imperfections: The new MidOpt robotic assembly station also guarantees consistency and uniformity when inspecting scratches, digs and other cosmetic defects. A greater variety of inspection lighting, increased magnification and additional inspection steps are employed, and the variability of individual perception is removed from the inspection equation. This results in pristine optical surfaces and unmatched image quality. Ensure that industrial imaging applications are performing optimally with superior optical filters produced with new generation robotic technology. In addition to producing filters designed for machine vision systems, MidOpt also offers the largest selection of mounted filter sizes in the world, in-stock and ready to ship. Mounts range in size from M13.25 to M105 and are compatible with virtually any lens or camera. Should your system need a custom mounting solution, the experienced MidOpt team can design a unique solution for you. For more information about machine vision filters, mounting solutions or robotic assembly, contact MidOpt by phone at +1-847-359-3550, email at info@midopt.com or visit www.midopt.com.

info@midopt.com | +1-847-359-3550 | MIDOPT.COM

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CONFERENCE SCENE Reviews

A3 Business Forum The year got off to a great start with the annual A3 Business Forum breaking records. Over 500 industry leaders soaked up some sun in Orlando, Florida, at the end of January. They also got to do some networking and attend a number of sessions. The first day kicked off with a special reception when first-timers at the event – 140 were attending for the first time – met with veteran attendees and learned how to navigate the forum in order to make the most of their time. Opening the forum was mentalist, magician, and comedian Kevin Viner with his presentation “Distorted Reality (and Fuzzy Math).” It was said to be the talk of the evening. Attendees also helped A3 celebrate its expansion into Mexico with a Fiesta reception.. Day two included an update on the economy from one of the country’s most accurate economic forecasters, Alan Beaulieu. He outlined a bright future forecast for the industry. The day also included breakout sessions focusing on robotics, vision and imaging, and motion control and motors. Noteworthy were presentations on smart cameras, image sensors, industrial interoperability, hyperloop transportation, engineering simplicity into new robot technology and a panel discussion on the robotics industry in Mexico. The day’s conference sessions were wrapped up with an inspirational talk by hall of fame football coach, Lou Holtz. A3 Update The final day began with an update on A3 as well as the Robotic Industries Association, AIA – Advancing Vision + Imaging, and the Motion Control and Motor Association from Bob Doyle, Alex Shikany, and Dana Whalls, members of the A3 staff.

For those who can’t wait until next time, here’s the date for the 2018 A3 Business Forum: 17 – 19 January, 2018 at the Orlando World Centre Marriott in Orlando, Florida. Hotel block and event registration are already open.

SPIE Photonics West 2017 Taking place between 28 January and 2 February, 2017, at The Moscone Center, San Francisico, was SPIE Photonics West. The organisers claimed record numbers for the event, with around 23,000 total registered attendance, up on the previous year. More than 1,380 companies showed-off their wares. The event is sponsored by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. SPIE is an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering and technology. The Society serves nearly 264,000 constituents from approximately 166 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library. Energy SPIE Senior Director. Andrew Brown said: “The energy and excitement on the show floor were palpable, with many companies reporting a

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strong business environment and the need to hire additional skilled employees. The record attendance ensured that exhibitors were kept busy showing their new products and discussing opportunities for sales.” Photonics West exhibitor Kevin Fogarty of Canon U.S.A said: “Within one minute of the doors opening on the first day there were people at our booth; within 30 minutes, we had very good customers in deep conversation.”

UKIVA Machine Vision Conference & Exhibition and it takes place at ArenaMK in Milton Keynes on 27 April, 2017. It boasts 50 technical vision seminars and 30 live demonstration stands, and this new one-day event sets out to highlight the latest developments, technologies and applications within the machine vision and imaging industry.

The event organisers said: “With contributions from a broad spectrum of imaging specialists, the conference will provide a breadth of information Nearly 5,000 individual presentations were through multiple organized into topics informative presentations including biomedical across a variety of vision optics, lasers, and topics. There will be ATTENDEES ALSO HELPED A3 optoelectronics, with plenty to interest all applications tracks in CELEBRATE ITS EXPANSION attendees, from those translational biophotonics, new to machine vision INTO MEXICO WITH A FIESTA 3D printing, and brain who are unsure as to the RECEPTION. research, all featuring talks benefits the technology from the field's leading could bring, to the most scientists and engineers. experienced users or system integrators. The Notable emphasis will be firmly on the benefits that vision Notable presentations included Rafael Yuste, technology can bring for a host of different professor of neuroscience at Columbia University industries and applications. and a pioneer in optical methods for brain “Visitors will see and hear about real world research. He spoke on novel technologies examples of how machine vision delivers value for understanding the brain to enable better and creates competitive advantage, learn about treatment for disorders such as Alzheimer’s what’s coming next in terms of cutting edge disease, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy and research and gain valuable insight into the latest traumatic brain injury. trends. The main themes of the day will cover 3D Harald Haas, University of Edinburgh and pureLiFi, vision, camera technology, software, embedded gave an update on the latest advances in LiFi vision, optics, illumination and lasers, systems and installations now proliferating around the world, solutions as well as the basics of vision systems.” using light generated by LEDs to stream data Exhibitors include to computers. Karsten Danzmann, Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics and Leibniz Universität Hannover, described developments leading up to the historic detection by LIGO (the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) in late 2015 of gravitational waves — and the exciting technology going forward. Previews UKIVA Machine Vision Conference & Exhibition

Exhibitors will include Acrovision, Clearview Imaging, IDS, Scorpion Vision, Lambda, Matrox, Point Grey, CIS, Photonfocus AG, NET and Sick UK. The UKIVA focusses on the promotion of the use of vision in industry and it has done so through informative seminars, newsletters, articles in the trade press, useful publications, networking opportunities and a website. Now, the Association is staging its first ever Machine Vision Conference & Exhibition and the free-to-attend, one-day event is dedicated to machine vision technology, and its applications. The event is aimed at a wide as possible audience. The need for a UK vision event is strongly felt by the association. It believes that machine vision is a far-reaching technology that has grown enormously in recent years.

