Conferences from April | MVPro 4 | May 2017 by Clifton Media Lab

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CONTENTS

www.mvpro media.eu

Welcome to MVPRO

News

We take a look at the new GigE uEye FA industrial cameras from IDS Imaging

The conference super month: April 2017

Editor Neil Martin retells a delicate story from China which might be worth reading

Conference Scene

A world first for Scorpion Vision

A chat with Alrad's Ian Alderton

We take a look at a new product from EVT Eye Vision Technology

TPL Vision has a clear and bright vision of its future

The position of the frame grabber in today's vision market

Imperx sets its sights on growth

From Atari to industrial cameras, the rise of Matrix Vision continues

Nerian looks to industry veteran for future expansion

So was 2016 a good year for the US Machine Vision industry?

EVSG - an update on the second working group (SC2)

Public Vision: the markets, Basler's 2016 results and Cognex update

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

BROADCAST SEASON FOR MVPRO It’s been show season for us as we’ve just enjoyed two incredibly successful events. As ever the team here at MVPro are continuing to increase website traffic, engagement, connections and stories, expanding the reach of our successful platform; we are a very proud team here at our offices in Bristol. To kick-off the eventful past few months, we travelled to Chicago for Automate and yet again, AIA astounded us with a superb show. The technological changes we saw first hand are just around the corner and we are thrilled to be part of the innovations and technological changes in this sector which will become mainstream over the coming years. We also took the opportunity to complete some filmed interviews and we are very pleased and proud of the end results. UKIVA was the start of so much more to come. The tremendous buzz and atmosphere walking around the exhibition room was contagious. I spent much of my day heading around each and every booth, engaging in conversation with the people there. And our filmed interview snippets have come out really well and we are looking forward to sharing these with you so keep an eye out on mvpromedia.eu. We still have some exciting changes to come, so keep up to date with MVPro as we not only progress into the North American market later this year, but also develop our new venture, RoboPro #watchthisspace

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We are looking forward to seeing you at: 15th EMVA Business Conference

Thank you again for your support and if we have not yet talked, please do get in touch.

22 - 24 June 2017, Prague, Czech Republic

Cally

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

Cally Bennett MVPro

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2nd European Machine Vision Forum

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

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UPLIFTING!

I’ve learnt one thing – when they say you’re flight is over-booked and they want volunteers to get off, don’t dilly dally – hold your hand up high, shout yes sir, or, risk being filmed being taken off by burly airline security officials. Bizarre that poor bloke was ejected from the cabin for refusing to volunteer! Someone doesn’t quite understand what volunteer means, obviously. I’ve often been asked to volunteer to give up a seat on a long haul flight and I can’t say I’ve been tempted by the proffered cash payments, or the offer of nice hotel rooms. Who really wants to leave a day later on a planned trip? You’ve either got an onward flight, or meetings to attend. My colleagues were in the US in April and when I first heard about the enforced exit from an American airline, I thought, hang on, it’s not our publisher is it? No, I relaxed, he’d take the money! Mind you, I’ve often played the upgrade game as well, and have succeeded quite a few times – from economy class to business and once, from business to first. A former colleague and I got in the nose of a Virgin 747 on a flight from London to the US. He was so chuffed, he didn’t want to get off. I’ve also been a bit gullible. On one United flight I was accompanied in business class by a pilot who got into a seat next to me and promptly pulled a blanket over his face and went to sleep. Blimey I thought, only one guy up front driving, are these people on an economy drive? It turns out, of course, he was the third pilot and he was getting some sleep before his shift started. And how long before we do without the pilot – we look at Automation 2017 in this issue, so it’s an apt thought? Some 20 years ago I was on a UK domestic flight when the pilot came over the intercom when we were wheels down at Heathrow to say that it was the first time the auto-pilot had landed and taken off; all the pilots did was monitor. He told us afterwards, thank goodness. But, 20 years later the pilots are still taking off and landing (or, so I guess). How long before we do without them? Or can we? Can the current generation of flyers accept a laptop making life and death decisions. And if anyone thinks' that flying is easy, go on YouTube and see some of the cockpit films featuring landings and take-offs. There’s one guy flying a 747 on a difficult approach that deserves a medal. He’s flying that jet like a modernday Biggles.

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Anyway, enough flying talk. We’ve got a bumper issue for you, which takes in everything from Super Conference April, toilet roll problems in China and a chat with Alrad's Ian Alderton, and all that comes in between. Enjoy!

Neil

Neil Martin Editor, MVPro

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NEWS

NEW LOW-COST VISION CODE READER WITH 1.3 MP RESOLUTION There’s a new sensor from SensoPart. The German-based company is expanding its high-end code reader family VISOR V20 by adding a high-performance model for standard applications. The new sensor rounds off SensoPart’s portfolio of vision sensors with code reading functions and offers an economical standard version. Until its introduction, a high image resolution of 1280 x

I NTE L ACQU I RES AUTONOMOUS DRIVI NG SYSTE M DEVE LOPE R MOBI LEYE

1024 pixels only came with the advanced, or professional series, which includes additional functions such as OCR and object detection. The new low-cost vision code reader has a 1.3 MP resolution, and reads all common 1 D barcodes and 2D data matrix codes. As for typical applications, it is used to identify directly marked components in the machine construction sector, and in the automotive and plastics industry.

The future of driverless cars looks bright, at least according to US chipmaker Intel which has forked out $15 billion to buy autonomous driving system developer Mobileye. Intel paid $63.54 a share for the Israeli company which was founded in 1999. Revenue last year tripled to $358m and pretax profits leapt from $79.7m to $125.4m. Intel already works with Mobileye, teaming up with BMW to test driverless cars on the road. The accepted date for when driverless cars might become a reality on the roads is 2020 and Intel reckons that by 2030, the market could be worth some $70 billion. It is one of a number of tech giants that see a healthy future for autonomous cars, even though there remains much debate about the ethical concerns of cars that don’t have human drivers. What excites Intel is that cars are “…increasingly becoming data centres on wheels…” and the company believes that by 2020, autonomous vehicles could be generating around four 4 terabytes of data every day. Mobileye, which will absorb Intel’s automated driving group, will continue to be based in Israel and headed-up by its co-founder, chairman and chief technology officer Amnon Shashua.

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NEWS

LATEST U LTRASON IC SE NSOR FROM WE NGLOR The latest ultrasonic reflex sensor from wenglor sensoric is no bigger than the enter key on a PC keyboard, yet has a large range of 400 millimetres.

values when measuring fill-levels, distances and stack heights – even where interference factors such as ambient light, fog, or dust are an issue.

The U1KT001 has two independent switching outputs which can be taught in via teach-in, or IO-Link, in order to detect liquids, as well as dark, transparent, or reflective objects at any two switching points.

The capabilities of the new sensor allows for a wide range list of applications, including fill-level measurement for liquids and bulk goods; slack monitoring for feeding material; printing and packaging systems; and, checking stack heights in storage systems.

This makes it possible to precisely monitor minimum and maximum

MVTEC SHOWCASES PRODUCTS AT E M BE DDE D WORLD MVTec showcased its embedded vision portfolio at embedded world in Nuremberg. Visitors were able to experience the performance of the HALCON Embedded machine vision software, which can also be used, for example, on mobile, Android-based devices, as well as smart cameras and mobile vision sensors. Expert presentations were held every hour on the topic of “Debugging of Embedded Vision Applications.” It demonstrated how developers of machine

The sensor’s key attributes are: • two independent, digital switching outputs; • measuring range: 30 to 400 mm; • miniature housing: 32 x 16 x 12 mm; • latest IO-Link version: 1.1; • outstanding protection: IP 68; • temperature range: −30 to +60° C; • synchronous and through-beam modes

vision applications can quickly find and fix programming errors in embedded platforms. The company also organised an IIoT / Industry 4.0 demonstration and expert discussion. Managing Director of MVTec Software Dr Olaf Munkelt said: “This year, embedded world once again offers a forum in which visitors can experience exciting embedded technologies and innovations in a live setting. The trade show also serves as a platform for communication and a dynamic exchange of ideas between industry experts. We use this setting to present our industry-ready embedded vision solutions to a global expert audience.”

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NEWS

ZALAN DO I NSTALLS COGN EX DATAMAN 503 BARCODE READE RS

ZYNQ SMART CAMERAS PROCESSING SOFTWARE Processing software for ZYNQ smart cameras has been released by EVT. The company offers three ZYNQ platforms for the EyeVision machine vision software and says that given the variety of ZYNQ cameras available, the user of the software has a hardware platform for every application of the software.

Zalando, one of Europe’s leading online fashion platforms, has installed Cognex DataMan 503 barcode readers at its logistics centre in Erfurt. The readers increase the reading rate on the linear sorter. The image-based devices reduce workload by utilising RTM (realtime monitoring function) and increasing the efficiency of article picking.

The systems are based on a DualCore ARM with FPGA and, says EVT, even challenging image evaluation in real time can be solved by programming the FPGA. Sized at just 20 x 20 x 50mm, the smallest member of the ZYNQ family, the EyeCheck ZQ smart camera, can be used for applications where there is limited space. Complete with S-Mount adapter and integrated

illumination, it allows the user to realize even challenging image evaluation. It has ten freely programmable IOs and interfaces such as Ethernet, RS485 and CAN. The bigger ZYNQ smart cameras, such as one from the EyeCheck 4xxx, or EyeCheck 9xxx series, have a C-Mount lens adapter and more I/O interfaces, and are suitable for almost all applications. EVT also offers a compact board series for OEM clients which can be directly integrated into the machine. Matrix and line scan sensors, and thermal imaging sensors, can be selected. The sensor heads can be mounted directly onto the board, or else can be connected with a flat cable to the computing module.

The fashion company has installed four stationary imagebased Cognex DataMan 503 barcode readers to the linear sorter at the article picking warehouse. They read differently oriented barcode labels in rapid succession. The devices achieve higher reading rates than systems that are only laser-based, especially with difficult codes. With RTM, all important parameters are visible immediately and it is used for determining reading rate. It enables automatic analysis using Cognex processing algorithms, facilitating troubleshooting and contributing to process optimisation. The DataMan 503 reads codes at high speeds on wide conveyor belts and with large deviations in article height. Due to its high computational performance, the reader evaluates the image data itself. It can read 140 images per second.

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NEWS

ADIMEC USES AIMEX TO LAUNCH NEW CAMERAS Adimec used AIMEX- Automation World 2017 in Seoul, South Korea (29 – 31 March) to launch new high speed vision CoaXPress cameras. Adimec specialises in applicationspecific, industrial camera solutions, and is set to introduce a number of new CoaXPress cameras including the Norite N-5A100 and the Sapphire S-25A80. The Norite N-5A100 5 Megapixel single CXP6 comes with CMOS global shutter technology in a 1” optical format. Especially for developers of multi-camera systems, such as side-view cameras for 3D metrology, it offers reduced system complexity through its simplicity while increasing throughput. Highlights: • 5 Megapixels at 105 fullframes per second; • ON Semiconductor Python5k global shutter image sensor;

N EW CAM E RAS FROM TH E I MAGI NG SOU RCE

• simple CoaXPress interface to benefit from Adimec connect-and-grab; • size 29 x 29 x 45 mm; • lower system cost for high performance multi-camera systems through reduction of cabling, repeaters and power supplies.

• 5 Megapixels at 80 fullframes per second; • ON Semiconductor Python25k CMOS global shutter image sensor; • low noise and high sensitivity performance with excellent uniformity;

They are designed to work together to simplify easy integration on a system level and control the entire camera system through one user interface.

