Much of the latest news surrounding machine vision is about machine learning and the innovations regarding algorithms. But those algorithms need data to perform correctly. The data in this case is the images. It is imperative to capture the best image possible so that the algorithms can perform at their highest level.

The choice of camera data interface is a vital consideration both in traditional PC-based machine vision systems and in the increasingly important area of embedded vision.

Imaging lenses are critically important components for systems deployed in all types of environments such as factory automation, robotics, and industrial inspection.

Many of today’s industrial software applications are designed to run natively on the Windows platform. Accessing and controlling external hardware devices with a Windows application is usually achieved by using a driver provided by the hardware supplier and activating hardware functions using an SDK.

Due to rising labor costs and a shortage of skilled inspectors, today’s manufacturers are facing intense pressure to automate processes that rely on the senses of experienced human workers.

While early adopters found more promise than productivity, Industry 4.0 has finally come of age.