Not long to go now before a brand new event for the imaging industry in the UK. It’s the first ever

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Imaging technology is everywhere, from smartphones to industrial process and quality control; from motoring aids to each new

generation of computer games. Such a fast paced industry demands a high visibility to its myriad of users. It makes the point that many extremely popular vision shows take place around the world, notably in Stuttgart, Germany, the USA and the Far East, and whilst these attract large audiences, the UK has not had an independent event dedicated solely to the machine vision industry. The Right Time The UKIVA members felt that now was the right time to create a new event in the UK which continues the Association’s objective of educating people about vision. Although a UK event, the organisers hope that contributions from many internationally renowned speakers will also attract delegates from outside of the country. The conference will be based around eight presentation theatres, each with an independent theme. Six of these will cover: Vision Basics; 3D Vision; Software; Optics, Illumination & Lasers; Camera Technology and Embedded Vision. The other two will concentrate on Systems and Solutions - one for Manufacturing and the other for Print, Packaging, Serialisation NOW, THE and Track & Trace.

Systems GmbH, Imperx, Lambda Photometrics, Matrix Vision, Matrox, Multipix Imaging, NET, Photonfocus, Pleora, Point Grey, Scorpion Vision, Sick UK, STEMMER IMAGING and SVS Vistek. This is the first opportunity, for many, to see some of the newest products that were launched at the VISION show held in Stuttgart at the end of 2016. Details can be found at www. machinevisionconference.co.uk

Conference on Hyperspectral Imaging in Industry Coming up on the 7 and 8 June this year in Graz, Austria, is Chii2017. Yes, it may sound like an exotic tea blend, but it’s actually a conference on hyperspectral imaging in industry, established by the industry, for the industry.

The aim is to act as an interdisciplinary crosslink between the stakeholder groups of hyperspectral imaging such as ASSOCIATION application engineers, IS STAGING ITS FIRST EVER instrument suppliers, R&D For example, the Camera MACHINE VISION CONFERENCE driven organisations and Technology theatre will plant operators. It has & EXHIBITION include presentations on been designed to be a the latest developments in cross-sectoral conference, CMOS sensors; imaging one that provides a using non-visible radiation dedicated occasion to such as NIR, SWIR, LWIR, discuss state-of-the art and future possibilities thermal and hyperspectral wavelengths, as well within the field of industrial hyperspectral imaging. as looking at the camera interface standards for The event will be based on three pillars: machine vision. Also, the two ‘System and Solutions’ themed theatres will highlight areas where machine vision has become indispensable such as label inspection, direct part marking, metrology and robotics while also considering some of the newer challenges such as serialisation and Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things.

• Collaboration Forum - platform to present the newest developments and gain a broad market insight;

Industry Speakers

• Hyperspectral Training - Intensive training sessions providing several topics on the state-of-the-art implementation of industrial hyperspectral imaging.

An array of industry speakers have also been assembled, representing such companies as Acrovison, Allied Vision, Alrad Imaging, Basler, Bytronic Automation, CIS, Clearview Imaging, Euresys, IDS Imaging Development

• Chii Talks - B2B matchmaking event providing pre-scheduled meetings with your business partners;

Both conference days are flanked by a broad exhibition where leading companies in the field

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of hyperspectral imaging will showcase their products and solutions. Collaboration Forum The first of the three pillars, the Collaboration Forum, provides both a platform for companies to present their hyperspectral innovations, as well as for participants to obtain a comprehensive market overview of the most important players in the field of industrial hyperspectral imaging. The Forum takes place on day one of the conference. Several organisations, all of them experts in the field of industrial hyperspectral imaging, will explain their newest products and solutions within a ten-minute presentation. Between the sessions there will be breaks where the participants can meet the presenters to ask details as well as to walk around the exhibition. Chii Talks The second pillar is an organised and guided matchmaking event. Via the chii207 website people can see in advance who will attend the conference, contact persons they wish to talk to and then schedule further meetings. It takes place

on day one of the conference and will provide participants a place for 20-minuntes for each discussion. Meetings can be scheduled from 2 May, until 2 June, 2017. When delegates arrive at the conference venue, they will receive an agenda for their meetings on that day, showing the table and time to meet their business partner. Hyperspectral Training The third pillar takes place on the second day of chii2017 and is dedicated to providing intensive training sessions. Within these sessions, experts from the field of hyperspectral imaging will explain several topics for state-of-theart implementation of hyperspectral imaging in industry as well as topics that have to be taken in account for hyperspectral application development. Each seminar will take about 45 minutes. Additionally, there will be another 15 minute slot for discussions. Between the sessions there will be breaks for networking. Check out the event’s website for further details: www.chii2017.com