• simple CoaXPress interface to benefit from Adimec connect-and-grab;

Also on show was the Sapphire S-25A80 25 Megapixel Quad CXP6. It’s the newest addition to company’s SAPPHIRE series of global shutter CMOS metrology cameras.

• excellent price/ performance ratio.

The Imaging Source has launched cameras which feature the second-generation Sony Pregius global-shutter CMOS sensors, IMX264 and IMX265. The cameras, available in colour and monochrome models, can have either USB 3.0, or GigE interface standards. The Imaging Source is an international manufacturer of machine vision cameras and software for industrial imaging. The company believes that the new cameras will suit applications which require highly-sensitivity and low-noise global-shutter, for example, in the case of moving objects such as found in traffic control (ITS), inspection tasks and

Highlights:

• lowest power, fan-less implementation in a compact form factor;

automation. What’s more, the sensors offer functionality such as variable shutter speeds, read-out and trigger options. The cameras are designed to be robust and, says the company, can be easily combined with a variety of their low-priced standard industrial lenses. All cameras are shipped with drivers for LabView, HALCON, MERLIC, VisionPro, DirectX, Twain, and NeuroCheck. They are also shipped with Driver for Windows XP, Vista, 7/8/10, and the SDK IC Imaging Control 3.2 (.NET and C++ library) and IC Capture.

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NEWS

NEW VERSION OF MERLIC RELEASED MERLIC 3 was released on 3 April, 2017. Creators MVTec Software say the new version of MERLIC 3 has the proven range of functions, and also contains a number of new and improved features, making it even easier and more convenient to create machine vision applications. It’s based on a cutting-edge software library that meets complex technological requirements. MERLIC 3 further improves the optical character recognition (OCR) technologies, including an OCR classifier that is based on deep learning and can be applied to a wide range of fonts. This new function offers unprecedented detection rates for number and character combinations. It now also enables a more robust reading of dot print fonts. As for bar and data code reading, it has made further improvements, including making the recognition of blurry, overexposed, distorted, or lowcontrast QR codes more robust. What’s more, says MVTec, QR codes with uneven column widths can now be read without

ANCI E NT SI LK ROUTE RE I NSTATE D

a problem, as well as being to read partially occluded or partially defective bar codes. MERLIC Product Manager Thorsten Daus said: “Our new release meets specific market needs and thus takes MERLIC to the next level. Thanks to even easier operability and new, deep-learning-based features, MERLIC 3 is now prepared to handle imaging tasks in all industry sectors.”

regular rail link between the UK and China. It’s the first rail freight between the two countries and a UK train recently left Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, to set out on a 7,500 mile journey which will take it 17 days to reach its destination in Zhejiang province, eastern China.

In a world in which many countries are facing the prospect of higher trade barriers and increasing tariffs, it was good to see the old Silk Route being re-opened in the form of a new

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On board were 30 containers which contained everything from vitamins, soft drinks and baby products. The journey takes the train through the Channel Tunnel and via seven countries - France,

MVTec Managing Director Dr Olaf Munkelt added: “With MERLIC 3, we again demonstrate that we do not see deep learning and applications of the Industrial Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 as mere buzzwords. Rather, we have been incorporating them into our software for many years. MERLIC users can now create machine vision applications more cost-effectively, and for a broader range of applications.”

Belgium, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan – to get to China. The operators say it’s cheaper than air and quicker than sea. Goods are also coming back from China in what will become a regular service and part of the country’s ‘one-belt, one road’ programme. The idea is to reinstate ancient Silk Road trading routes with the West which date back more than 2,000 years. Chinese company Yiwu Timex Industrial Investment is organising the service.

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NEWS

TELEDYNE DALSA EXTENDS RANGE OF LINEA CAMERAS Teledyne DALSA has extended its range of Linea of low-cost, highvalue line scan cameras. The new 16k CLHS model is based on the most advanced CMOS line scan technology. The camera employs a 16k single line, 3.52 µm x 3.52 µm pixel array at a 71 kHz maximum line rate. Teledyne DALSA says that the new model offers costeffective solutions for flat panel display, printed circuit board, web inspection and general purpose machine vision applications. The cameras are pitched as compact, lightweight and robust. They have flat-field correction, multiple ROI and AOI, multiple user configuration sets and calibration coefficients for various lighting conditions. The company says that that GenICam compliant Linea is easy to set up

and integrate using a GUI, such as Teledyne DALSA’s Sapera camera configuration utility CamExpert. The new 16k model, with its CLHS interface, effectively reduces the number of cables

required from its companion Camera Link models. It allows for distances of up to 15 metres on copper with support for plug-in active optical fiber cables for deployment beyond 15 metres.

N EW STORAGE CONCE PT FOR SLOW-MOTION CAM E RAS LAU NCH E D BY OPTRON IS

A new storage concept for slow-motion cameras has been launched by Optronis. Optronis is based in Kehl, Germany, and supplies solutions for capturing ultra-fast processes. The company’s Sprinter slowmotion camera from the CamRecord series now offers high-performance, modern data management using a sophisticated storage concept via a SSD backup function. Optronis says that the SSD backup on the new Sprinter camera offers far better performance. An integrated SSD backup allows for considerably faster data transfer time and provides for camera-internal data transfer via a SATA interface at

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300 MB per second. This is, says the company, six times the data speed compared to conventional storage concepts, using the GigE interface to the PC. The CR-S3500 camera achieves an image refresh rate of 3,500 images per second, in full format, and 12,000 images at a resolution of 1,280 x 240

pixels. It makes very fast object movements visible. The camera also features a gigabit and Wi-Fi interface, meaning it can solve highly demanding measurement tasks in fault analysis, and quality assurance, for particularly fastmoving objects.

NEWS

NEW SERIES OF INFRARED CAMERAS FROM TELEDYNE DALSA continued stable performance and are said to be an ideal choice for long-running, remote monitoring systems. Key features of the Calibir GX series: • resolutions: 320 x 240 and 640 X 480; Teledyne DALSA has launched a new series of infrared cameras for industrial vision applications. The Calibir GX series of long wave infrared (LWIR) cameras are built to achieve frame rates of up to 90 fps. The shutterless and small form-factor GX series are ideal, says Teledyne DALSA, for non-destructive testing in applications that include food inspection, parts and packaging, and electronics inspection.

AMAZON CEO HAS H IS EYE ON MACH I N E VISION

The new series of thermal cameras are available in 320 x 240, and 640 x 480 resolutions and feature shutter-less operations. With radiometric functionality, the cameras can accurately measure temperatures between -25⁰C and +125⁰C. What’s more, advanced calibration allows the camera to deliver images within milliseconds upon power-up, without shutter. GX thermal cameras deliver

search ranking, product and deals recommendations, merchandising placements, fraud detection, translations, and much more. Though less visible, much of the impact of machine learning

• NETD: <= 65 mK at 30 fps; • frame rates up to 90 fps; • Compact size 29 x 29 x 29 mm; • shutterless operation, or integrated mechanical shutter; • radiometric performance (optional): scene temperature range from -25 ⁰C to +125⁰C; • advanced trigger options; • GigE Interface.

will be of this type - quietly but meaningfully improving core operations." It’s likely that Amazon will remain at the forefront of machine vision

Machine vision got a special mention in the annual letter to shareholders from Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos. In the section of the letter entitled ‘Look outside the company,’ Bezos highlighted the fact that a major trend occurring throughout the world is machine learning and artificial intelligence. And Amazon itself is not slow in developing these trends, with plans such as delivery drones and the Amazon Go convenience store. As Bezos said, Amazon Go "uses machine vision to eliminate checkout lines.” He wrote in the letter: "Machine learning drives our algorithms for demand forecasting, product

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NEWS

COGNEX LAUNCHES THE INSIGHT LASER PROFILER FOR PART DIMENSION VERIFICATION Cognex has launched a measurement system that verifies part dimensions. Called the In-Sight Laser Profiler, it can be used with other Cognex vision tools, including the accurate object detection and the EasyBuilder interface, to make an intuitive and highly reliable tool for obtaining height, gap, position, and angle measurements. It can also detect defects on the factory floor. A wide range of industries, such as electronics, consumer products, and food and beverage, use part profile verifications to ensure parts are manufactured within specified tolerances. And slight dimensional variations can adversely affect product

quality, consumer safety, and brand integrity. The In-Sight Laser Profiler has been designed to identify these issues before they reach customers. Joerg Kuechen, Senior Vice President, Vision Products at Cognex, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our customers have been asking for an easy-

to-use laser profiler. The In-Sight Laser Profiler combines an easyto-use interface and the VC200 vision controller, along with the accuracy and dependability of our 3D laser displacement technology. Anyone who knows how to use a 2D In-Sight system can set up a laser profiler application within minutes.â&#x20AC;?

NEWS

ADLINK LAUNCHES NEW SMART CAMERA WITH MERLIC ON BOARD ADLINK has introduced a new smart camera with MVTec MERLIC software. The NEON-1021-M Intel Atom E3845 processor-based, readyto-go smart camera features a state-of-the-art quad-core with easy-to-use machine vision software. It, says ADLINK, significantly increases competitive advantage, exceeding basic smart camera advantages for machine vision development. Sales Director at MVTec Torsten Wiesinger said: “MERLIC’s easeof-use and its powerful machine vision software tools, combined with ADLINK’s state-of-the-art imaging hardware, provide quick deployment of solutions with minimal configuration effort. This makes the combination ideal for facing the challenges of increasingly fast-paced markets.” The NEON-1021-M features: • high performance quad-core Intel Atom processors; • speedy multiROI image capture; • 2MP 60 fps resolutions, monochrome global shutter CMOS sensors; • PWM lighting control support; • high-speed multi-barcode capture by multi-ROI function shortens image processing cycle time; • optimized I/O includes one additional slave GigE Vision camera connection; • 4x isolated input, 4x isolated output;

cope with the harshest of industrial environments.

• Integrated tool library;

Product Director (Automation Business Centre) at ADLINK Simon You said: “ADLINK’s NEON smart camera series breaks the boundaries of smart camera and embedded vision systems, and

• IP67-rated housing and M12 connectors. The phone has a rugged construction, enabling it to

the integration of the easy-touse machine vision software MERLIC makes it a simple matter for system integration to fulfil a wide variety of inspection application needs.”

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d ee p s h Hig g n i l i f o 3D Pr

Coaxlink Quad 3D-LLE Quad CXP-6 frame grabber with on-board laser line extraction for 3D profiling AT A GLANCE • Laser line extraction with zero host CPU usage • Real-time generation of 16-bit 3D depth maps • Choice of algorithms: Maximum, Peak, Center of Gravity (COG) • Precision: up to 1/256 pixel (with Peak and COG algorithms) • Performance: 19,000 profiles/s from 1024 x 128 images. 38,000 profiles/s from 1024 x 64 images

Example of a PCB Inspection

LEARN MORE

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IMAGE SENSORS PROVING KEY GROWTH SEGMENT FOR MACHINE VISION MARKET Dan Rogers, Head of Publishing Smithers Apex, tells MVPro about their new report on the prospects of image sensors for machine vision.

