After 911, the vision system market took a nosedive from which it is just starting to recover. Sales plunged 15% in 2002, according to the annual study by the Automated Imaging Assn. (AIA). the AIA’s latest study says the North American market increased 4% in 2003 to $1.6 billion. The world machine vision market is estimated at $6.6 billion, a gain of nearly 14% from 2002, fueled by increased use of machine vision in the Pacific Rim, especially Japan and China.
"Our new study provides further evidence that the downturn in capital equipment spending on machine vision ended in 2003," says Jeffrey Burnstein, executive director of AIA. "More than 80% of the machine vision companies participating in our study expect their sales to post further gains in 2004.”
At the recent Vision Show East in Boston, attendance was about 2,600, with 100 exhibitors. A study of show attendees showed that 54% plan to buy cameras and 44% plan to buy complete systems.
ARC Advisory Group predicts that OEMs who once designed their own vision systems now prefer using general-purpose machines, especially in North America. ARC says that internally developed, leading-edge machine vision systems no longer make good business sense. Looks like COTS (commercial off the shelf) systems will become the standard for machine builders in the future.
With the North American market essentially flat for nearly two years, it’s no wonder that new product development ground to a halt. Although we surveyed all the usual suspects in the machine vision business, only nine vendors offered up new products for our vision roundup, and several appeared to be general-purpose COTS devices.
Another interesting trend we see among new vision products is the technology’s continuing march toward standalone operation. Several of the vision systems can operate without external support; that is, once you have performed the proper configuration and instructions, they operate as a standalone device that can perform monitoring, part inspection, defect detection, and a host of other vision tasks at blinding speed, with no assistance needed from external processors, vision boards or PCs.
Software tools are improving as well, making it much easier to teach and configure the vision systems.
PRODUCT ROUND-UP:Machine Vision SystemsFor more information about any of these products, click on the description of the product below to view all contact information, including phone numbers, e-mail addresses, web sites, and a photo where available. Commanding Presence
PresencePlus P4 GEO vision sensor inspects for correct features regardless of product orientation or position in the sensor's field of view. A remote TEACH feature allows the sensor to learn new features it will need to inspect for without connecting to a PC or shutting down the line. The sensor can interface to machines and factory networks via its built-in 10/100 Ethernet connection, RS-232 or discrete input/outputs. Banner Engineering
Vision System Runs at High Speeds
The F210 vision sensor combines 1.4 msec image acquisition with algorithms for fast measurement and inspection operations, making it suitable for use in high-speed food and drug packaging, automotive assembly and part inspection applications. Algorithms include OCR/OCV to read and confirm lot codes on pill bottles; Edge Code for defect detection, position and location capability; and Fine Matching for detection of differences between a user-taught model and a live image, including fine defects on labels. Omron Electronics
Cameras Eschew CCU
The IK-53N and the IK-52N monochrome, 768x494 resolution, "ice-cube" machine vision cameras are 29-mm square, weigh 1.59 oz. and eliminate the need for a CCU. The IK-52N has a 1/2-in. CCD, while the IK-53N has a 1/3-in. CCD. Minimum subject illumination is 0.5 lux is IK-53N, and 0.4 lux for the IK-52N. Applications include test and inspection, laboratory, robotics, sorting/gauging, and component alignment and placement. Both are compatible with most standard frame grabbers, and can use a wide range of off-the-shelf, cost-effective C-mount lenses. Toshiba America Information Systems
Self-Contained Camera Comes With Software
The Impact T10 camera package includes a 1,000-MIPS processor, solid-state memory, optically-isolated I/O, serial interface, Ethernet connectivity, and a real-time operating system. Its built-in Inspection Builder software suite provides image processing tools, programming capabilities, inspection algorithms, and a complete set of HMI tools within a visual programming environment. Applications include automotive, electronics, medical device and character inspection. The tools allow users to create a turnkey inspection solutions with a real-time operator interface. PPT Vision
Analyzes Images Itself
The Iris P-Series programmable smart camera combines a vision sensor, PC processing and software. It has an ultra-low-power (ULP) Celeron processor and an embedded Intel processor, runs the Windows CE .NET real-time operating system, and is programmed using a version of Microsoft's Visual C++. OEMs and integrators can develop applications with the Matrox Imaging Library (MIL), which includes a function set for managing image capture, processing, analysis, display and archiving. Matrox Imaging