FORTHCOMING CONFERENCE DIARY

VISION CHINA

SPS IPC DRIVES ITALIA

14 - 16 March 2017, Beijing, China

23 - 25 May 2017, Parma, Italy

EMBEDDED WORLD 2017

15TH EMVA BUSINESS CONFERENCE

14 – 16 March, Nuremberg, Germany

22 - 24 June 2017, Prague, Czech Republic

ISRAEL MACHINE VISION CONFERENCE

2ND EUROPEAN MACHINE VISION FORUM

28 March 2017, David Intercontinental Hotel, Tel Aviv, Israel

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

AUTOMATE 2017

2017 THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ROBOTICS AND MACHINE VISION (ICRMV 2017)--EI COMPENDEX AND SCOPUS

3 – 6 April 2017, McCormick Place, Chicago, US UKIVA MACHINE VISION CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

15th to 18th September 2017, Kitakyushu, Japan

27 April 2017, Milton Keynes, UK

PHOTONEX 2017 11-12 October 2017, Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK

HANNOVER FAIR 24 - 28 April 2017, Hannover, Germany

1ST EUROPEAN EMBEDDED VISON CONFERENCE

CONTROL 2017

12-13 October, ICS Stuttgart, Germany

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

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MULTISPECTRAL AND HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING SYSTEMS Improving the way we recycle, by Geralyn Miller, Teledyne DALSA

According to the World Bank, humans generated 1.3 billion tons of garbage in 2013. And while much of that went to landfill sites or incinerators, the amount of plastic, glass, paper and metal recycled from waste has been steadily rising for decades. In 2013 the global leaders in recycling municipal waste were Germany (65%), South Korea (59%), Slovenia and Austria (both at 58%) and Belgium (55%), according to the OECD. This is a big change from even a decade ago, yet most countries are still a long way from reaching their recycling targets. A new way to waste less waste In most waste treatment facilities, the amount of material that can be recycled is limited by the sorting technology. This matters because increasing the purity of a recycled material by even a few per cent can double its value, and extracting more recyclable material means disposing of less waste.

After basic sorting is completed, some recycling centers are using hyperspectral or multispectral imaging to achieve near-perfect purity. It’s an ideal technology for plastics, which are difficult to sort because of their different chemical compositions but similar weights, colors and specific densities. Shortwave infrared (SWIR) cameras and linear arrays are the most common type of multispectral systems used in plastic recycling, and most are based on InGaAs (a semiconductor alloy of gallium and indium arsenide) sensors, which work well at room temperature—meaning they don’t require expensive cooling systems. Because they are so sensitive, SWIR multispectral systems are used near the end of the plastic sorting process, and are typically run twice or more to achieve up to 99% purity.

Seeing inside black plastics A new generation of multispectral and hyperspectral Conventional optical sorting systems operate within cameras is increasing the purity of many recycled the near-infrared range, which works well for most materials to close to 100%. These cameras plastics but fails for black plastics: the soot that gives divide light into hundreds of narrow bands over them their color absorbs a continuous range that most of the signal, so the spans the electromagnetic system can’t “see” them. spectrum. The cameras SWIR multispectral cameras INCREASING THE collect hundreds of data detect the spectral fingerprints points per pixel and combine PURITY OF A RECYCLED of every kind of plastic, these to generate a unique MATERIAL BY EVEN A regardless of pigments or spectral signature (also other additives. FEW PER CENT CAN called a fingerprint) for each material based on its Thanks to an innovation DOUBLE ITS VALUE chemical composition. from Germany’s Fraunhofer Here’s how these systems are being used to improve the sorting of two of the most common and difficult-tosort waste materials—plastics and papers. Finding the plastic fingerprint Most recycling centers use a range of mechanical sorting methods, such as revolving drums that sort light from heavy objects, flotation tanks for sorting even lighter weight materials (like Styrofoam), and detectors and magnetic conveyors to sort metals.

Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques, SWIR cameras are no longer the only option for InGaAs-based black plastic sorting. The Institutes’ new high-volume system uses a radar camera and sophisticated algorithms to detect even minute differences in spectra, and can achieve near-100% purity. The system is self-learning, so its precision increases over time, and its cost is comparable to hyperspectral cameras. A better way to shuffle paper

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Most paper waste is sorted using mechanical, chemical and optical methods. But now, hyperspectral imaging techniques developed for plastic sorting are being adapted to paper recycling. Standard SWIR InGaAs cameras for plastic sorting have a sensitivity up to 1.7μm, but hydrocarbon absorption bands are more distinct between 1.92.4μm than below 1.7μm. This requires hyperspectral mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) sensors, which are sensitive up to 2.5μm. The InGaAs sensors used to sort plastics work well at room temperature, but MCT sensors have to be cooled to -80°C, making them more expensive. For sorting paper, their extended hyperspectral range justifies the premium—InGaAs sensors can’t detect the subtle differences between office paper, newspaper and cardboard.