Machine vision is one of the strongest innovation drivers of the 21st century. Smithers Apex’s new report – The Future of Image Sensors for Machine Vision to 2022 – states that the key growth segment for this market will be image sensors for machine vision. Industry experts agree that the market growth of image sensors is driven by performance, technologies and applications rather than by price, since the image sensor itself is often not the cost driver of machine vision systems. The report finds that the volume of image sensors used in machine vision applications shows a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3 per cent, while the CAGR of the value is at 6.9 per cent. The difference derives from decreasing average unit prices. At the end of the forecast period, the price drop results in a small decrease of the market size that cannot be compensated by the growth rates in volume. The trend of image sensor prices is driven by the shift away from CCD sensors to CMOS imagers. In 2014 and shortly after, both technologies coexisted on the market for machine vision. CMOS showed a focus on low-cost rolling shutter devices; CCD a focus on higher priced low-end variants, aside costly high-end versions. The trend clearly goes to CMOS global shutter sensors, which are now partly higher priced than comparable CCDs. Yet in the future, they will most certainly eradicate low-end CCDs from the market, due to their better performance and the potential for even lower pricing.

expected to keep up with other areas, especially as higher resolution sensors are subject to replace multiple low-resolution sensors in new electronics manufacturing lines. Overall, The Future of Image Sensors for machine Vision to 2022 report provides a detailed capture of the status-quo and a solid data-driven forecast of the market volumes, with over 12% CAGR and values with close to 7% CAGR. The victory march of CMOS global shutter sensors has already begun. Multiple factors will influence how manufacturing automation will develop as such, and which innovations will leverage machine vision in this area. As the field of manufacturing is considered to be well served, many machine vision OEMs strive to find fast growing applications beyond. They will likely be successful in sectors like medical and life sciences, entertainment, sports, as well as in airborne and ground-based UAVs. Price pressure and declining production costs will challenge image sensor OEMs of machine vision cameras in the near future.

Traffic and transportation is maintaining its market share as numerous highways, parking lots, toll gates, red lights, speed control points, railway inspection vehicles and other units in the field will be equipped with cameras for automatic monitoring, access control, quality inspection, number plate recognition and so on. The electronics and automotive manufacturing industries operate already at a high degree of automation. Thus, growth rates are not

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WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH: WHO YOU GONNA CALL? We take a look at the new GigE uEye FA industrial cameras from I DS Imaging, designed to be some of the toughest eyes out there on the factory floor

Factory environments can be cruel places, with dirt, dust, cleaning agents and vibration all taking their toll on machine vision equipment. Which is why IDS Imaging has launched the first industrial cameras from the new GigE uEye FA series. Two models are initially available, the UI-5260FA and UI-5280FA. The cameras are equipped with the 2.3 MP IMX249 CMOS sensor and 5 MP IMX264 CMOS sensor from Sony, and have been specifically designed for factory automation, which means, says IDS, that they are extremely tough. Meeting IP65/67 protection requirements are the housing, connectors, lens barrels and cables. They also feature screwin connections and Power

over Ethernet for single cable operation up to 100 metres. In terms of software, users can choose between the established IDS Software Suite or, in future, GigE Vision firmware. This allows users to choose which specific benefits are most important. IDS's proprietary driver package provides support for the features of the CMOS sensors and also includes numerous special functions to further extend the range of applications in factory automation. These include long exposures up to 30 seconds, a sequencer mode for changing camera parameters in real time, and a line scan mode. The latter turns the camera into a costeffective alternative to specialist line-scan cameras. The UI-5260FA camera, which features the Sony IMX249 2.35 megapixel CMOS sensor,

provides the standard image formats 4:3 and 16:9. At full resolution of 1936 x 1216 pixels, it delivers 47 frames per second, fully utilizing the GigE bandwidth. With its exceptionally high dynamic range and outstanding signal/noise ratio, it ensures high-contrast and practically noise-free images, which are, says IDS, impressive even in weak, or fluctuating lighting conditions. The UI-5280FA camera comes complete a 2/3" Global Shutter IMX264 CMOS sensor (5 megapixels). It meets the very toughest requirements in terms of light sensitivity and dynamics, while simultaneously achieving very low dark noise. The high NIR sensitivity makes the invisible visible to the human eye and renders a special NIR sensor version unnecessary. It delivers images in 4:3 format with a frame rate of 23 fps. Shortly IDS will launch two more camera models with Global Shutter CMOS sensors from Sony. The UI-5270FA will have the IMX265 sensor (2045 x 1542 pixels, 36 fps), currently the best CMOS image sensor in the 3 megapixel class. The UI-5290FA with IMX267 sensor will offer a resolution of 8.9 megapixels (4112 x 2176 pixels). IDS says that this camera will perform well in slower machine vision applications that require a large field of view.

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Ansell 3000 Pro Vision Scan

THE CONFERENCE SUPER MONTH: APRIL 2017 In April we saw four leading industry shows take place: Automate, SPI E DCS, U KIVA Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition and Hannover Messe. In this special feature, editor Neil Martin takes a look at Automate and the U KIVA Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition, the first of its kind in the U K.

Automate 2017: Chicago, Chicago… The biennial Automate show suits its Chicago home. The City, which sits on Lake Michigan in Illinois, is among the largest cities in America and is not one to hide its light under a bushel. It offers the perfect backdrop to a trade fair which in many ways showcases how humans will be living and working over the coming decades. Automate is a perfect cross-over between the already rapidly merging machine vision and robotics industries, with an emphasis on the latter. And it proved a highly successful event, breaking all attendance records. Over 20,000 event attendees represented a 37% increase over 2015. The show featured more than 400 exhibitors. And over 1000 conference attendees participated in the International Symposium on Robotics – Americas, representing a 90% increase over 2015. Other highlights included, for the first time ever, 13 exhibitors from China, reflecting the country’s dramatic growth in robotics implementation and development. A first-ever joint US-China Robotics Forum brought together leaders from the Robotic

Industries Association (RIA) and its counterpart, the China Robot Industry Alliance (CRIA). Another highlight was Apellix, an automation Platform-as-a-Service vendor, winning the Automate Launch Pad Startup Competition and a $10,000 reward. Sponsored by GE, the competition provided eight innovative startup companies with an opportunity to generate awareness of their technology and find new sources of funding. Apellix offers a Platform-as-a-Service for industrial workers performing critical, but dangerous tasks. The Apellix Worker Bee robotics system physically interacts with and modifies its environment to move workers out of harm’s way. The $10,000 prize will allow Apellix to bring their product to market sooner. Automate’s exhibitors displayed their latest technologies and services, including global suppliers of robotics, motion control, motors, vision systems, metrology, software and system integration services for enterprises large and small. President of A3 Jeff Burnstein said: “Automate has firmly established itself as the leading automation show in North America. This year’s record attendance demonstrates the growing global demand for the entire ecosystem of automation technologies and services.”

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great historical technical advancement has actually created more jobs, and more opportunities, not less. The team at AIA took Automate 2017 as an ideal chance to address these problems head on, via a throught-provoking white paper published at the show in Chicago. It explored how companies like General Motors and Amazon continue to grow their workforce even as they add automation technologies. This soundly rejects the argument, now frightening people in many quarters, that within a few decades robots will taking over from us humans. Automate News News was plentiful at Automate and a large number of machine vision companies issued updates. We’ve included some of the main announcements on the following page. Show organisers say that Automate features key automation industry business leaders and has become the primary event for breaking automation news. The show opened with a jobs forum titled ‘Working in the Automation Age,’ featuring speakers from A3, Amazon, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, RAMTEC Ohio, and FANUC.

Microscan Microscan, a global technology leader in barcode, machine vision, and lighting solutions, demonstrated its technology for automating factory operations and at Automate, showcasing its plug-and-play automation tools.

“Automate was a great show,” said Staubli robotics division manager, Sebastien Schmitt. “Staubli couldn’t hope for a better event to meet new prospects. The customer traffic in our booth the entire show was excellent!” We asked Guillaume Mazeaud, of TPL Vision, what he thought of the show: “To be honest I was very surprised at how busy and dynamic it was. Amazing and lots of opportunities. “Highlights for TPL Vision was winning the Innovators Bronze Award for the Innovative Optical Trigger, but we also saw a lot of very interesting 3D Vision and robotics guidance applications. “Overall it was a great show so well done to the organisers. One thing that would have been useful was more quiet seating areas that would allow a quiet space to sit down for discussions, or just to mentally shut down for a second. And as for whether he will be there in 2019, his answer was emphatic: “Yes we will definitely be there.” The date for Automate 2019 is set for 8 to 11 April, 2019, at the same venue. Burnstein said: “A3 anticipates that demand for exhibition space for Automate 2019 will be even higher than prior years. We expect to run out of space well before the event.” The big elephant in the room of course for many external industry observers when discussing the robotics industry is the fear that our machine brethren will be taking over human jobs and make millions worldwide unemployed. Read the mainstream media and this theme crops up time and time again. But, as many point out, each

Microscan barcode readers can read any code printed, or marked on any surface and its machine vision cameras check for product defects, read text, or guide robots while enabling users to see exactly what the camera sees in user-friendly software interfaces. Teledyne DALSA On the Teledyne DALSA stand were a number of products, including single and multi-camera vision systems. The BOA is a standalone smart camera series offered in a range of resolutions and performance models for both monochrome and colour inspections. GEVATM multi-camera vision systems provide up to six high speed GigE camera ports, with multi-core processing. BOA and GEVA platforms ship with a choice of application software to suit a widening number of factory floor applications.

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Vision Components for OEM Applications: the company offers low-cost, high-value area and line scan cameras to support OEM applications. Field proven and versatile, the Genie (GigE Vision) series offer resolutions from VGA to 12 megapixels, with high dynamic range, and frame rates to 300 fps. Teledyne DALSA’s new, low cost, Linea line scan cameras, with Camera Link and soon-to-be-released GigE Vision interface, provide 2k, 4k, or 8k single line imaging at up to 80 kHz line rate. Framos Logistics FRAMOS displayed SONY’s most advanced CMOS Sensors in addition to imaging products from well known camera providers such as SONY, Smartek, Lumenera, Emergent, Ximea and others. Innovative systems directly address the needs of verticals such as logistics and medical. FRAMOS’ logistics solutions help improve the performance of intralogistics systems to make them more efficient through automation and optimization of the system speed, storage facility utilization and the minimization of downtimes. It demonstrated the Volume Light Grid (VLG) system, a plug & play system that can be easily implemented in any logistics facility. The VLG enables real-time recording of 3-D measurements, volumes, weight and positioning to provide a seamless integration into logistics processes. XIMEA XIMEA presented several new models from a superfast line of cameras based on PCI Express. The PCIe interface allows camera to stream data at speeds from 20 Gbit/s to as high as 64 Gbit/s over a distance of up to 300m using Fiber and without the need of expensive frame grabbers, or special, complicated software. Resolutions range from 4K to 8K, and are enhanced through an integrated lens interface compatible with Canon EF-mount lens that allows remote control of aperture, focus and image stabilization.

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The first 4K model, called CB120, is equipped with the CMV12000 sensors from CMOSIS. With the help of a new generation of PCI Express referred to as PCIe 3.0, this 12 Mpix sensor is able to reach the fast speed of over 330 Fps at full resolution. The camera’s data and control interface is fully compliant with PCI Express External Cabling Specifications, which allows 64 Gbit/s and real data throughput of 7000 MB/s more than any other interface on the market. The second model, called CB500, is equipped with 47 Mpix sensor that can deliver 30 frames per second directly to PC memory. This high grade 35mm, full frame, global shutter CMOS has 7920 x 6004 pixels resolution and provides 12 or 14 bit crystal clear images. The camera package itself is remarkably compact with 60 x 60 x 38 mm and 175g. The power consumption, reduced by design and components, can be as low as 9 Watt. Another robust, easy to integrate model uses a high speed, global shutter CMOS sensors from LUXIMA – called LUX13HS. These special sensors have exceptionally big 13.7um pixel and fast data throughput with 3500 Fps at full resolution of 1280 x 864. Both are very beneficial for high speed (low exposure time) applications. For synchronization purposes with external equipment and other cameras, the models are equipped with trigger inputs and outputs. Enhancing the convenience factor, a PCIe cable interface implemented inside the cameras eliminates any frame grabber needs. Image data is seamlessly delivered and stored right inside the PC memory, available immediately for processing and encoding by CPU and/or GPU, thereby reducing latency. The XIMEA SDK/API is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OSX, and interfaces to software for CUDA compression. Applications examples include flat panel inspection, printed circuit board (PCB) examination, persistent stadium and border security, wide area surveillance, 360 panorama, cinematography, motion capture and aerial, or city mapping.

