Monday, May 10, 2010

Upgraded machine vision software from Microscan

I was interested to read that Microscan have released version 4.1 of their Visionscape™ package as it suggests an ongoing commitment to the machine vision business. I will confess to having no hands-on experience with the product but the description contained in the press release matches what I expect to see in a solid vision package. (The link goes to the pdf of the press release.)

In particular, I like software that will run on both a smart camera and a PC: that makes it relatively straightforward to upgrade as the demands on the system increase. Matrox endeavor to provide the same growth capability, as do National Instruments. Unfortunately though, Cognex seem determined to keep the InSight and VisionPro products separate and different, making it difficult to grow from smart cameras to PC-based systems.

Microscan was originally just a bar code reading company, but since their acquisition of the old NER light business from Siemens they seem intent on becoming a serious player in machine vision. Competition is good but I wonder if Dr. Shillman is saying, “Bring it on.”?

1 comment:

azmscan said...

Thanks for the shout out... we definitely are investing in the machine vision business which not only was NER but also RVSI which had roots from Automatix and Itran. We still have some of the pioneers in the vision industry on staff and will continue to invest and innovate with an eye on the customer.