SWIR multispectral systems are used near the end of the plastic sorting process, and are typically run twice or more to achieve up to 99% purity

A hyperspectral MCT camera is able to distinguish between eleven types of paper. The most important distinction is between paper that needs de-inking and cardboard, which doesn’t need de-inking. The fibers used to make newspaper, for example, are not strong enough to make cardboard and the fibers used for cardboard are unsuitable for making newspaper. Sorting paper accurately is essential to keeping the cost of recycling lower than for manufacturing paper from virgin wood fibers, which is far more energy intensive. The combination of high resolution, speed and accurate color imaging provided by Teledyne DALSA’s 4k Linea Color line scan camera means sorting systems can scan high volumes quickly. A GigE Vision interface allows for even greater cost-savings. A wide range of applications Hyperspectral imaging systems can be used for other difficult-to-sort recyclable materials, such as crushed electronic scrap. Crushing creates a mishmash of plastics and metals that SWIR systems can easily sort by spectral signatures. Originally developed to identify oil deposits and seams of metal ores, hyperspectral imaging is now being used in many other industries besides recycling. Protecting crop health, diagnosing eye disease, improving food processing, monitoring emissions from coal and oil-fired power plants and municipal and hazardous waste incinerators—are just a few of many applications. A cleaner future

Hyperspectral imaging techniques developed for plastic sorting are being adapted to paper recycling. A hyperspectral MCT camera is able to distinguish between eleven types of paper

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As manufacturers continue to innovate and deliver more sophisticated products, recycling and reuse companies must forge ahead with new and varied technologies for sorting and returning materials to use. With continued advances in imaging technology from across the electromagnetic spectrum, sorting systems will evolve, become easier to implement and more accurate. As these technologies become more widespread, an increasing number of countries will be in a better position to divert waste from their landfills and reclaim materials back to the manufacturers for reuse.

CAUGHT RED-HANDED - THE PROBLEM OF COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS Here’s a guest paper on the problem counterfeit products caused one particular German company which saw copies of its products at a trade fair

Product piracy at the neighbouring booth: relay manufacturer takes action against competitor’s counterfeit products exhibited at electronica 2016 According to a study published by accountants Ernst & Young in 2015, the damage for German companies caused by plagiarism is supposed to amount to 56 billion Euros.

Per the study published by Ernst & Young, approximately 72 percent of all counterfeit products are still coming from China. In many cases, they are only spotted at exhibitions - manufacturers suddenly see their own products at foreign exhibition booths. Thus, occurred at electronica in Munich on November 8, 2016: Gruner AG, a renowned German manufacturer based in Wehingen, BadenWürttemberg, spotted several products at a neighbouring booth that looked quite similar to their own products.

Most of the participating companies reported that they are affected by product piracy, mainly from Asian countries. Particularly affected are medium sized companies that have managed to reach and “We could remove the plastic cover from one to secure a leading market position by making big sample and what we saw inside was a 1:1 copy of efforts in research and development over many, one of our patent-protected inventions used in all many years. Due to the increasing demand for relays our high current relays,” explains Patrick Spreitzer, worldwide, manufacturers Vice President of Gruner of switching components AG, Business Unit Relays/ are particularly affected Solenoids. ACCORDING TO A STUDY by plagiarism, such as for 100-percent counterfeit example Gruner AG, the PUBLISHED BY ACCOUNTANTS product withdrawn from world market leader for ERNST & YOUNG IN 2015, THE market polarized latching relays for DAMAGE FOR GERMAN COMPANIES high currents up to 200A. As this product is protected CAUSED BY PLAGIARISM IS by patents in Germany, This company repeatedly SUPPOSED TO AMOUNT TO 56 the company immediately had to experience that consulted it’s lawyer and plagiarists are presenting BILLION EUROS managed to sue out a their products at the same cease and desist order: exhibitions, only a few booths away – for example “On the following day, the bailiff of the court just recently at electronica 2016. For the first time, searched the neighbouring booth and withdrew the the manufacturer immediately took legal steps there: respective relay from the market“, explains Spreitzer. as one of the relays could be clearly identified as counterfeit product, the company’s lawyer managed A partial success only, as there were another four or to sue out a cease and desist order at court. five relays that Gruner suspected to be copies as well,

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due to apparent resemblance – but the company at the booth was allowed to continue exhibiting these relays. “There was no way to convince the bailiff that the products will not be damaged by removing the plastic cover, just to easily check the design,” says Gruner’s Vice President. But at least the plagiarist’s exhibition booth was blocked for approximately 30 minutes and prospective buyers turned away.

and adaptations until you reach perfection“, says the Vice President. “Thus, we are gaining a deep knowledge of all the important aspects of our product, and are able to react to changing customer needs that require individual solutions and adaptations. Plagiators do not have this knowledge.”

FOR THE CUSTOMER, THE

Some plagiators do in fact manage to produce samples in acceptable quality, but often, such companies are simply not up to the task for series production, so that field failures in one- to twodigit percent range are to be expected.

Such incidents are, PURCHASE OF CHEAP unfortunately, no exceptional PRODUCTS CAN HAVE GRAVE cases: “Time and again, our customers for example CONSEQUENCES ask for our assessment for relays that look similar to our For the customer, the products, but are offered by purchase of cheap other manufacturers,” says products can have grave Spreitzer. “During the past few years, we have again consequences: substandard material, wrong and again discovered counterfeit products offered on parameters and insufficient testing often lead to the market.” increased field failures of the relays – the customer misses the original target to save money. On the Extremely impudent plagiarists are even using original contrary, even higher costs are to be expected by photos of Gruner relays in their product catalogues. using counterfeit products, as the relays often lead Risks linked with the purchase of to problems in the field, due to insufficient reliability. counterfeit products Often, such insufficiencies only show after some time of operation under high duty. Insufficient “Companies copying our products do not only save processing bears the risk of thermal overload. Used in money by using low quality material. They also take current meters, this can in worst case result in a fire big advantage by simply skipping many years of and endanger human lifes. research and development work,” says Spreitzer. Only this practice enables plagiarists to offer copies at dumping prices.