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LASER COMPONENTS LASER COMPONENTS introduced its first laser module that projects a randomly ordered point cloud of 33,000 individual dots for rapid 3D measurement tasks. On display were the proprietary FLEXPOINT laser modules and CODIXX colorPol polarizers covering metrology, alignment, and positioning applications. FISBA FISBA is an industry leader expert in customized optical and machine vision systems, providing full services from design to production. FISBA offers complete customization when it comes to vision solutions. FISBA’s capabilities extend to telecentric configurations, especially for measurement purposes, athermal design solutions for use in critical environments and combinations of on-axis with grazing incident illumination. Solutions include our application specific camera configurations with integrated optimized illumination. These miniaturized solutions provide exceptional value for industrial applications running highly dynamic processes, which might be spatially restricted. In addition, the company’s technological leadership in manufacturing moulded aspherical optics, enable the creation of high performance customized optical systems, with minimal size, weight and number of parts. FISBA focuses on miniaturization for space conscious applications which is essential for many dynamic machine vision systems. Customized vision applications requiring an in-line or in-process solution, where low weight or installation constraints are present is where FISBA shows the ability to adapt and produce for many application scenarios. Smart Vision Lights Smart Vision Lights, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-brightness LED lights for industrial applications, released the LM45 and LM75 Series of compact linear lights with MultiDrive and OverDrive Strobe (high-pulse operation) technologies. The built-in MultiDrive feature allows the user to employ either series in continuous operation, or OverDrive depending on wiring method. The industry-standard 5-pin M12 quick-disconnect cable makes for simple wiring. Each series also features overcurrent protection, PNP and NPN

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strobe input, and continuous operation, or strobe mode. With housing just 51 mm long, the LM45 puts out high levels of light in one of the industry’s smallest footprints. XIMEA XIMEA, a developer of small size and high speed cameras, has released more models with Sony CMOS Pregius sensors and USB3 Vision. Starting with models based on IMX174, IMX252 and IMX250, XIMEA has now made accessible to the general public the first units with the Sony CMOS IMX255 sensor providing 8.9 Mpix at 43 Fps, as well as cameras using the Sony IMX253 sensor with 12.4 Mpix at 31 Fps. The newcomers are part of the xiC line of cameras enhanced with the ever popular USB3 interface. LMI Technologies LMI Technologies, a leading developer of 3D scanning and inspection solutions, launched the Gocator 3210 and 3506, the latest additions to the Gocator line of all-in-one structured light 3D snapshot sensors. The Gocator 3210 achieves 3D snapshot scans at 35 μm. With a large FOV (100 x 154 mm) for picking up multiple features at once, and onboard hardware acceleration to achieve 4 Hz scan speeds, the 3210 is ideal for high-speed, high-resolution inline inspection of large parts such as automotive components and body assemblies. The Gocator 3506 achieves an industry leading 12 μm resolution 3D snapshot scan at a 3 Hz acquisition rate. This medium FOV (30 x 45 mm) sensor is designed for highly accurate small parts inspection such as step-height, gap, roughness and coplanarity measurements common in electronics enclosure, PCB and battery/IC connector applications. CEO of LMI Technologies Terry Arden said: “The Gocator 3210 and 3506 are a breakthrough in speed, resolution, and industrial design. These smart snapshot sensors are the first in a line-up that fit in many applications where reduced complexity and cost are driving the decision away from traditional motion-based profiler solutions. Built on the scanmeasure-control experience that Gocator customers expect, snapshot is now an inline choice for 100% quality control.”

MILTON KEYNES, EAST OF BRACKLEY A day in the life of the U K’s first machine vision conference and exhibition. Quote of the year, expensive baked potatoes, doing the numbers, a word with the U KIVA Chairman and much to learn The UKIVA Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition, the first of its kind in the UK, had just a day to do the job, so did it succeed? The impression one got from walking around the exhibition floor was that is well attended and a number of companies were doing brisk business. Admittedly, a few did say that things were a little quiet for them, but you got the feeling that everyone was prepared to make the most of things, accepting that this was the first event of its kind, that it was early days and that such an event was what the UK sector of the industry needed. Milton Keynes is one of those places where romantic poets might not choose to base themselves to satisfy their muse, but as a conference, the venue was an inspired choice. It didn’t overwhelm the conference and it actually levelled the playing field, because each company, no matter how small, or large, had the same square footage in which to ply their wares. That was quite refreshing. They were almost naked in front of the visitors. A lot of debate concerned the cost of baked potato at lunchtime. A colleague of mine swore blind that it was being pitched at £12 – it later transpired that the cost was closer to five pounds and sigh of relief went around our desk, but even so, a potato, which costs a few pence in a shop, was being shifted out at a very decent margin. That’s not bad business if you can get it! On a more serious note, another comment concerned the idea that the side theatres were distracting people from attending the stands. I can see that argument, but I have to say, I wouldn’t quite agree with it. Those side events were inspired and allowed the event to be successfully both a conference and an exhibition. It was a difficult balance to pull off, not knowing quite which element would really get traction, or whether they could work hand in hand. But the conference element added an essential ingredient, and it was better for it. Stand out moments for me had to be the two key note addresses from Dr Mike Aldred of Dyson and Dr Graham Deacon of Ocado Technology. Note to the organisers, make one theatre big enough to take a decent crowd. These speakers pulled in the numbers and it was standing room only. And although it always looks good to have a crowd, the fact that people had to stand outside and peer in, detracted a little from what was a show highlight.

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And the quote of the event, if not the year, came from Dr Aldred, who said: “Vision is also a pain in the arse.” There were a few nods of agreement at that comment. We’ll be doing more on that speech in our sister magazine RoboPro, which is first published in digital form in June, but suffice to say, the words were uttered in perfect context. Oh yes, the event was opened by a politician, which is very much de rigeur for these sort of shows. Iain Stewart is MP for Milton Keynes South and perhaps more importantly, was recently moved to the newly formed Department for International Trade as the PPS to Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP following the appointment of the new Prime Minister, Theresa May. He was polished and on the right side of appearing genuine (no In The Thick Of It here). He made a nice speech, although I couldn’t detect whether his joke about being in the very same venue in six weeks time, to hear the count and listen to his fate as his constituents went to the polls, wasn’t tinged with a little genuine apprehension. In the lunchtime recess I caught up with Paul Wilson, MD of Scorpion and a few months into his new Chairmanship of the UKIVA. He was bullish about the way things had gone. “It’s been very enjoyable, especially this show, which has been a real focus for us, and I think everyone looks happy, and I think it hits a lot of spots for people. It’s been great for that, and everyone involved, all the organisations, the competitors, they are all great people; I think we have had a lot of fun along the way.” He added: “And yes, sigh of relief its going well. We felt it was going to go okay, but you never know, do you, it could have gone badly wrong, the MP might not have turned up, or no-one came?” Thankfully the MP did show up and a lot of people attended the event. So, what’s the overall verdict for the first UKIVA Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition? I would have to say, it’s a resounding thumbs up and well played to all those involved for putting on a good show. Yes, there are issues and yes, some tweaks will need to be made, but for the first show in hopefully a long line of many, this has to be regarded as a success.

Author’s Note The astute of you will of course know that Milton Keynes is actually West of Brackley, not East. But, that’s my homage to Krakatoa, East of Java an American disaster movie made in 1969. Krakatoa, is actually west of Java!

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BOG ROLL RATIONED VIA USE OF FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY Editor Neil Martin retells a delicate story from China which might be worth reading, if you find yourself out and about in Beijing and nature comes calling.

The mainstream media picked up on a facial recognition story recently, describing how the technology was being used in Beijing to ration the use of toilet paper (apologies for being crude in the headline, but I couldn’t resist it!).

bad – maybe seven individual sheets. Enough for most visits I would guess.

It appears that visitors to the Temple of Heaven – a popular park in China’s capital – are being rationed as to their use of the essential paper. Not sure what those cute Labrador puppies would make of that, or what you’d do if you had one of those moments when only a roll will do, common after a few lagers and a dodgy prawn cocktail.

To counter the problem, officials have installed six machines for a trial period and have made staff hang around to explain how they work. They didn’t say where the staff stood, but I’m hoping it’s not in the toilet with the person – that would be slightly off-putting.

The problem centres on visitors taking too much toilet roll paper home with them, an issue I’ve not had in the toilets I’ve used which favour a thin film of sandpaper, rather than soft downy sheets. By the way, talking about toilets, have you tried the men’s at Gatwick Airport? I can’t vouch for the ladies, but the men’s is a treat to use. But back to China. Temple of Heaven toilet goers now get a pre-determined size of toilet paper, which measures about 70cm long. It doesn’t mention how wide, but I guess rolls are a standard width. I got my tape measure out and yes, 70cm is not

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They used to get whatever they needed, but it seems that many of the park visitors would overdo and take handfuls home.

Set at an average Chinese person’s height, the machines use facial recognition technology to only allow the user the allotted length. If that user requires a further 70cm, then they have to wait nine minutes.

And if you do have that particular problem, the fact that machine can take up to 30 seconds to complete one facial scan, might seem like a lifetime. But, although we can scoff, the tactics appear to be working – officials says that 20% less toilet roll is being consumed. Although, I can’t help thinking that the expense of 20% more paper might be cheaper than installing six facial recognition dispensers. And, another thing, say the officials, anxious not to appear to be poo-pooing this serious issue, they are now supplying two-ply toilet paper, rather than one-ply. So, applause all around.

Now, I know what you’re all thinking, what if I need more? But, a spokesman for the park said that they had this sorted. He told the Beijing Wanbao newspaper: “If we encounter guests who have diarrhoea or any other situation in which they urgently require toilet paper, then our staff on the ground will directly provide the toilet paper.” That’s good to know – although if your Mandarin is a bit rusty, urgent hand signals would have to suffice.

CONFERENCE SCENE Previews

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 application engineers, instrument suppliers, R&D driven organisations and plant operators. It has been designed to be a cross-sectoral conference, one that provides a dedicated occasion to discuss state-of-the art and future possibilities within the field of industrial hyperspectral imaging. The event will be based on three pillars: • Collaboration Forum - platform to present the newest developments and gain a broad market insight; • Chii Talks - B2B matchmaking event providing prescheduled meetings with your business partners; • Hyperspectral Training - Intensive training sessions providing several topics on the state-of-the-art implementation of industrial hyperspectral imaging. Both conference days are flanked by a broad exhibition where leading companies in the field 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 the persons they want to discuss with and schedule your meetings at the conference. 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-the-art 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 sfor discussions. Between the sessions there will be breaks for networking. Check out the event’s website for further details: www.chii2017.com

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FORTHCOMING CONFERENCE DIARY

2ND EUROPEAN MACHINE VISION FORUM

CONTROL 2017

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

9 - 12 May 2017, Messe Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany SPS IPC DRIVES ITALIA 23 - 25 May 2017, Parma, Italy CONFERENCE ON HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING IN INDUSTRY (CHII2017) 7 – 8 June 2017, Graz, Austria

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

15th to 18th September 2017, Kitakyushu, Japan PHOTONEX 2017 11-12 October 2017, Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK 1ST EUROPEAN EMBEDDED VISON CONFERENCE 12-13 October, ICS Stuttgart, Germany

15TH EMVA BUSINESS CONFERENCE 22 - 24 June 2017, Prague, Czech Republic

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A WORLD FIRST FOR SCORPION VISION Editor Neil Martin was lucky to grab a few minutes with U KIVA Chairman Paul Wilson and the talk turned to his company’s latest product and its application, a world first

I caught up with Paul Wilson at the UKIVA Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition, and we ducked into one of the side theatres to grab some peace and quiet during the lunchtime period. Paul was pleased about how the show was progressing (see our special Conference feature in the magazine), but he also took the opportunity to tell me about the company’s Scorpion 3D Stinger system and its latest application; what he believes is a world first. The Stinger is a 3D robot vision system tailored for bespoke applications and used for more challenging picking scenarios where objects are unorganised. One of the Stinger’s key strengths is that it doesn’t scan like most other 3D systems. Paul explained: “When you scan something, you have a laser triangulation system, something has to move, either the product has to move, or the camera has to move, and that adds time, and then, after you've got the scan, you have to process it. The Stinger pictures four images in one go and processes them simultaneously and outcomes not just a point cloud, but the picking resolution as well.” The system was on display on the company’s stand at the show. I’ll let Paul explain again: “What we have on our stand at the moment is two applications, one is picking an engine block, or a large engine component. It could be presented on a pallet, in any order, or upside down, in any orientation, and the vision system will locate it by looking at the feature matching and then finding a 3d pose, and then telling the robot how to pick it up.

