INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Franz says. ‘But there’s a lot of things you need to do to make sure you get the best results from the image.’ Tis takes time, with Franz estimating that if developing the basic camera concept takes three months, it can take three times longer to get the best out of an image. ‘Te combination of sensor and lens, and optimising the output with the driver, is where we can improve the application,’ he says. He adds that this has a direct impact on edge processing, where it’s important to optimise the image to minimise power consumption and get good results when working with neural networks. Framos engineers will work with the
customer to decide on the best architecture for the application. ‘Most of our new customers think about embedded architectures,’ Franz says. ‘We have no new customers where this is not a discussion. Whether it ends up as edge processing depends on the application.’ Franz sees the machine vision industry
continuing to change, with a lot of consolidation and price pressure resulting from this. Tere are also political tensions between the Asia region and North America and Europe, which is having an impact on technical architectures. In addition, some of Framos’ customers are now demanding an audit of the firm’s supply chain, to track where
all components are sourced from, which increases the cost of doing business. Te shortage of semiconductor components is another challenge facing the vision industry. Franz expects potential delays in semiconductor supply chains to last for the next 12 months, and that there could be side effects later down the line, where either companies cannot deliver or too much stock is available. ‘Everyone is on their toes to handle the situation,’ he says.
‘Te industrial side is still strong and is still growing, but other areas are growing faster’
Business models of large companies like
Sony or Intel are also changing. Machine vision is now a market of interest to these firms and they are starting to provide more vision solutions. ‘As the business model changes in these large companies, it can impact us smaller machine vision companies,’ Franz says. ‘Tat’s an old threat. But with the development towards edge processing, this could be a new competitive landscape, so we need to be prepared.’
Franz is optimistic about the future
irrespective of these challenges. ‘Vision is still at its beginning; it’s the coolest industry to be in,’ he says. ‘Tere are so many developments, in sport, in home robotics, in retail, [and] many examples that are not a reality yet but will come. For all of this you need imaging.’ Framos plans to hire more engineers and
expand further in different areas of imaging, from optics to software, as well as in different vertical markets. It will also evaluate whether to expand further in Asia. ‘Te overall goal stays the same: to get the
most out of the image for our customers,’ Franz says, adding: ‘For the next few years we will be focusing on applications.’ He gave the example of automatic walkout supermarket checkouts, which are not yet a reality and will need imaging to work. ‘Te industrial approach is needed for
new vertical markets,’ he continues. ‘All of them start cheap, but learn the importance of a good image and that’s a chance for us to say you need to use industrial components and standards. Te industrial approach is an opportunity to get into these emerging markets. Perhaps it is tough to handle first-tier automotive, but we can handle robots, medical devices, drones and thousands of other applications, and that’s a big opportunity.’ O
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