Global problem

But the way from the development of a new product to series production is never stringent: “You can only offer quality products if you are ready to proceed step by step and to constantly make improvements

Already one week after Electronica show, Gruner staff met the plagiarists again at an exhibition in Spain. Again, they showed products that looked very similar. “We had to accept this, as the versions exhibited in Spain are not protected by patents,” says Spreitzer.

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MEASURING A FINGERPRINT Adimec conducted an interview with Egidijus Auksorius of the Langevin institute

Adimec interviewed Egidijus Auksorius from the Langevin institute. He presented at the Adimec booth at Vision 2016 Stuttgart to show how he used the Q-2HFW in a Full Field Optical Coherence Tomography (FF-OCT) setup to accurately measure a fingerprint.

3. What is the application of your research? Who will use your research?

The majority of FF-OCT applications are in the biomedical field. Since FF-OCT can achieve isotropic resolution (i.e. identical resolution in all directions) of ~1 μm, unmatched by any other type of OCT, it is being used in biomedical applications that require Egidijus has a PhD in Physics obtained at the Imperial such high resolution, for example in replacing College London. He is specialized in complex optical standard histology. In addition, FF-OCT systems in imaging systems. Currently he works at the Langevin our laboratory are being developed to image human institute Paris to develop a new fingerprint scanner cornea and retina, among other applications. A in collaboration with Professor Claude Boccara, who specific application where we use the camera the invented the Full Field OCT technology. This scanner most is imaging internal fingerprints. The advantage is more accurate compared to existing methods due of FF-OCT over other types of OCT is that it allows to its ability to measure the internal fingerprint. capturing internal fingerprint quicker. There we 1. Can you give an had to sacrifice the superior introduction of the resolution afforded by FF-OCT Langevin institute? in order to image a large area THE ADVANTAGE OF FFnecessary to capture enough Institut Langevin is a public of fingerprint details to be research laboratory of the OCT OVER OTHER TYPES used for person recognition. Ecole Supérieure de Physique OF OCT IS THAT IT ALLOWS The camera allows achieving et Chimie Industrielles (ESPCI) CAPTURING INTERNAL fingerprint images of sufficient Paris, conducting research on quality for that purpose. physics of many kinds of waves: FINGERPRINT QUICKER. acoustics, optics, microwaves, shear waves, thermal waves, etc. In particular, the focus is on the development of new imaging and nondestructive testing methods. 2. What kind of research are you conducting with Adimec’s high full well capacity camera? We use the camera mostly for full field optical coherence tomography (FF-OCT) systems.

4. Why is this camera in particular of interest to you? This camera has a higher number of pixels, frame rate and full well capacity compared to other conventional silicon-based cameras of similar price currently used in the FF-OCT field. In fact, it can acquire in total 100 times more photoelectrons per second than the conventional cameras, and therefore, it is more suited for FF-OCT.

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5. What type of improvement did you see with the HFW camera? The improvement is manifold. Due to higher number of pixels we can image a larger area and due to the combined effect of higher frame rate and higher full well capacity, we can image deeper because of the improvement in terms of signal-to-noise ratio (we are shot noise limited). 6. Do you use the HFW camera for other applications as well? We mostly use this camera for static and dynamic FF-OCT and for holography; another application of this camera in our lab is studying, detecting and identifying various viruses in water with the common path interferometric system. 7. What's the next step in your research? The never-ending quest of OCT is to keep increasing the imaging depth and image quality. In the case of FF-OCT, the imaging depth can be increased by either increasing the full well capacity or the frame rate of the camera. Since the current Adimec camera can increase the frame rate by reading fewer pixels, we will investigate if this can indeed help to increase the imaging depth further, although at the expense of the imaging area. Since this camera can accept

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large light intensities we need to use stronger than usual light sources. To this end, we plan to explore the use of inexpensive yet bright light sources, such as VCSEL arrays or laser diodes. We are also working on new FF-OCT configurations that help to improve the imaging depth and image quality by, for example, rejecting specular reflections through the darkfield detection. 8. Which improvements are required in camera specifications to even get further progress in your research? It’s hard to ask for a better camera. We are already struggling to use its full potential since we don’t have bright enough light sources to operate camera close to its saturation, which is necessary for its optimal performance. However, by using novel light sources or FF-OCT configurations that allow using light budget more sparingly, we would further benefit from better camera specs, specifically higher frame rate or larger full well capacity. 9. Was it easy for you to use the CoaXPress interface? Yes, it was very easy. It is surprising that such large data throughput can be achieved with a simple, robust and compact configuration.

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MVPRO: NORTH AMERICA In 2017, the AIA is expecting the vision and imaging market in North America to grow across the board.