“The other demo has sacks of flour. In the main application, these are full size sacks, weighing 20kg, and if you have a big pallet full of six wide, two metres high, that is quite a big health and safety issue. I think this is possibly the first system in the world where it completely automates the process of depalletising, taking the sacks off by the robot. “It's a very challenging application, because you've got a dirty, busy industrial environment where sacks break open, products split, and the vision system contends with all that.” He said that the system improves the working environment, increasing throughout and lessening the health and safety risk. It can work 24 hours a day. And the system is currently working in-situ, in the UK at a large producer of dried goods, part of the Unilever Group. Paul said it has global market potential, but I asked, is it a hard sell? “It’s not actually a hard sell, because it sells itself. We work together with the customer to maximise the required capital expenditure on the vision system or robot, and although there may be logistical changes within the production environment, the benefits of increased production levels, accurate and reliable robot picking combined with zero risk to workplace health and safety outweigh any hurdles to deliver a competitive ROI.” As Paul says, persuading a customer to commit to production changes can take time and inevitable investment, but as one customer has already shown, it seems worth it.

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The images depict industrial cameras with the following features: -

Autofocus cameras Optical Zoom (up to 30x) cameras USB3 cameras with most available sensors Board level cameras including a GigE Vision Interface Very low cost single board OEM cameras

Emphasising innovation at

A CHAT WITH ALRAD'S IAN ALDERTON Arena M K, Milton Keynes, was the venue for a talk between Editor Neil Martin and Alrad boss Ian Alderton

I got the chance to speak to Alrad boss Ian Alderton, well known in the machine vision industry and until recently the Chairman of UKIVA, in Milton Keynes. Alrad was showing at the UKIVA’s inaugural machine vision conference and Ian was part of the team that got the event established.

seeing it as taking jobs, whereas in Germany it was always seen as improving quality and improving productivity. For the people that use it, its proven to actually improve their business, because they can improve quality and improve production, and actually creates jobs.”

Alrad was originally established in 1970 and Ian’s father took it over six years later. Although it was the now part-time Geoff Smith who, as the former company’s Sales Director, gave Alderton the younger a job.

As for the future, of both his company and the industry, Ian is upbeat. He says the business is growing and the general trend is up. Although, unlike some distributors, he has no plans to take over the world.

A physicist by training, Ian has been at the company for around 30 years, about five years before the company moved into the machine vision sector. Before that, it was mostly concerned with radiation measuring, hence the ‘rad’ element of the Alrad company name.

Well, maybe UK and Ireland first.

Alrad is a specialist distributor and supplies high quality scientific equipment to industry, and research. Its main product areas cover machine vision components, optical detectors and laser products, which are organised via three trading divisions: Alrad Imaging, Alrad Electronics and Alrad Photonics. They offer thousands of product items from the world's leading manufacturers and also provide installation, demonstration, and product support services. They also have strong links with universities and research establishments. Some of the relationships have been in place for decades. The territories covered by Alrad are the UK and Ireland, and for some of the products, Benelux, Scandinavia and Spain. Ian says customers use his company not only because of the range of products and price, but because of the team’s technical abilities (most of them come from a particular field of expertise). It is this which allows them to recommend and advise on the correct kit for a particular job, or project. On the influence that machine vision is having on industry, Ian says: “A lot of people in the UK were

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READING PHARMACODES Pharmacodes are used as an unambiguous identification of pharmaceutical specialties and other products. Here we take at a new product from EVT Eye Vision Technology which has been developed to do the job quickly and effectively.

Pharmacodes require a particular vision sensor to read them and given the importance of getting the right medication to the right place, there can be little room for error. And EVT Eye Vision Technology has launched a new vision sensor for reading pharmacodes. A pharmacode is a sevendigit numerical code for an unambiguous identification of pharmaceutical specialties and other products. It can represent only a single integer from 3 to 131070. It is used within the pharmaceutical industries as a packing control system to prevent mistakes and to check if the instruction leaflet is present. The pharmacode was developed specifically to meet requirements in the pharmaceutical packaging. The prevention of intermixture is the most critical and important requirement of pharmaceutical endpackaging. Pharmacode has become an important tool

for putting GMP requirements into practice. In spite of the rapid development of automatic identification techniques, and in particular bar code technology, the pharmacode has retained its importance for the industry and has established itself worldwide as the pharmaceutical industry standard. The most popular pharmacode was primarily introduced by a company called Laetus and has become a sort of standard in the pharma industry. There is also a Italian version called PZN and a Swiss Pharmacode (Schweizer Pharmacode). EVTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new vision sensor for reading pharmacodes is marketed as Pharmaceutical Binary Code: the EyeSens PharmaCode Reader (PCR). The company acknowledges that are in fact other scanners as well, but says that the EyeVision software works with maximum speed, is easy to handle and does not need extra staff, or specific training.

EVT explains that the pharmacode is technically not really a bar code and whilst it does encode numerical data similar to an UPC, it does not have a start stop pattern. Therefore, a pharmacode is meant to be scanned in one direction only and scanning it left to right, will get a different sequence of numbers than scanning it right to left. A pharmacode can be printed in a wide assortment of colours which, unlike bar codes, are intended to be read with laser, or laser emulating light sources. The EVT vision sensor can be extended to also check certain quality characteristics such as is the expiration date present, or is the label at the correct position, or is the instruction leaflet included? The EyeVision product is developed in-house by EVT.

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2nd European Machine Vision Forum Where research meets industry

Next generation vision systems for industry â&#x20AC;&#x201C; computational imaging, machine learning & more September 6-8, 2017 AIT Austrian Institute of Technology Tech Gate Vienna, Austria

Top invited talks, panel discussion & networking Contribute a talk, posters and/or system demos! Teaser sessions for all posters & demos

More information at

www.emva-forum.org

Foto ÂŠmRGB / Fotolia

TPL VISION HAS A CLEAR AND BRIGHT VISION OF ITS FUTURE And founder Guillaume Mazeaud tells MVPro Magazine what it is.

TPL Vision, the international provider of illumination for machine vision, sets out its stall out right from the start. It declares that it works only with machine vision specialists, directly with integrators, or machine builders, and not through a distribution network.

Vision lights without the need for wiring. By placing the optical trigger in front of the camera, as soon as the built-in illumination of the camera turns on, it automatically switches the external lighting on synchronously.

The company was created in 2005 by Guillaume Mazeaud and designs, and manufactures, LED illumination products for industrial processes in which a machine vision camera is used. The focus is on specialized robotics applications, such as sorting, pick and place, quality control and code reading.

The modular ring light addresses customers' desire for design simplification of their lighting inventory by introducing four lighting methods and two colours from one product. Furthermore, the customer can select control of the ring’s illuminating sectors to give yet more versatility. Control is via an on-board keyboard or the PLC/SPS control connector to get full remote access. As with all TPL Vision’s products, it is “Plug & Light” - no external controller required! The customer simply connects their 24VDC power supply to turn on the light and can then chose the most appropriate illumination method.

As to why the company does not work with distributors, the answer, says Mazeaud, is simple enough: “We don’t use distributors when they don’t have any knowledge about machine vision in general, and illumination knowledge in particular. We like to work direct with Integrators as we can get an unfiltered feedback from them and give them the fastest and most efficient service.” The company is best known for its EBAR range of backlights, including the four versions of the EBAR+. This is a high-power LED light which is very suited to machine vision applications requiring intense luminous flux. Mazeaud sums up the range: “Our EBAR range is very popular because it’s basically IP65, very bright and you can get any part number from 2500 delivered under five days, then it’s like ordering from a Chinese menu, you create the product you need.” A new range of innovative products which the company is bringing to the market this year includes the optical trigger and modular ring light. The optical trigger is described by the company as a very ingenious tool that saves time in a customer integration exercise. Any camera with built-in illumination can now easily communicate with TPL

The company is expecting big things from the rapidly expanding robotics sector and, as well its existing market in Europe, is busily developing in the US and Asia. It’s opening a new facility near Boston soon which will support the US market directly. It is also targeting Asia and has already settled on a location in Hong Kong in anticipation of developing a market share in the region. Mazeaud, who owns the company without any major shareholders, is tight lipped about the challenges for the machine market going forward, saying it’s a ‘trade secret’, but on the subject of opportunities for the future, he says: “There are plenty. Machine vision is no longer reserved to automated factories. UV, multi spectral imaging, 3D and AI, all open a large spectre of applications.” Mazeaud expects that his company will continue illuminating the global machine vision and robotics markets for some years to come.

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

www.chii2017.com

... and step into a “FASCINATING!“ world.

THE POSITION OF THE FRAME GRABBER IN TODAY'S VISION MARKET Donal Waide, Sales Director at BitFlow, continues his story about the indispensable frame grabber.

There have been several articles over the last fifteen to twenty years about how the frame grabber is dead, but it's far from it. The emergence of FireWire, USB and GigE were the early contenders for the assassination of the frame grabber and most recently there's talk of Thunderbolt being the next killer. However, the versatility and capabilities of the frame grabber allows it to have a niche in machine vision which it's able to adapt and better serve the customer than the non frame grabber options. In the early days of Camera Link, the max data rate was just under 700 MB/S which meant that almost every machine vision application with data rates over 50 MB/S were automatically requiring a frame grabber. This was quite a few applications and frame grabbers were extremely popular at the time. With the latest arrival of 10GigE (~700 MB/S) , and USB3 (~380MB/S) now offering data rates that don't require frame grabbers, the market has shifted for where the frame grabber fits in. Thunderbolt, while promising for some, has not yet been considered to be made into a standard. The frame grabber was always at the higher end of the data rate market, but at the start, this was analog (11 MB/S). Now with the sensors getting larger and quicker, the shift has moved frame grabbers to handle the â&#x20AC;&#x153;heavyweightsâ&#x20AC;? of the image sensors.

Frame grabbers are also the ultimate interface for real time feedback to the camera. This would be especially beneficial in camera controls where the environment is not stable and also where triggering is involved. Real time feedback is essential in areas where high speed and quick processing time are essential. An example would be flat panel inspection. In an environment where CPU power is precious, the BitFlow boards use zero CPU while acquiring data, even at data rates of 2.5 GB/S. With these high rates a GPU is typically added into the system for processing. BitFlow offers both a Nvidia and an AMD solution for Direct to GPU for Windows. With these points in mind, BitFlow discontinued their analog line in 2016 and has strengthened their Camera Link and CoaXPress frame grabber lines. The latest CL family, the Axion was launched in 2015 while the Aon-CXP frame grabber is their most recent product, appearing this March. The Aon is competitively priced and when coupled with the increasing number of single link CXP cameras emerging from the camera companies, presents a formidable challenger to the USB3 market.

