Vision market hinges on ease of use
In a recent interview, Justin Testa of Cognex discussed trends in machine-vision technology.
By Larry Maloney, Contributing Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 11/1/2008 2:00:00 AM
 JUSTIN TESTA Executive VP Cognex Natick, MA In 2008, Justin Testa was named executive VP and group business manager of the Cognex Modular Vision Systems Division, with responsibility for strategic planning and product development in four major areas: vision systems, vision software, vision sensors, and ID products. Testa joined Cognex in 1983 as a sales engineer and has held a variety of positions including senior VP of marketing, where he was responsible for worldwide product management, marketing communications, industry and competitive analyses, and new business development. He holds a BA from Boston University and an MBA from Boston College. Contributing editor Larry Maloney interviewed Testa at the Cognex offices on trends in machine-vision technology. |
Q: What will it take to get the machine-vision industry out of its slump?
A: Recovery depends in part on improvements in the general economy, especially in semiconductors, electronics, and automotive—all vital markets for machine vision. But those factors aside, our challenge as an industry is to find ways to solve more problems for customers. If we want to grow the market, we must address their pain and the burning need for new solutions. That’s why Cognex invests heavily in R&D even during downturns.
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Justin Testa addresses more questions on vision hardware and software technology, in the continuation of this interview. |
Q: What are the chief improvements that customers want to see in vision systems?
A: Ease of use is always a concern. We need to make it easier not only to create a vision application but also to deploy and maintain an application. In my view, the machine-vision market is more “ease-of-use elastic” than it is “price elastic.”
Q: Which of the vision applications targeted by Cognex is growing the fastest?
A: Hands down, the fastest growing application is industrial identification. In fact, the company’s very first product back in 1982 was an optical character reader for industrial part tracking. It started with wafer tracking in the semiconductor field but has broadened over time to embrace the need of many industries for cradle-to-grave traceability of parts and products.
Concurrent with that has been the rise of many enabling technologies, such as the 2-D symbol and direct part marking. We now sell a family of DataMan ID readers, which incorporate our powerful machine-vision capabilities, into many markets, ranging from automotive and electronics to medical devices and pharmaceuticals. In cases of recalls, being able to trace a part to a particular lot number through ID can save a company enormous expense.
Q: What application ranks next in terms of growth?
A: That would be the broad area of inspection, which embraces many applications, such as presence/absence, dimensional checking, and defect detection. Opportunities in defect detection, for example, are opening up as a result of higher-resolution cameras and faster image processing.
Q: What are the chief applications for your new In-Sight Micro Vision system?
A: It packs a complete general-purpose vision system into a small package about the size of a remote-head camera. Measuring just 30x30x60 mm, the system is paired with our new EasyBuilder configuration software and VisionView operator interface display.
The result is a more affordable and accessible vision system for all sorts of automation, especially in embedded applications where space is at a premium. For example, you’ll see In-Sight Micro integrated into automation devices, such as the end effectors on robots.
Q: Looking ahead, what are some of the emerging applications for machine vision?
A: One area that is getting more interest is 3-D imaging, which could certainly help grow the vision market. We are putting more investment into color vision systems, and we see that area growing as well. More opportunities in defect inspection should also open up, with better resolution cameras, improved lighting, and more powerful processors. In many of these applications, continued progress in putting more intelligence into vision-software tools will hold the key to success.
Read the continuation of this interview.
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