Cognex introduces low-cost industrial machine vision sensor

Citation

(2000), "Cognex introduces low-cost industrial machine vision sensor", Sensor Review, Vol. 20 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2000.08720cad.010

Cognex introduces low-cost industrial machine vision sensor

Keywords: Cognex, Machine vision, Sensors

In-Sight 2000 offers Cognex vision system performance in compact unit for low cost

Cognex, a leading supplier of machine vision systems, have introduced the In-Sight™ 2000 (see Plate 10), an entirely new type of industrial machine vision sensor that, for the cost usually associated with "smart cameras", provides Cognex's industry-leading vision technology in a stand-alone package that requires no complex programming or PC.

Plate 10In-Sight™ 2000 from Cognex is an entirely new type of machine vision sensor that provides Cognex's industry-leading vision technology in an affordable, stand-alone package that requires no programming or PC. In-Sight offers a comprehensive library of Cognex vision software tools and a revolutionary new type of user interface enabling fast, easy application configuration

In-Sight is significant because it bridges the gap between single-purpose "smart cameras", which typically lack the power and flexibility to solve all but the simplest vision tasks, and general-purpose machine vision systems which are higher in price and which can be more difficult to use.

"In today's factories, there is a rapidly-growing need among automation engineers to maintain a highly flexible and cost-effective manufacturing environment. They need an easy, reliable and inexpensive way to solve vision-related automation problems that can range from rather simple to very complex", said Justin Testa, Vice President of Marketing for Cognex. "InSight addresses this market need by putting the power of Cognex's proven vision technology into the hands of technicians and engineers who need high-performance machine vision capability on their lines without the hassle of programming."

"From my experience, there are a lot of situations where people need something more capable than a sensor but cannot justify the cost of a high-end vision system", said Valerie Bolhouse, machine vision specialist at Ford Motor Corporation's Advanced Manufacturing Technology Development Center. "In-Sight fills the niche in the marketplace between the high-end, full function vision systems and the limited functionality of 'smart camera' products."

In-Sight 2000 represents the debut of a radically new type of user interface for the machine vision industry. It is the world's first vision product that employs a spreadsheet for configuring vision applications, thereby entirely eliminating the need for complex programming or for relying on an external PC for setup. The In-Sight spreadsheet - which has several patents pending - enables users to select tools and parameters through a series of simple menus and dialogue boxes, and then link cells together to perform functions such as locating objects or measuring pads. A hand-held control pad allows for rapid navigation through the worksheet's cells and menus, enabling the user to quickly configure an application, and to make on-the-fly changes to the application during runtime.

Rivaling the performance of more expensive PC-based vision systems, In-Sight offers a full library of Cognex's proven vision software tools, including PatFind, a novel pad location tool based on Cognex's revolutionary PatMax® technology that is able to locate pads despite changes in pad orientation, size, or appearance. These tools enable In-Sight to solve a wide range of challenging machine vision applications in a number of major industries without the need to control the position of pads or their illumination. For example, In-Sight can be used in the automotive industry to locate engine pads for robotic handling; in the medical industry to verify the correct assembly of medical test kits; and in the packaging industry to rapidly measure the position and orientation of labels on bottles.

Slightly smaller than an ordinary telephone, the In-Sight processor features an onboard DSP chip for high speed vision processing, and it has a standard VGA output for an optional live video display. No PC is required, either at setup or runtime. Additionally, it features a rugged, sealed enclosure able to withstand harsh factory environments which can be mounted easily in any orientation.

In-Sight 2000 offers a complete machine vision solution, providing all the components needed for immediate installation on the factory floor. The deployment kit, includes the InSight controller with all vision software pre-installed, hand-held control pad, and digital camera. Cognex also offers a choice of optional LED-based lighting modules for illuminating a wide range of part types. In-Sight will be available in volume in the second quarter of 2000.

Technical contact: Colin Graves, Cognex UK, Chancery House, 199 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes MK91JL, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1908 206000; Fax: + 44 (0) 1908 392463; E-mail: cgraves@cognex.com