While Camera Link is closing in on twenty years as a standard, it's still capable of data rates of 850MB/S higher than any non frame grabber standard currently available. Camera Link is also become lower in cost and very easy to implement. The limitations of the cables (10m) are not too detrimental in the industry where almost 90% of applications require a short cable length (less than 5m). The emergence of CoaXPress bring the data rate into a new stratosphere, 2.5 GB/S. That's over five times the speed of USB3, and without the shorter cable restrictions. This new speed and cable distance has opened up markets previously untenable for high speed data acquisition.

MORE AT BITFLOW.COM

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IMPERX SETS ITS SIGHTS ON GROWTH We caught up with Imperx, a manufacturer of high performance cameras for industrial, military, medical and municipal applications, to see how things were going

Imperx, which is based in Florida, tells us that it is taking advantage of the new CMOS and CCD sensors by ON-Semiconductor, Sony and other suppliers. These include a wide range of resolutions and frame rates, ranging from 2MP to 47MP. Imperx is a key player in the flat panel and solar panel markets, so it’s using the ON-Semiconductor 47MP, interline CCD (KAI-47050) to address those markets as well as aerial and space imaging applications. The ON-Semiconductor Python 25MP and 16MP sensors are also in high demand for many industrial MV uses and they are offering those cameras with all the standard outputs, which include GigE Vision, U3V, CXP and Camera Link. Defence and broadcast For its defence and broadcast customers, they are using several Sony Pregius CMOS sensors with 3G-SDI output as well as the outputs mentioned earlier. Another new camera that they are very excited about is their true “Day/Night” XCCD camera, which they call the PUMA P1940. It’s currently available as a 2MP High-Definition model that can achieve colour, or monochrome imaging in ¼ moon lighting as well as daylight imaging. In a few months, they’ll be able to offer an 8MP version. This camera is of special interest to their defence and aerial imaging customers.

The company is focussed mainly on cameras, accounting for 95% of turnover, with frame grabbers accounting for just 5% of turnover. In terms of applications, their main markets are flat panel inspection, solar panel inspection, railway inspection, and airborne and space imaging. China is its largest sales market, followed by the US and then Europe. Imperx is a supplier to the military market. Here military specifications go well beyond commercial and industrial specifications, especially in operating temperature and shock and vibration. Imperx makes a ‘MIL SPEC’ version of all of its cameras and frame grabbers. Since its original goal was to exceed, not just meet those requirements, it says that its camera and frame grabber products still meet, or exceed all MIL SPECS. With geopolitical tensions rising in many areas of the world in the last 18-24 months, Imperx has seen an increased interest in military grade imaging products in the US, Europe, Asia and most areas of the world. New manufacturing facility in Bulgaria As for the future, Imperx is building a 5,000 square meter manufacturing facility in Bulgaria, a sign of its commitment to a growing worldwide machine vision market. They see growth being driven mainly by the rapid reduction in the size of components in the consumer electronic device markets, as well as the ‘smart

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phone’ market. Machine vision users are asking for more resolution and higher frame rates which together require larger and larger output bandwidths. Sensor makers, says Imperx, like ON-Semiconductor, Sony and CMOSIS, are making sensors that address these requirements. Output has become the challenge and most camera makers, including Imperx, are offering faster outputs than ever before. A second challenge is pricing. With more players in the market, competition is becoming more acute. Many participants are using price as a differentiator. This has led to downward pricing pressure on everyone involved in the market. Lastly, many of the new CMOS sensors are challenging the superiority of CCD’s in terms of quality and speed. CMOS sensors are essentially digital devices unlike CCD’s which are analog devices. CCD based cameras are therefore more challenging to design since they require expertise in analog circuitry, which most digital engineers refer to as ‘black magic’. In other words, this is where many companies were able to capitalize on their special ‘sauce’ used in their camera’s design. The adoption of high quality CMOS sensors removes some of those competitive advantages.

nor more numerous. With the price and size of cameras decreasing dramatically, machine vision is more affordable and therefore being more widely adopted. Machine Vision systems are now essential in most manufacturing applications and are more prevalent in everyday life than ever before. In the past, machine vision systems were predominantly used for quality control and sorting. Today machine vision systems are incorporated into pretty much all processes in the manufacturing chain. In electronic devices, components that could be seen easily with the human eye are now microscopic, necessitating the use of a machine vision solution. Manufacturing throughput has also increased to the point where it is impossible for a human to “see” what is happening in many processes. This again requires a machine vision solution. They also point out that machine vision has also been adapted for use in many non-manufacturing areas and examples include: Intelligent Traffic Systems, Airborne and Space based imaging, Agriculture, Packaging, Pharmacology, Health Sciences and Metallurgy. We intend to catch up with Imperx again when they open their new manufacturing facility in Bulgaria.

Opportunities Imperx believes that the opportunities for the machine vision market have never been better,

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Camera Link

IMAGING SUPPORT

Reports of Camera Link’s Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

BitFlow’s Camera Link Family BitFlow has been making Camera Link frame grabbers since the standard was released in 2000. Many other vision standards have come a long since then, BitFlow even makes frame grabbers for some of these newer, faster standards, yet Camera Link has been and will continue to be for some time, the workhorse of the Machine Vision industry. Camera Link is low cost, reliable, predictable, provides high enough data rates and long enough cables for many applications. BitFlow’s offerings have continued to evolve as well, the latest being the very sophisticated yet remarkably affordable Axion-CL family, which can acquire from every CL camera made, actually two of them, at the same time.

BitFlow CL Frame Grabber features Half size PCIe cards All connectors are PoCL Supports CL clock up to 85 MHz Support on Windows and Linux DMA direct to GPU support Industry leading StreamSync DMA engine Virtual Frame Grabber for support of multiple cameras on the same hardware Triggers and encoders for every camera, or all cameras synchronize from one source

Camera Link Models Frame Grabbers Machine Vision Software Support Application Development Software

Neon-CLB - One base camera Neon-CLD - Two base cameras Neon-CLQ - Four base cameras Axion-1xE - One base/medium/Full/80-bit camera Axion-2xE - Two base/medium/Full/80-bit cameras

400 West Cummings Park, Suite 5050, Woburn, MA 01801 USA tel +1-781-932-2900 www.bitflow.com

FROM ATARI TO INDUSTRIAL CAMERAS, THE RISE OF MATRIX VISION CONTINUES Matrix Vision has had a long and colourful history. Editor Neil Martin, with the help of General Manager Erhard Meier, takes a look at a company which was started over 30 years ago.

Matrix Vision can trace its roots back to 1986 when founders Gerhard Thullner and Werner Armingeon established Matris Datensysteme in Oppenweiler, Germany. Daily work back then focused on the development of atom absorption spectrometer firmware.

PC based and SmartCamera, this will allow re-use of software and drive productivity. On top of that the company believes that the advance it made in the ease-of-use will expand the potential range of users and provide better results in less time for the not so experienced machine vision users.

Two years later and the renamed Matrix Datensysteme is developing a graphics controller for 19-inch displays for Atari computers.

Matrix Vision is also focusing on 3D image processing with the recently introduced perception camera mvBlueSIRIUS.

The company became Matrix Vision in 1992 and by 1995, its first PCI bus frame grabber, the PCimage, was on the market. It’s first smart camera was launched in 2000 and, fast forward to the present day, the company is comfortably past its 30th anniversary. And from being a traditional hardware manufacturer, the company has now placed an additional focus on the development of easy-to-use image processing software. This has come about following the introduction of the smart camera mvBlueGEMINI with its intuitively configurable software mvIMPACT Configuration Studio.

General Manager Erhard Meier explains: “This kit has a new approach to determine objects in space and is inspired by human vision, for example, the eye in cooperation with the brain does not see a cloud of points. The brain interprets the scenery using the learned experiences. For example, in a room we determine a chair, a table, etc. and we know what we can do with them. A human determines contrasts like edges and structures, and also the distances. The movement, or colour, of an object are other indicators to determine the objects. That's the task of the perception camera, the camera determines position, location, movement and colour of objects in space.”

Re-use of software and drive productivity

SmartFrameRecall

This software will soon also be available for PC-based systems, providing a common platform-independent basis for image processing applications. For machine vision users who utilize both type of architectures,

One particular current focus for the company is SmartFrameRecall which ensures efficient data handling for GigE Vision industrial cameras.

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Meier again: “Matrix Vision has always been committed to equip industrial cameras with additional smart features, which simplify the use of cameras and furthermore minimize the effort of additional hardware and software. “Industrial cameras from MATRIX VISION are generally equipped with a powerful FPGA and a large built-in image memory. When both are used correctly, this can form the basis for many smart features. The resulting time and cost savings result in real added value for our customers. “With the latest feature SmartFrameRecall, the FPGA generates small preview images with reduced resolution (thumbnails), which are given IDs and transferred to the host PC. At the same time, the corresponding full resolution image is stored in the camera's image memory, which is set up as a FIFO ring buffer. The thumbnail image is analysed by the application on the host PC. If the full resolution version of the image is required, the application sends a request and the image is transferred using the same data stream as the thumbnails. In addition, the application is also able to indicate the Region of Interest (ROI) to ensure that the FPGA only transfers the relevant area of the original image.” Industrial cameras In terms of Matrix Vision sales, industrial cameras now account for the largest share of sales with more than 80%, while the proportion of smart cameras and 3D cameras is growing steadily. Many cameras are delivered with customer-specific modifications, or as special OEM developments. With its flexibility, Matrix Vision believes it has proven itself as a reliable longterm partner in many OEM projects. The proportion of frame grabbers, with which the company originally entered the market, now accounts for less than 10% of sales, with the company completing the transition to a camera manufacturer a few years ago. And with the introduction of the innovative configurable image processing software mvIMPACT Configuration Studio, software will play a bigger role in future. In the future Meier says that 3D machine vision will be maturing into more real-world applications with strong demand across several industries and representing good growth for their new 3D product mvBlueSIRIUS. As for the sectors the company serves, Meier sees new opportunities in almost all sectors, industrial and non-industrial. He says they have had good growth in the intelligent traffic system area, and believe the best

is yet to come due to the ever increasing individual traffic worldwide and the run to self-driving vehicles. “As the world population constantly grows and average age increases, there are excellent perspectives for medicine and medical devices. And within this area there are plenty of ever increasing vision technology applications, for diagnostics as well as in the production area. Talking about production brings me to another mega trend: modularization and flexibility of the production systems with Industry 4.0 and similar concepts. Without machine vision as a key enabling technology, making production units more autonomous and intelligent, the realization of this next industry revolution will stay behind the huge potential.” Most important markets The company is also spreading in its wings. Meier: “Traditionally, our most important markets are in Europe, where we cover the most important countries with our own employees. But also the Far East and the United States have played an important role for us for years, where we serve the markets through a network of partners and distributors. To keep up with the strong growth in India we have established an own subsidiary a few years ago.” As for the direction of the company, the management of Matrix Vision has made way for the next generation. Until a few years ago, jointfounder Armingeon was responsible for the technical operation, whereas the other joint-founder Thullner was in charge of the business itself. With the appointment of Meier to General Manager of Business in 2011 and Uwe Furtner as Technical General Manager, the company began handing over the managerial reins to the next team. The founders, and still owners, have now assumed an advisory role, so their experience remains within the company. Meier says that Matrix Vision is well positioned for the future. The company has just recently increased the workforce and installed its own employees in five European countries in order to be able to support its customers in their local language and closer to home. The activities in the areas of software and 3D cameras has also resulted in new departments with additional employees. Challenges Ask Meier about the challenges the machine vision market has going forward and he is clear on what lies around the corner: “The pace of machine vision knowhow expansion is not keeping up with the pace of expansion of vision applications. There are simply

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not enough experts around to meet demand. In order to relieve this pain, we were highly motivated to bring our new Smart Camera mvBlueGEMINI to the market which dramatically speeds up the learning curve for non-experts to set up successfully a machine vision application. “Other issues that will keep us busy over the coming years are the convergence of machine vision with other manufacturing technologies like automation and robotics. Over the long run, the user and communication interfaces to and between these system elements need to be harmonized and brought together.” Opportunities The opportunities are just as clear for Meier: “The growing possibilities and choices to solve machine vision problems drive the need for standards and suitable heterogeneous architectures. Only then will users have the full flexibility and at the same time keep the effort reasonable when switching between PC-based and SmartCamera systems or when implementing multi camera solutions composed out of different camera types into a combined system. “Industry consolidation and concentration is likely going to make it more difficult for users to find flexible partners and offerings tailored to their specific needs. On the other side the above mentioned convergence of technologies will create more diverse machine vision offerings, also from new sources. Furthermore the increased complexity mentioned before increases the need for service and support offerings around the products itself. Simply providing a good product will not be enough in the years to come.” The company is now set up for the next 30 years.