The association highlights the fact that manufacturing is a key driver in the market’s performance and that many economists are predicting this sector to be very active in the coming years. What’s more, the Semiconductor Industry Association is projecting strong growth in the sector, some 3.3% for 2017 and 2.3% for 2018, which should also have a positive effect for the machine vision sector. The AIA’s latest projections are as follows:

North America (Thousands)

2015

2016*

2017*

Component Cameras

$169,477

$169,253

$176,023

Component Cameras

$294,111

$306,909

$331,462

According to the AIA, last year component cameras felt the cyclical movement in the market more than smart cameras. The category stayed about flat (-0.1% projected growth), which is close to what the overall market is expected to experience (-0.5% projected). Smart cameras on the other hand grew by 4.4% in 2016, indicating there is still strong demand for products in that category. Among other factors, this is perhaps indicative of some trends that the AIA is seeing in the consumer space – where everything is embedded and contained in one convenient form.

Analysis Alex Shikany by a dull 2016 first half which saw tightening capex budgets, a soft global semiconductor market, and a slower manufacturing industry) and move forward to a brighter looking current year.

Many believe that 2017 will be a transition year, as key industries experience transition phases. One example is the semiconductor industry. This is said to be transitioning from traditional processors and memory cycles, to a new focus on embedded, low-power processing elements. This could have the effect of flattening out some of the semiconductor industry’s wild cycles.

The membership of these three associations is now over 1,000 global automation companies and AIA itself has 356 members.

And the automotive sector is shifting to autonomous, and machine vision is exploiting opportunities as it migrates from the plant floor to newer markets such as security and transportation. Generally, 2017 is being viewed by the industry as a chance to forget some of the woes of last time (characterized says AIA’s Director of Market

Visit our website for daily updates

AIA points to one firm sign of the optimism currently being felt throughout the sector and that is the rising membership for the umbrella group which includes AIA, Robotic Industries Association (RIA), and Motion Control & Motor Association (MCMA).

Jeff Burnstein, President of A3 Jeff Burnstein said: “It shows the value of trade associations during a period when more and more companies are looking to automate. The supplier community realizes they can connect with users and potential users by being part of the association, participating in key activities, and establishing their web presence.” As for what impact the new Trump administration is going to have on the US and indeed the global economy, everyone agrees that it’s a matter of wait and see. Some point to an expected boost, especially within the core manufacturing sector, others say that all the uncertainty of a new administration, especially one with a mind to change things, will have a negative effect on prospects, at least in the short term. It’s a case of watch this space.

www.mvpr omedia.eu

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PUBLIC VISION A case of wait and see as main markets weigh-up future prospects

At the time of writing the main UK, US and Japanese stock markets were still in a buoyant state, with the FTSE 100, Dow Jones, NASDAQ and the Nikkei 225 at near all-time highs. However, things have cooled slightly since the euphoria of the Trump election and the word inflation has once again become a common word in trader’s conversations. This brings the prospect of steadily increasing interest rates and as a consequence, higher debt costs. THIS MEANS Markets generally remain confident about 2017, but there are many things which could prove a brake on future prospects. Not least is the concept of populism which is sweeping across much of Europe.

THAT IN TERMS OF EQUITIES, THE HOUSE RETAINS ITS POSITIVE VIEW ON US EQUITIES BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE

Still on the macro-level and a number of investment houses are giving their opinions going forward. Investment Director at Heartwood Investment Management Michael Stanes believes that Central Bank thinking has evolved to a more balanced tone amid positive global growth. He argues that although there has been elevated growth levels and a rise in consumer confidence supported by improving labour markets, the rising inflation risks may cut the trend short due to the distortion of energy price effects. This means that in terms of equities, the house retains its positive view on US equities beyond the immediate future

This means that in terms of equities, the house retains its positive view on US equities beyond the immediate future, still with a slant to cyclical stocks. However, they accept that in the very short term, the Trump pro-growth view might be questioned, particularly if political rhetoric continues to focus on protectionism rather than US growth-friendly policies. As regards bonds, despite the pullback in yields, the trend in 2017 remains one of higher yields due to stronger growth and rising inflation expectations.

As for commodities, an improving global economic environment, reflation and a tighter supply/demand balance, leads them to hold a more positive view in 2017, particularly for oil and base metals. That said, the oil price continues to trade in a tight range and industrial metals’ strength has plateaued in recent weeks. Cognex One of the main quoted players in the machine vision sector, Cognex, has just reported new records for both fourth quarter and annual revenue, net income and earnings per share, for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2016. A snap shot of the results appear overleaf. Chairman Dr Robert J Shillma said: “Cognex had an outstanding year in 2016 that was highlighted by annual revenue surpassing the half-billion

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Revenue Quarterly Comparisons

Net Income

from Continuing Operations

from Continuing Operations per Diluted Share

Current quarter: Q4-16

$129,322,000

$38,253,000

$0.43

Prior year's quarter: Q4-15

$97,768,000

$18,854,000

$0.22

Change from Q4-15 to Q4-16

32%

103%

95%

Prior quarter: Q3-16

$147,952,000

$53,675,000

$0.61

Change from Q3-16 to Q4-16

(13%)

(29%)

(30%)

Year ended December 31, 2016

$520,753,000

$149,827,000

$1.72

Year ended December 31, 2015

$450,557,000

$107,664,000

$1.22

Change from 2015 to 2016

16%

39%

41%

Year-to-Date Comparisons

dollar milestone. We reported the highest annual revenue, net income and earnings per share from continuing operations in our company's 36-year history. Importantly, these achievements came during a period of weaker spending in the industrial markets served by Cognex.” CEO Robert J Willett added: “We are pleased with our performance in 2016. Revenue grew 16% over 2015 with excellent fall through to the bottom line as evidenced by our record annual net margin of 29%. We completed four acquisitions that bring important technologies in the two fastest-growing areas of our business. And, we introduced new products that substantially expand our addressable market. “While there's uncertainty in the world today, we're encouraged by the level of demand that we experienced in the second half of the year. Our fourth quarter results were higher than our guidance to investors in October and that momentum continued into January, which leads us to expect strong year-on-year growth in Q1.” The statement to shareholders said that the company had achieved record results despite sluggish industrial sector spending. What’s more, the three largest industries contributing to revenue—automotive, consumer electronics and logistics—all showed double-digit growth, as did all of the company's major geographic regions.