Tiny Vision System Needs No PC
The CV-2100 self-contained vision system combines a small digital camera with on-screen statistical processing and a simple user interface. No PC is required. At ½ x ½ in., the camera is 1/10 the size of the company’s conventional camera systems, and is available with a mirror for side mounting. With an image processing time of 3 msec, the system is able to process images at speeds of 20,000 parts/min. with inspection repeatability of 0.05 pixels. Keyence
Industrial Vision Systems Take Plant Floor Abuse
The In-Sight 5100 and 5400 have M12 connectors and metal housings, meet IEC specifications for shock and vibration, and have an IP67/NEMA 6 rating for dust and washdown protection. Both models acquire up to 60 full frames/sec. When a full image is not required, higher speeds are possible using partial acquisition. Both come with a library of vision software that includes image processing and analysis tools, a vision spreadsheet, and tools to connect, configure, operate, expand and maintain a vision network. Cognex
Infrared Camera Shows Patterns and Anomalies
The ThermoVision A20 infrared video camera allows users to identify thermal anomalies and irregular heat patterns in devices, events and processes in real-time. It provides thermal imaging from –4-2192 °F, handles up to four remotely and locally configurable and controllable target spots, has up to six alarming functions, and accepts interchangeable lenses. Applications include machine vision, thermal monitoring, process control, design verification, remote monitoring, and security. Users can remotely access and control the system from the Internet using a web browser. Flir Systems
1394 Module Connects
The PXI-8252 IEEE 1394 host adapter provides PXI and CompactPCI connectivity to a wide range of industrial machine vision cameras. It has three IEEE 1394 ports, 12 W of power, and supports data rates to 400 Mb/sec. When used with NI-Imaq driver software, it allows image acquisition in software environments including NI LabView, Microsoft Visual Basic, and C/C++. Engineers can configure, control and acquire images from any IIDC-compliant IEEE 1394 camera. National Instruments
Machine Vision Connects to Wireless
This software package enables communications between the company’s cameras and hand-held PCs, allowing customers to transfer images and send commands via wireless communications. Users can view live images and failed images, view results, change products and perform setup changes. The product runs on Windows CE. DVT
Progressive Scanner
TM-6760 digital cameras are high-resolution progressive scan CCDs with 648x484 resolution. The interline transfer CCD permits full vertical and horizontal resolution with electronic shutter speeds to 1/32,000 sec. It can be reset asynchronously by external pulse control. The camera has both digital and analog outputs for interfacing with frame grabbers. It is available in both monochrome and color formats, and can be ordered with LVDS (RS-644) or Camera Link outputs. JAI Pulnix
Ready to Inspect
PC-based EZVision I2X includes 19-in. rack-mount industrial computer with Windows 2000 and progressive scan 1/2-in. CCD camera with 50-mm C-mount lens. System stores a virtually unlimited number of different inspection programs; has 256-level grayscale template matching with normalized correlation, sub-pixel edge extraction, leveling function, rotational correction, and speeds to 10 parts/sec. Vision tools include gray scale pattern match, edge detection, blob analysis, image addition/subtraction and morphology. Cincinnati Automation
Machine Vision Software Handles Shape Shifters
Enhancements to Halcon v. 7.0 software include 3D shape-based matching that can generate models for all orientations and scales, allowing detection of objects even if parts of the objects can move with respect to each other. Improved reading of data codes allows reliable identification even when a code is etched or embossed on metal surfaces, disturbed, mirrored, or inverse. Other enhancements include automatic combining of images from multiple cameras, subpixel measurements in color images, OCR and texture analysis, rectification of complex distortions and interactive documentation. MVTec Software
Machine Vision via Wireless
The LVmPC embedded vision PC uses the low-voltage Pentium III CPU, measures 3.5x3.5x7.5 in., supports wireless communication or SCSI connectivity, and works with virtually any camera, including digital, analog, color, or monochrome using USB, Firewire, or CameraLink interfaces. It supports Linux, VxWorks, and Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP and embedded versions, and has Ethernet, VGA, CompactFlash I/II, USB and serial ports. Frame-grabber boards are available as options. Leutron Vision