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NERIAN LOOKS TO INDUSTRY VETERAN FOR FUTURE EXPANSION When an unusual press release lands on the desk of Editor Neil Martin, he sits up and wants more. And Nerian founder Dr Konstantin Schauwecker obliges.

I recently received a press release from Nerian Vision Technologies which made me think in a way that few company missives do these days. The opening paragraph said this: “Briefly established, young companies often fail in hiring skilled personnel, since graduates and young professionals mostly prefer established enterprises; this especially also holds for the machine vision industry. Given this circumstance, why not appoint an experienced senior freelancer?” True enough. And this is what exactly Nerian, a self-confessed newcomer in the field of the threedimensional registration of objects by stereo matching, did. Having gained what he calls a wide reputation within the machine vision audience, company founder Dr Konstantin Schauwecker (pictured above left) decided to expand his team by using the services of a machine vision veteran. Schauwecker was honest about the uphill climb that a young company, in any sector, faces: “First commercial successes do not only ensure the stability of the start-up, but furthermore its continuous development in terms of the advanced technology applied, and also with respect to sales and marketing.” So Dr Helmut Schwarz (pictured above right), who has long-time experience of marketing and sales within the machine vision industry, has been hired as a senior consultant and whose responsibilities will initially cover sales activities, market research and press work, and more.

HAVING GAINED A WIDE REPUTATION WITHIN THE MACHINE VISION AUDIENCE, COMPANY FOUNDER DR KONSTANTIN SCHAUWECKER DECIDED TO EXPAND HIS TEAM BY USING THE SERVICES OF A MACHINE VISION VETERAN. Schauwecker describes his new consultant: “As a freelancer, he worked, for example, with a wellknown manufacturer of 3D-scanners located in the southern part of Germany, now under the roof of Hexagon, as well as for a start up from Thuringia, since last year part of Cognex.” Nerian was founded on 1 July, 2015, and the company is based in Stuttgart, home of the world’s largest machine vision show. Founder Schauwecker studied computer science in Tübingen, close to Stuttgart, and wrote his PhD thesis on the subject of stereovision. The company’s first commercially available product was launched by the end of 2015. It received a foundation grant from the German EXIST program and since then, says Schauwecker, it has been financially stable. First customers included large German enterprises in various industrial branches and expansion is planned via the appointment of national, and international distributors and OEMs. The firm’s main product, the SP1 stereo vision system, allows users to perform stereo matching on real-time camera imagery. This facilitates depth perception and 3D-reconstruction. And unlike most other

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approaches to depth sensing, such as structured light, or time-of-flight measurements, stereo vision is a purely passive technology which also works in bright daylight. There are many approaches for the spatial optical (non-tactile) recognition of three-dimensional objects. A major differentiation lies in active versus passive methods. Contrary to the first solution, passive methods do not require light from an additional source that has to be projected onto the object under investigation, which is the case when applying technologies like structured light, laser scanning and time of flight etc. This is why these technologies often fail, trying to operate in bright ambient light (sun shine), when measuring reflective objects, or for long distance measurements. Stereovision as a passive method avoids those disadvantages and therefore has a wide field of applications. In principle, it works like the human eyes – the distance to the object is calculated on the basis of triangulation. And Nerian believes it has a novel approach which sets it apart from its competitors. At present, the imagery of a standard stereo camera is typically processed in software, via a PC. Only when applying very simple algorithms with limited performance real time imaging is this feasible. Nieran overcomes this limitation by taking advantage of a FPGA, allowing for a massive parallelization of the computing power needed – so the position of nine million pixels can be calculated with low latency. What’s more, the system is designed for low power consumption and has a small footprint. A key part of the Nerian approach is customization. The customer can choose from a broad range of image sensors, lens and the basic distance between the cameras. This flexibility allows for the adaption to many applications with excellent price/ performance ratio. As for the future, the company is bullish. It sees a huge market in its technology, for example, mobile service robots, automation technology, or logistics, just to name a few.

Visit us:

Munich, Booth B1.511

I’ll be revisiting Nerian in a few weeks, just to see how things are going and seeing if Schwarz is working some magic.

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SO WAS 2016 A GOOD YEAR FOR THE US MACHINE VISION INDUSTRY? We may be well into 2017 and the US is settling down to its new political administration, but we still had to wait to see how 2016 was for the machine vision industry. And there was good news.

Official figures issued by AIA, the industry’s trade group, showed that the sale of machine vision components and systems in the North American market hit a new record in 2016, achieving the highest annual total ever. Sales grew to $2.3 billion and AIA broke down the figures: • total machine vision sales, which grew by one half of one percent, include sales of machine vision components and systems; • machine vision components category saw growth of one percent to $320 million in 2016; • leading growth categories for machine vision components in 2016 were cameras (3% lighting (1%), and software (1%). The machine vision systems category was flat in 2016 at $2.0 billion. Within machine vision systems, sales of smart cameras increased 13% to $326 million, while sales of application specific machine vision systems (ASMV) contracted by two percent to $1.6 billion. AIA reported that the machine vision market in North America performed particularly well in the fourth quarter of the year, driven largely by increasing sales in three major product markets, smart cameras, component cameras, and ASMV systems. And, mining down into the figures, the smart camera market saw a 20% increase over the fourth quarter of 2015, marking its third consecutive quarter of year over year expansion. Similarly, component cameras and ASMV systems each grew by 17% over fourth quarter 2015.

AIA’s Director of Market Analysis Alex Shikany said: “Forty-seven percent of industry experts are expecting the market to continue its growth in the first half of 2017, 43% believe sales will remain flat, and 10% percent expect a contraction. Regarding the largest category, machine vision systems, 46% of survey respondents believe the category will increase, 44% expect stagnation, and 10% expect a decline. Stronger optimism is present regarding vision component markets, where 57% think sales will increase, 36% are expecting sales to be flat, and only seven percent expect declines.” AIA President Jeff Burnstein added: “Vision and imaging technology is playing a key role in the next wave of industrial evolution. In today’s world of connected manufacturing, the industrial internet of things, and cloud-based computing, vision technology is providing critical data to these advanced automation systems and driving productivity up for manufacturers of all sizes across the globe.” And, as Burnstein looked forward to Automate 2017, he said: “With four weeks to go, the exhibit floor at Automate 2017 is over 40% larger than our 2015 event. This growth is attributed to the fact that leading automation companies are reaching out to small and medium sized customers, many of whom are just now beginning to explore automation.” There was more nvv ews from AIA as they announced the result of their Board election. The four existing AIA Board members have been reelected to serve two new terms.

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The re-elected Board members are: Ghislain Beaupré, Vice President, R&D and Operations, Teledyne DALSA; Wallace Latimer, Sales Director / Customized Optical Systems, FISBA; Rex Lee, PhD, CEO/President, Pyramid Imaging; Edward Roney, National Account Manager – Intelligent Robotics, FANUC America Corporation. The other 2017 members of the AIA Board of Directors include Marc Marini, Director, National Instruments and Chair of the AIA Board; Steve Mott, Vice President, Components Express and Past Chair of the AIA Board; Jeff Burnstein, AIA President; Dave Curley, VP of Marketing and Sales, Pleora Technologies; Greg Hollows, Imaging Business Unit Director, Edmund Optics; John Merva, Vice President of Gardasoft; Rusty Ponce de Leon, President, Phase 1 Technology; and Steve Wardell, Director, Imaging, ATS Automation.

the organization is delivering a valuable product and look forward to enhancements and new member focused benefits to come. I am excited to continue my efforts and involvement in the future of AIA and its member companies.” Rex Lee, PhD, CEO and President of Pyramid Imaging, said: “I’m very pleased to be re-elected to the board of AIA. I look forward to continuing to be an advocate for our membership and supporting the growth of our association within A3. Thank you.” Edward Roney, National Account Manager for Intelligent Robotics at FANUC America Corporation, said: “I am honoured and excited to have this opportunity to represent the members of our association. I look forward to continuing our work for the benefit of our industry as we pursue efforts in education and vision technology awareness; with an increased interest in how we, the AIA, can support academia in their efforts to train students for exciting future careers in vision technology.”

Ghislain Beaupré, Vice President, R&D and Operations, for Teledyne DALSA, said: “I am excited for this opportunity to serve on the AIA Board of Directors for another term. I am pleased to be one of your representatives to shape the future of our industry and ensure its expansion for the benefit of all the members.” Wallace Latimer, Sales Director for Customized Optical Systems at FISBA, said: “I am very pleased that my colleagues in the AIA family have seen fit to allow me to continue progressing their interest and needs within the AIA Board of Directors,” said. “I believe that

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EVSG An update on the second working group (SC2)

The Embedded Vision Study Group (EVSG) evaluates and elaborates in three different working groups new standards for embedded vision interfaces. Their first report, including an overview of possible interfaces, was published in the summer of 2015 and it provided recommendations to the G3 Future Standards Forum.

THE EVSG MEETS EVERY HALF A YEAR TO SYNCHRONIZE THE RESULTS. THE ARTICLE PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON THE SECOND WORKING GROUP (SC2) ABOUT THE SOFTWARE MODEL (API) FOR COMMUNICATION WITH EMBEDDED COMPONENTS AND THEIR CONTROLS. Author of the report is Martin Cassel of Silicon Software. The Silicon Software Managing Directors actively participate in the EVSG. Software-Side Component Harmonization Planned Standard Interface for Embedded Vision Embedded image processing systems require clear communication standards between hardware, software, and connections to processing systems in production and automation. The Embedded Vision Study Group (EVSG) is addressing the development of these standards and corresponding interfaces in three working groups that will then direct their recommendations to the G3 Future Standards Forum. Gen<I>Cam and OPC UA specifications for embedded Vision are the first methods of choice.

