AIA announces plans for the future

Group cites standards development and certification as key activities.

-- Test & Measurement World, 2/1/2012 7:00:00 AM

AIA, the industry trade group for vision and imaging companies, unveiled its vision for the future, including a new brand identity emphasizing AIA's commitment to advancing vision and imaging technology worldwide. The group changed its name from Automated Imaging Association to just AIA and added a tagline: Advancing Vision + Imaging.

"We've spent the last 18 months developing our vision of where AIA, our members, and the vision and imaging industry as a whole are headed in the future," said Jeff Burnstein, AIA's president. "We've also changed the name of our website from Machine Vision Online to Vision Online, in recognition of the fact that vision is used in entertainment, medical imaging, warehousing, retail, and many other industries where the word machine may be too narrow of a description."

Burnstein noted that AIA will be expanding its educational and promotional programs in North America and abroad to reach new users of vision and imaging technology. In addition, he cited several key AIA activities as core to its mission, including standards development and certification. "AIA is working diligently to help develop and promote global standards, such as Camera Link, Camera Link HS, GigE Vision, and USB3 Vision," Burnstein said. "We work very closely with the EMVA (European Machine Vision Association) and the JIIA (Japan Industrial Imaging Association) on global standards development."

In 2010, AIA launched its CVP (Certified Vision Professional) program at the basic level. The program was expanded in 2011 to include the advanced level. In 2012, AIA will launch a program designed to certify system-integrator companies. Additionally, basic level programs will be offered as in-house training and online so that interested companies don't have to wait for events, such as the Vision Show and Automate 2013, to get their key people trained.

AIA, www.visiononline.org