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Operating income expanded to 31% of revenue from 27% reported for 2015, even with additional investments in new product development as well as in sales and support to drive long-term growth. The company also broke down the operational highlights for the fourth quarter: • Revenue for Q4 2016 increased 32% from Q4 2015 and declined 13% from Q3 2016. Growth year-on-year came from a variety of industries, including automotive, consumer electronics and logistics. The decrease on a sequential basis was due to seasonality in the consumer electronics industry, where revenue was significantly higher in Q3 than in Q4; • Gross margin was 79% for Q4 2016 compared to 78% for Q3 2016 and 76% for Q4 2015. Gross margin increased both year-on-year and sequentially due to cost improvements and manufacturing efficiencies; • RD&E expenses increased 11% from Q4 2015 and 4% from Q3 2016. It increased both year-on-year and sequentially due to higher employee-related costs, including the addition of new engineering personnel from the company's recent acquisitions, and higher material costs related to development activities; • Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses increased 14% from Q4 2015 and

2% from Q3 2016. SG&A increased both year-on-year and sequentially due to higher employee-related costs, including higher commissions, additional investments in sales resources, and higher spending on sales demonstration equipment related to new product introductions; • Investment and other income was $2,476,000 in Q4 2016, $2,059,000 in Q4 2015 and $2,421,000 in Q3 2016. The increase year-onyear was due to higher yields, a higher average invested balance and an investment gain. Offsetting these increases were lower benefits generated from changes to the fair value of contingent consideration related to recent acquisitions.

businesses. The bonus and sales commissions will be paid in Q1 2017. In terms of outlook for Q1, 2017, the company said it is expected to be between $122 million and $125 million, which represents growth of 27% to 30% year-on-year. On a sequential basis, Cognex expects the typical seasonal decline from Q4 to Q1 in factory automation. Gross margin is expected to be in the mid-to-high 70% range and operating expenses are expected to increase by approximately 10% on a sequential basis due primarily to higher stock option expense.

Wall Street welcomed the figures and the stock climbed to around the $77 mark. The results had beat analysts’ In terms of the consensus earnings balance sheet, as of 31 and the company is still December, 2016, the attracting the interest of company said it was very “WE CONCLUDED 2016 WITH many brokers, including strong, with $745 million OUR STRONGEST QUARTER OF J P Morgan which has in cash and investments, just started coverage. THE YEAR. FURTHERMORE, WE and no debt. Cash and are on a neutral investments increased GENERATED RECORD FULL YEAR They rating, alongside Zacks by $124 million from CASH FROM OPERATIONS" Investment Research the end of 2015, the net (dropping from a result of $182 million in Buy) and Northcoast cash generated from Research which also operations and $43 downgraded its Buy rating. Another newcomer, million in cash received from the exercise of Deutsche Bank AG, is on Buy rating and has $74 employee stock options, offset by $25 million in as its target price. Needham & Co is on a Buy dividends paid to shareholders, payments of $14 rating, having increased its target price to $80. million to acquire four companies and $47 million spent to repurchase 894,000 shares of Cognex's common stock.

Overall, most analysts are on Hold (eight), whereas three are on Buy ratings.

The company intends to continue to repurchase shares of its common stock in Q1 2017, subject to market conditions and other relevant factors.

Funds increasing their position in the company (institutional investors own 90% of the stock) include Schwab Charles Investment Management, Stifel Financial, Amalgamated Bank, Legal & General Group and Metropolitan Life Insurance .

Inventories decreased by $10 million, or 28%, from the end of 2015 as a result of ongoing operational improvements and strategic purchases made in 2015 that were sold in 2016. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities increased by $11 million, or 27%, from the end of 2015 due to higher accruals for company bonus and sales commissions, both resulting from the company's strong performance in 2016 and increased headcount, and deferred payments on acquired

Teledyne Teledyne also reported fourth quarter results which saw sales from continuing operations of $552.9 million and GAAP earnings per diluted share from continuing operations of $1.49. The 2016 sales figure of $552.9 million compares with sales from continuing operations of $594.7

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million for the fourth quarter of 2015, a decrease of 7%. Net income from continuing operations was $53.4 million ($1.49 per diluted share) for the fourth quarter of 2016, compared with $56.2 million ($1.59 per diluted share) for the fourth quarter of 2015, a decrease of 5%.

in its portfolio is complementary to Teledyne. From industrial machine vision to space-based imaging, microwave devices spanning radar to radiotherapy, and specialty semiconductors through micro electro-mechanical systems, our respective capabilities and engineering-centric cultures are truly a great fit.”

