NEWS


Nvidia's Love to give keynote at UKIVA conference


opportunity for visitors to find out about the use of embedded platforms in applications that include vision and robotics. Richard has more than 25


By Allan Anderson, UKIVA chairman


With just a few months to go until the UKIVA Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition, we are delighted to announce that the keynote address will be given by Richard Love, from Nvidia. Richard is EMEA marketing manager for the Nvidia Jetson embedded processor family. The keynote will be the first presentation of the conference at 10am on 14 May at the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes, UK. The keynote reflects the fact embedded vision continues to be one of the major development areas in machine vision. It will be an excellent


years’ experience working with developers of 3D graphics, cloud software and AI hardware technology solutions, including Autodesk, Microsoft and, of course, Nvidia. He manages the launch and marketing of AI-based solutions for industrial robotics, autonomous machines, unmanned aerial vehicles, intelligent video analytics and smart cities. Preparations for the


conference and exhibition are in full swing and exhibitor numbers are up compared to this time last year. In addition, UKIVA already has three companies booked which did not exhibit at last year’s event. Given that the Vision show in Stuttgart will take place in November, the ability


to attract new exhibitors is a strong indication of how well established the event has become. Many people in the UK who


want to learn more about vision and what it has to offer in the real world find it difficult to justify a trip to an overseas exhibition, even one as big as


‘Having the opportunity to meet for face-to-face discussions is proving an attractive alternative’


Vision. Having the opportunity in the UK to meet with manufacturers, suppliers and systems integrators for face-to- face discussions is proving to be an attractive alternative. This is reflected in the high number of pre-registrations already received for the event, with visitors from a wide range of different industries planning to attend. The conference provides


Make vision easier to use, say experts at SPS


By Anne Wendel, director of VDMA Machine Vision


In the opinion of many experts, the use of machine vision is still not intuitive enough. That's according to panellists during a discussion, organised by VDMA Machine Vision, at trade show SPS in Nuremberg in November. Rainer Schönhaar, from the machine vision team at Balluff, said: ‘In the past, three people were needed to implement systems with machine vision components: one for system planning, another for control technology, and a third for machine vision. The communication between these worlds must become easier, to increase the user acceptance of image processing.’ Andreas Waldl, integrated vision product manager at B&R, agreed: ‘Nobody is willing


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to invest a lot of time for communication between the automation and vision areas any longer. The integration of image processing in automation systems must be as easy as possible, to provide economical solutions.’


Standards key to success Dr Klaus-Henning Noffz, director of new business development at Basler, considers the communication standard Open Platform Communication, Unified Architecture (OPC-UA) key to machine vision success in automation. There are already OPC-UA companion specifications for robotics and machine vision, which define communication between these sectors. ‘The willingness of the industry to develop OPC-UA together, and thus establish widely accepted standards for vision hardware and software, was a very important step for merging automation and machine vision.’ Peter Keppler, director of


corporate sales at Stemmer Imaging, agreed that OPC-UA makes the connection between these two specialist areas much closer and increases user acceptance: ‘This standard definitely helps to create new possibilities, for example in coupling machine vision and robotics.’


‘Attempts have been made for years to find a standard, all-in-one solution’


Christian Vollrath, head of


computer vision at Wenglor Sensoric, also mentioned the VDI/VDE/VDMA series of guidelines 2632 as a valuable tool for reducing communication difficulties between automation and machine vision systems.


Potential for improvements Standards are an important aspect to make it easier for automation engineers to use vision systems. However, the use of the technology will not


become child’s play in the foreseeable future, Keppler said. ‘A machine vision system consists of many components. From lighting, optics and camera to software, all elements must be matched to each other, in order to solve a specific task,’ he said. ‘Without a certain amount of expertise, it is therefore usually not easy to make the optimal selection. This applies equally to intelligent cameras and PC systems.’ Moreover, in Keppler’s opinion, attempts have been made for years to find a standard, all-in-one solution that can solve any task, that allows all communication options, and that offers the greatest possible flexibility, but is still easy to operate. ‘I think we will see a major change here towards special subsystems that can be used to solve specific tasks.’ l A full version of this article can be found at www. imveurope.com/analysis- opinion


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a programme of around 60 technical seminars, over eight technical themes, covering: vision in robotics; understanding vision technology; deep learning and embedded vision; 3D vision; optics and illumination; camera technology; systems and applications; and vision innovation. The exhibition represents


an excellent cross-section of the industrial vision industry. Perhaps most importantly the event provides the opportunity to network with many experienced and knowledgeable vision specialists under one roof. Visitors can pre-register on the event website (www. machinevisionconference.co.uk), where further details on the content of the keynote address and the rest of the conference programme, as well as the exhibition, will be published as they are finalised.


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