“At first people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they hope it can be done, then they see it can be done-then it is done and the whole world wonders why it was not done centuries ago.”
- frances hodgson burnett, the secret garden.

Does this sound like your company? Without adapting to change, companies may struggle in today’s global economy, with the constant need to make better products with fewer resources and in less time.

Vision & Sensors aims to help readers with any “strange new thing,” whether it is purchasing vision equipment, implementing a vision system or simply learning how vision will work with your application.

This edition provides information to help you integrate the vision system, choose a smart camera and learn why lighting may be the most important component in the system.

Dalsa’s Philip Colet, vice president of sales and marketing, says all advances in machine vision technology can be seen in the context of four pillars. Turn to page 8 to learn about these emerging trends.

Then David Dechow, president of Aptura Machine Vision Solutions and a recent recipient of Automated Imaging Association (AIA)’s achievement award, explains why an LED light might be more important than the camera. Learn why successful lighting for machine vision applications clearly is based on scientific principles, but also requires experience and art in the final implementation.

Greg Hollows, vision integration partners coordinator at Edmund Optics, explains how to make the vision integration process as smooth as possible. Though the cost of implementing vision may seem painful, he reminds readers to consider the cost of not doing so.

Vision & Sensors contributing editor Larry Adams explains just how smart cameras have become. Most experts feel that smart cameras are capable of doing 70 to 90% of the machine vision tasks that a PC-based vision system can do, Adams says. In fact, they have progressed so far that one vision integrator says that in the next five to 10 years, smart cameras will have progressed to the point where his services are no longer needed.

And for more vision information, visit our new vision site, www.visionsensorsmag.com. It contains exclusive content that couldn’t fit into these pages, including more lighting information and vision integration tips.

Our next issue features more information on vision standards, smart sensors, and lenses and optics. In the meantime, we will also be sending out several Vision & Sensors e-newsletters this summer. Sign up today at www.visionsensorsmag.com.

And as always, Vision & Sensors will continue to provide additional vision information, including news, case studies and products.

And don’t forget the International Robots & Vision Show, June 12 to 14, 2007 in Rosemont, IL, co-located with the Sensors Expo & Conference, will provide more tips.

For those willing to go the distance, literally, Vision 2007, the 20th International Trade Fair for Machine Vision and Identification Technologies, will be held in Stuttgart, Germany, November 6 to 8, 2007.

Remember, even if the technology seems intimidating, eventually it will seem strange that you hadn’t always done things this way. Let me know your thoughts at [email protected].