VISION STANDARD INTERFACE

This report presents several current developments in the field of software connection of components. Embedded Vision systems are complex, miniaturized devices consisting of components from different manufacturers. These heterogeneous systems still use incompatible data formats which impede data exchange within the image processing systems. The additional use of sensor groups (integrations of various sensor sources) generates more special sensor data that must be integrated. Rather than developing complex interfaces, the goal is to standardize communications to construct compatible components with consistent data and to equip embedded systems with more intelligence, guaranteeing their suitability for industrial applications and ensuring their efficient use. In the industrial arena, embedded Vision systems are cyber-physical components consisting of FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), systems on chips (SoC) including special processors, special realtimecapable micro-controllers, and highly specialized memory units as well as multicore architectures, and the systems are commonly equipped with intelligent algorithms. These intelligent yet complex systems communicate more and more autonomously as decentralized network units, in some cases already delivering completely prepared result data. Defined communications and interface standards are necessary to (a) process the data to control automated manufacturing and to (b) use it for strategic planning.

VISION STANDARD INTERFACE

SENSOR

PROCESSOR

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The EVSG has set the integration of this heterogeneous system architecture as its goal, presenting its report at the G3 Future Standards Forum (FSF) in the summer of 2015. In their report, three areas of technology were identified as Standard Candidates (SCs), for which three working groups will develop interface standards: modular construction with sensor boards and processor unit/system on a chip (SoC) and its compatibility (SC1); the software model (API) for communication with embedded components and their controls (SC2); and their integration into automation or processing environments (SC3). For SC1, the EVSG had previously made no recommendation. For SC3, the Group recommended introducing Gen<I>Cam into a new, yet-to-be-created OPC UA companion specification for machine vision.

AT THE 2016 AUTOMATICA EVENT, THE VDMA MACHINE VISION GROUP AND THE OPC FOUNDATION SIGNED A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO FORMULATE AN OPS UA MACHINE VISION COMPANION SPECIFICATION.

ROI

Evaluation of Software Connections In the area of software API (SC2), an optimized interplay of electronic hardware and intelligent software is the prerequisite for the use of image processing systems since embedded Vision systems exhibit particular characteristics. They consist of an arbitrary combination of components such as FPGAs, ARM-CPUs and GPUs (called processor modules representing a complete measurement program for image conversion or a single image operator such as a filter) to preprocess images internally. Inconsistent image data formats occur as a result, such as RAW images, center of gravity (Vector2), label (string), time stamp (date), event and encrypted data, etc, to name a few examples. Preprocessing of images can take place in several steps, whereby the processor modulesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; communication must be precisely aligned. For that reason, they require a uniform description of the inputs and outputs and, moreover, must easily be recognized, addressed, and configured. In addition to the image data, other data formats such as objects, blobs and complex results can arise. This variety of data requires expanded generic description models of data formats and structures as well as their semantic information.

PREPROC (BLOB)

STREAM 0

SENSOR LIST OF OBJECTS

CENTER OF GRAVITY BOUNDING BOX

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AREA = 100 PX

AREA = 185 PX

DETECTED CLASS = 1

DETECTED CLASS = 3

Thus, within the focus of a solution to be evaluated, the description, parameterization, control, and synchronization of the entire system stand front and center. One further aspect concerns the security mechanisms that must be addressed, such as data encryption and IP protection. An expanded Gen<I>Cam standard for requirements in the field of embedded systems should harmonize the diversity of components and data, with an emphasis on support of generic data formats and processor modules. Uniform XML Descriptions and ObjectOriented Data In the development of a software standard, the EVSG working group reverted to the very similar requirements of 3D line scan cameras with regard to image preprocessing and processor modules.

SENSOR BAYER, RAW

XML 0

PROCESSING MODULE DEMOSAICING

XML 1

embedded systems. By expanding the convention, consistent description models for image data such as bounding boxes, regions of interest or center of gravity should be fixed and the manufacturer-specific XML descriptions for processor modules integrated (glued) to produce a set syntax and uniform semantics. For the integration of XML descriptions, there are two options currently under evaluation: in the first approach, the XML descriptions as well as parameter trees of camera and applications are integrated; in the second approach, called GenTP which is still being researched, the processor modules are individually recognized, addressed

The range of processor modules from various manufacturers requires their generic description regarding capacities, consistent input and output formats for data transport, and uniform data formats, structures and their semantics (such as unit of measurement) to guarantee interoperability of the processor modules. Treatment of output data as objects (object-oriented data structure) as opposed to pixel-based regions is envisioned. In so doing, dynamic object sizes, lists, stream combinations and metadata can be considered. The processor modules’ topology of complex processing nodes should thus be overcome. To realize the envisioned solutions, the working group suggested an expansion of the Gen<I>Cam SFNC – Standard Features Naming Convention – for

PROCESSING MODULE SELECT RED CHANNEL

STREAM

XML 2

and configured by a PC host and the XML files are consequently read out separately. All images from Silicon Software GmbH. The Embedded Vision Study Group Report can be downloaded by registered members from the VDMA Machine Vision website (http://ibv.vdma. org) or may be requested from the VDMA – see “Embedded Vision: Which standards are necessary to prepare the sector for the future?”

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PUBLIC VISION: THE MARKETS, BASLER'S 2016 RESULTS AND COGNEX UPDATE Figuring out the long term prospects for the financial markets, and therefore the prospects of those quoted machine vision companies, is a tricky call at the moment. What with the recent French election and the forthcoming UK election keeping the political pot boiling and regional conflicts making the world a seemingly tense place, there is much to occupy investors, both institutional and private.

THE REPORT DID CONTAIN CAVEATS THOUGH, OUTLINING A NUMBER OF RISKS WHICH COULD STILL ROCK THE BOAT. POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY IN EUROPE AND THE US WAS ONE MAJOR WORRY, AS WAS RISING DEBT LEVELS IN CHINA.

But on a positive note, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has come out and said that global financial stability has improved. The new IMF report bases its view on a stronger economic outlook which basically means that businesses, governments and households are better able to maintain payments on their debts. The report did contain caveats though, outlining a number of risks which could still rock the boat. Political uncertainty in Europe and the US was one major worry, as was rising debt levels in China. Another concern aired by the IMF was the chance that countries will introduce protectionist trade policies and create new barriers on their imports. What is top of the agenda for many financial analysts is the coming of the end of cheap money (as interest rates rise) and the return of inflation. On the question of inflation, investment strategists at BlackRock recently published a note which said: “Another sign reflation is going global in 2017: a synchronized pick-up in economic activity and corporate earnings. We define the reflation trade as favoring assets likely to benefit from rising growth and inflation, such as cyclical equities and emerging markets (EM), while limiting exposure to longterm government bonds. The reflation trade is not contingent on looser U.S. fiscal policy, in our view.

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Rather, tax reform or infrastructure spending could amplify it.”

with US bond yields, means that we are sticking to a full overweight on Japanese-listed shares.”

On a more general note, Luca Paolini of Pictet Asset Management, said that there were blue skies for equities ahead, but with a chance of storms.

Basler’s 2016 figures

“Rising business and consumer confidence supports a broad-based, synchronised global economic recovery which reinforces our pro-equity stance. This optimism, however, comes with a couple of caveats. First, consumer and corporate confidence readings, particularly in the US, are so strong that there is the risk expectations will be disappointed. “Unlike other major markets, US corporate earnings forecasts for 2017 have not been upgraded. Second, it would be dangerous to ignore political risks, especially those surrounding the French Presidential election. “We continue to be as underweight as we can be in overvalued US equities. Extreme corporate and consumer bullishness suggests the market might not take disappointment well – though the Trump effect shouldn’t be overstated. “Europe looks strong, reinforcing our overweight stance on European equities. With Europe lagging the global economic and credit cycle, the region’s equities have plenty of catching up to do on margins and earnings.

In the period under review, Basler AG, the global manufacturer of industrial cameras, announced its annual figures and provided guidance for 2017. For 2016: • sales €97.5 million (2015: €85.4m, +14 %); • incoming orders €105.4 million (2015: €83.0m, +27 %); • EBITDA €18.8 million (2015: €16.0m, +17 %); • pre-tax result €11.4 million (2015: €9.1m, +25 %); • after-tax result 7.9 million (2015: €6.2m, +27 %); • result per share €2.45 (2015: €1.94, +26 %); • free cash flow €8.1 million (2015: €3.6m, +125 %). As for the sector context, Basler grew by approximately ten percentage points stronger than the German industry for image processing components that is statistically recorded by the VDMA. Basler said in its statement that the results represent a key indicator for the global market development. It also said it had again gained market shares and expanded its market leadership.

“India’s economic stumble, triggered by last November’s demonetisation, is behind what we think will be a relatively short-lived deterioration. We are still overweight in emerging equities where we expect gains to continue to be strong relative to developed markets. “The BoJ, meanwhile, is the only major central bank we don’t expect to turn hawkish this year, keeping its policy of yield curve control intact, and will keep buying domestic equities. That, together with an upbeat outlook for Japanese corporate profits and the strong historical correlation of Japanese equities

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The company highlighted the fact that they had hit the upper end of the guidance they had previously provided for 2016. The cash flow from operational activity was €16.1m (previous year: €12.9m, +25 %). The free cash flow, calculated as the sum of cash flows from operational activity and investment, reached a value of €8.1m (previous year: €3.6m +125 %). Basler also said in its statement that in 2016, 21 new employees were hired, building up staff on the planned moderate level. The focus, however, was on the integration of the numerous new employees hired in 2015 and on the increase in productivity. Against the background of a positive annual result 2016, Basler confirmed it would propose to shareholders a dividend of €0.74 per share. This represents a distribution ration of 30% of the aftertax result. As for the 2017 guidance, this is set at between sales of €120m to €130m. The company said its statement: “After strong incoming orders in the past months – in particular for factory applications in Asia – the Basler group expects sales revenues to increase to € 120 – 130 million in 2017. On the result side, the company plans with a pre-tax return rate of 13 – 15 % depending on the sales development. Given the very high momentum in the sales markets and the limited visibility of the business development in the second half-year, the current range of the sales corridor is relatively broad. The management strives for giving a more precise corridor in the course of the fiscal year.” Cognex Update Cognex continued to add to its collection of companies. It announced that it had acquired a maker of deep learning software for industrial machine vision called ViDi Systems. Artificial intelligence techniques are used by the company’s deep learning software to improve image analysis in applications where it is tricky to predict the full range of image variations that might be encountered. ViDi’s software trains the system to distinguish between acceptable variations and defects.

ViDi is now part of Cognex’s Vision Products business unit, where their deep learning software will continue to be developed and integrated into the company’s product portfolio. ViDi is based in Villaz-St-Pierre Switzerland, where it will remain. It was founded in 2012 by Dr Reto Wyss, a computational neuroscience Ph.D., and the CPA Group, a Swiss industrial holding company and business incubator. Dr Wyss and ViDi’s team of engineers have joined Cognex. The deal is not expected to have a material impact on Cognex’s financial results in 2017, or 2018.

COGNEX CONTINUED TO ADD TO ITS COLLECTION OF COMPANIES. IT ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAD ACQUIRED A MAKER OF DEEP LEARNING SOFTWARE FOR INDUSTRIAL MACHINE VISION CALLED VIDI SYSTEMS. President and CEO of Cognex Robert J Willett said: “The ViDi team is at the forefront of applying deep learning techniques to the real-world challenges of industrial machine vision. We are excited to bring this expertise to Cognex to broaden the scope of applications that can be addressed at a world-class level with Cognex vision.” Cognex also acquired new fans amongst the US financial analytical community. Starting coverage were JPMorgan Chase with a neutral rating and Goldman Sachs Group who kicked off with a “buy” rating. Other firms updated their research. Summit Redstone restated their buy rating; Zacks went from a buy rating to a hold rating; Northcoast cut Cognex from a buy rating to a neutral rating; and, Needham LLC restated a hold rating. Its reckoned that currently six investment analysts have a hold rating on the stock, four have issued a buy rating and one has a strong buy rating.

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