The fourth quarter of 2016 did include $7.9 For the full year 2016, total year sales from million in acquisition related costs for the continuing operations for 2016 were $2,139.8 forthcoming acquisition of e2v technologies. The million, compared with $2,281.5 million for 2015, fourth quarter earnings outlook issued by the a decrease of 6.2%. Net company’s management income from continuing on November 3, 2016, MOST OF OUR COMMERCIAL operations was $192.9 did not include charges related to the e2v BUSINESSES ARE NOW GROWING, million ($5.43 per diluted share) for fiscal year transaction announced MARINE INSTRUMENTATION 2016, compared with on December 12, 2016. COMPARISONS WILL EASE $198.0 million ($5.51 per Net income attributable to Teledyne was $53.0 SIGNIFICANTLY IN 2017, AND OUR diluted share) for fiscal million ($1.48 per GOVERNMENT BUSINESSES HAVE year 2015, a decrease of 2.6%. diluted share) for the BEGUN TO RECOVER. fourth quarter of 2016, Net income attributable compared with $55.5 to Teledyne was $190.9 million ($1.57 per diluted million ($5.37 per diluted share) for 2016, share) for the fourth quarter of 2015, a decrease compared with $195.8 million ($5.44 per diluted of 4.5%. The fourth quarter of 2016 contained 13 share) for 2015, a decrease of 2.5%. Total year weeks and the fourth quarter of 2015 contained 2016 and 2015 reflected pre-tax charges totalling 14 weeks. $14.1 million and $8.4 million, respectively, for severance charges, facility consolidation and Most of our commercial businesses are now asset impairment charges. Net income for 2016 growing, marine instrumentation comparisons and 2015 also included net discrete tax benefits will ease significantly in 2017, and our government of $10.9 million and $9.8 million, respectively. The businesses have begun to recover. 2016 amount included tax benefits of $8.5 million Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer due to the early adoption of Financial Accounting Robert Mehrabian told Wall Street at the time Standards Board’s Accounting Standards of the results: “We concluded 2016 with our Update (“ASU”) 2016-19 related to share-based strongest quarter of the year. Furthermore, we accounting. Fiscal year 2016 contained 52 weeks generated record full year cash from operations. and fiscal year 2015 contained 53 weeks. Most of our commercial businesses are now growing, marine instrumentation comparisons will ease significantly in 2017, and our government businesses have begun to recover. Our year-end Visit our backlog was approximately $120 million greater website than last year. “We closed two bolt-on acquisitions in the fourth quarter, and we were pleased to announce the pending acquisition of e2v, our largest transaction to date. I am personally very excited about the pending acquisition of e2v, as every business

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Follow the white rabbit ... ... and letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s build bridges together.

CONFERENCE on HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING in INDUSTRY 07-08 JUNE 2017 : GRAZ, AUSTRIA

www.chii2017.com

COLLA BOR ATION

YEAR STARTS ON HIGH NOTE The year started on a high note for me, attending the A3 Business Forum which took place in Orlando, Florida, at the end of January. It was without a doubt one of the best events I have attended. Not just because of the location (of course, an added luxury), but because of the industry knowledge I gained through conversations with leading experts and such influential people in both the machine vision sector and robotic sectors. With MVPro becoming more and more established, there is a definitive path for replicating this platform into robotics industry. This is our next venture as we begin to work towards a global break-out for both MVPro and RoboPro. At A3 I learnt more about the complexity of machine vision, I find it fascinating to see the industry’s ability to use such miniscule devices to create very powerful interfaces in more and more varied applications. The talk from David Stork “Image sensors everywhere” on sensors, and its combination with a complex algorithm, and how it will be developed over the next ten years, was particularly memorable. There really is where today’s manufacturing may go in the future which is what excited me. It was pretty impossible to meet everyone unfortunately, but I managed to get around many new Robotics firms , sharing our recent success and hearing repeatedly the need for a platform like Robopro in the US. As regards the best presentation I saw at A3, my personal favourite was the talk from Mr Lou Holtz ”Game plan for success “He has an extremely powerful story and a was gentlemen full of inspiration and success. I came out of the seminar feeling empowered and motivated. And, as he says “You have one life, you make your success.” The standing ovation said it all. Our thoughts are now turning towards Automate and I’m really looking forward to it. It has a lot to live

up to, yet it goes without saying however, I have no doubt this event will not be forgotten in a hurry! With the AIA, RIA and MCMA leading the way, things look promising. It will be my chance to continue building our brand and our different approach as its quickly becoming apparent we are more than just a publication, we are a multimedia platform with highly specialised expertise in every channel, and absolutely ready to push our fresh outlook on advertising and creating the right messages. Joining us will be our Director of Digital Design, who will get the chance to see machine vision and robotic industries at first hand. Again thank you for your continued support – we will continue to build MVPro from strength to strength whilst we introduce you to RoboPro.

Cally

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Cally Bennett MVPro

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We are looking forward to seeing you at: Automate 2017

2nd European Machine Vision Forum

3 – 6 April 2017, McCormick Place, Chicago, US

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

UKIVA Machine Vision Conference & Exhibition 27 April 2017, Arena MK, Milton Keynes, UK 15th EMVA Business Conference 22 - 24 June 2017, Prague, Czech Republic

1st European Embedded Vison Conference 12-13 October, ICS Stuttgart

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VISI ON SHANG H AI 14 – 16 M

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R MES 24 – 28 SE April 20 17 Hall 17, Booth E 40

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