3D machine vision expected to be a hot topic at VISION 2016

Among the various new and existing machine vision and imaging technologies that will be on display at the VISION tradeshow in Stuttgart, which will take place from November 8-10, is 3D machine vision, which is expected to be one of the hot topics featured at the show.

3D technology, according to Messe Stuttgart, the show’s organizers, can help improve logistics handling and production optimization. There is an increasing tendency among users to view 3D systems as multi-functional devices which can accomplish numerous tasks.

Jana Bartels, Product Manager for 3D/ToF at Basler, commented on the technology: "There is growing interest in 3D cameras, for example for process automation and monitoring, to simplify the control of robotic systems, and to optimize, and increase the security of, man-machine interfaces."

Bartels went on to cite a collaborative project between Jungheinrich AG and the Hanover Institute for Integrated Production (IPH) with Basler and Götting KG as well as the Institute for Technical Computer Sciences (ITI) at the University of Lübeck. This project resulted in the creation of a high-reaching forklift truck that understands human language and uses 3D machine vision to interpret gestures. Additionally, Bartels noted that less complex 3D systems are also in the pipeline, which will incorporate faster sensors with higher resolutions, and will be easier to operate.

Industry 4.0 is also cited as an important driver for innovation in the vision sector, and Ritchie Logan, Vice President of Business Development at odos imaging, notes that his company has developed solutions in 3D Time of Flight technology in connection with Industry 4.0 and Logistics 4.0. Logan and his team won the VISION Award in 2014 for its 3D Time of Flight real.iZ VS-1000 3D vision system, which uses a pulsed Time of Flight technique and combines pixel-by-pixel range measurement technology and conventional image intensity information. This year, odos imaging will present new 3D developments, including StarForm (pictured), a high-resolution 3D ToF camera, and the StarStop event recording camera with freeze motion function.

LMI Technologies notes that its customers are particularly concerned with reliability, rapid and precise measurements, and usability, and that to meet these needs, LMI incorporates CMOS image sensors and embedded technology into the sensors. At the VISION show, LMI will present their most recent 3D products, including the Gocator 2410 smart 3D laser line profiler and Gocator 3506 smart 3D snapshot sensor, which according to the company, offers the highest resolution within the entire sector at 2 and 5 MPixels, respectively.

For customers of Matrix Vision, the rapid acquisition of 3D data from moving objects is crucial. Uwe Furtner, Technical Director at Matrix Vision, notes that their solution involves 3D point cloud generation with a sufficiently high-resolution, and that rapid 3D data capture is desirable because it represents a valuable addition to Industry 4.0, because of its ability to be integrated into networked environments. Matrix Vision will showcase its mvBlueSIRIUS camera, which provides movement vectors and RGB color data in addition to 3D point clouds.

"In addition to a pure data calculation, our camera is able to recognise objects, which can be described in terms of data relating to shape, color, size and velocity,” said Furtner.

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