As part of the so-called 'Forklift Eye' project, researchers from the Institute of Materials Handling, Material Flow and Logistics (Garching, Germany) are developing a vision-based system to improve the efficiency and performance of fork-lift trucks.

In Part II of this three-part series, associate professor Daniel Lau (Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Kentucky) describes how active stereo systems can perform accurate 3-D reconstructions even on scenes with low texture areas and smooth surfaces.

Microview & LinZhi Image Tech Corp. (MVLZ; Beijing, China) has developed an automated antisway system for use by port operators that incorporates a smart camera, fiber-optic communication link, and feedback control system based on a programmable logic controller.

AV&R Vision & Robotics has developed a system that combines visual inspection, robotics, and 3-D profiling techniques to inspect critical components such as those used in the aerospace and medical manufacturing industries.

Any nostalgic feelings for the past may be better put aside with the understanding that the future will only bring with it more exciting technologies, products, and applications.

A collaboration between the UK's Transport Research Laboratory (TRL; Wokingham, UK) and innovITS ADVANCE (Nuneaton, UK) has led to the creation of a pedestrian target which will help developers of automotive safety systems test and certify their products.

An imaging particle analysis system from marine instrumentation manufacturer Fluid Imaging Technologies (Yarmouth , ME, USA) recently surpassed six weeks of continuous, unattended operation during in-situ deployment in the coastal waters of Florida.

Researchers at New Mexico State University (NMSU; Las Cruces, NM, USA) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI; Palo Alto, CA, USA) have concluded that unmanned aircraft can be safely and effectively used to assess power grid damage following a storm or natural disaster.

DARPA has engaged 12 research teams to develop software for use on an unmanned ground vehicle which will make use of both computer vision and artificial intelligence techniques.

Trimble Navigation (Sunnyvale,CA, USA) has acquired privately-held Gatewing (Gent, Belgium), a provider of lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and software for photogrammetry and terrain mapping applications.

Target tracking, traffic monitoring, and security and surveillance applications often require following moving objects at high speeds.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (Madison, WI, USA) have developed an image-processing system that captures time-lapse images of how plants grow.

There are many advantages to being a journalist reporting on the latest developments in machine vision and image processing.

On 23rd March 2012, imaging sensors from e2v (Chelmsford, Essex, UK) were launched into space onboard the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Edoardo Amaldi spacecraft, the third Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to be sent to the International Space Station (ISS).