A ruined puzzle

When I saw the head for your recent “My View” (April 2005, p. 60), I knew I would agree with your thesis before I read the article. Actually, however, it seems you have missed one important point. There is a field that combines psychology, philosophy, and computer science. This field is cognitive science, and it has been growing in popularity for the last 30 years. Today many universities have CogSci programs or departments. For more details about this area of study take a look at www.hampshire.edu/cms/index.php?id=781.

Alan Robinson
UCSD Dept. of Cognitive Science
cogsci.ucsd.edu/~aerobins

Your article (My View, April 2005, p. 60) identifies an education that combines psychology, philosophy, and computer science as the proper curriculum to solve vision-related problems. This curriculum is the little-known and newly emerging cross-disciplined study called cognitive science (“cogsci”), which includes linguistics. Cogsci students are just beginning to learn the connections between the observed “felt” world and its underlying computing model.

Terry Arden
LMI Technologies
[email protected]

Lighting up vision

We at Spectrum Illumination think that VSD should have a “new technology” section every quarter for machine-vision lighting. Lighting is what makes imaging possible, but I rarely see any information regarding advances in lighting in machine-vision magazines. Why are the advances in lighting left out of your magazine?

LEDs have made advances over the last few years and are continuing to break new ground. The LED development is being fueled by governments, universities, and large industries for solutions on saving energy used for general illumination. We search out these new technologies and advancements and apply them to solve problems in the vision industry. Lighting suppliers and electronic-component manufacturers could contribute the information.

Matt Pinter
Spectrum Illumination
www.spectrumillumination.com