ADLINK Q&A: Embedded vision, Internet of Things, future deployments of vision technology

One of the numerous interviews I conducted while at The Vision Show 2016 was with Jim Blasius, Solutions Architect for ADLINK Technology Inc, during which we discussed the latest at his company, potential growth areas in the industry, future applications, and the state of the machine vision industry.

When asked about what was new at ADLINK, Blasius quickly pointed out the release of the EOS-1300 embedded vision system. The EOS-1300 features 6th generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3 processors and has up to four Gigabit Power over Ethernet ports, four USB 3.0 ports, and FPGA-implemented digital I/O functions. This product, explained Blasius, was developed for automation and machine vision inspections, among others.

As this is an embedded vision product, we also discussed that topic, as it has been a hot one as of late.

"We are selling embedded computing products to all markets," he said. "As Intel continues to increase performance, it allows people to deploy into more, smaller embedded applications."

Another topic I wanted to ask about specifically was the Internet of Things, in terms of ADLINK’s product development and the potential of the technology.

"The Internet of Things will be every place, but there is no standardization on it yet," he said. "So it may be a fragmented business for a while."

Blasius then noted that ADLINK did recently acquire PrismTech, a provider of software platforms, tools, and services for customers building system solutions for the Internet of Things, the industrial internet, and advanced wireless communications. Internet of Things technologies, he said, can be used in a vast array of different applications, including military, smart cities, and so on, noting that “there are ways to get data from anything."

In terms of the overall machine vision market, Blasius noted that it is healthy and continues to grow, which is aided by the fact that companies are looking toward productivity and eliminating human decision and error.

"As hardware and algorithms improve, this will keep growing the markets," he said. "Manufacturing environments need higher throughput, lower down times, and better decisions to stay ahead."

When asked to look ahead toward possible future developments in vision, Blasius noted the proliferation of camera technologies into everyday life, and where this could go next.

"Camera technologies and capabilities are prolific, and this can be seen by the technology making its way into things like facial recognition devices and vehicles," he said.

Then, he rhetorically asked, "Could cameras be sewn into clothing or apparel for personal security?" He suggested that such cameras could provide images to the cloud in real time, while providing data on locations, which would provide safety for the person wearing the device.

"I would pay for a service where I was monitored and taken care of in sucha way," he concluded.

View more information on ADLINK.

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