Traditional European music, especially in the classical style, generally uses 12 equal semitones between octaves. However, this is not the only way to divide octaves on a musical scale. Microtonal music, for example, uses intervals smaller than the conventional contemporary Western semitone. Such scales can be even or uneven or partial, and, for example, could contain 72 tones or 43 tones.
NotaRiotous, the chamber ensemble of the Boston Microtonal Society, plays music by microtonal composers such as Manfred Stahnke, who teaches at the Musikhochschule in Hamburg. His compositions include Frankfurt Musicbox, in which the frequency of notes are not really stable and the beat stutters. Such musical compositions challenge the audience to accept new approaches and methods that radically differ from established classical Western music styles.
Likewise, the acceptance of new ideas, technologies, and products is one that is faced daily by many developers of machine-vision and image-processing systems. Such developers must also understand how to develop systems where a number of disparate products must work in harmony to satisfy the demands of an application.
In concert
Covering the accomplishments of machine-vision system integrators has always been a proud beat of Vision Systems Design and in this issue we continue to explore these developments in two articles.
In the first, contributing editor Charlie Masi explains how vision and robots ensure accurate, high-speed spraying of automotive tires. The second, by contributing editor Winn Hardin, plays off the production line theme with a focus on a more delicate process—that of inspecting thin-film solar cells with linescan cameras and darkfield lighting.
Of course, vision systems are not only used in factory automation. In this month’s cover story, for example, editor Andrew Wilson explores how a vision-based system can be used to test a consumer’s experience of mobile device displays. Then, in his Product Focus article, Wilson scores a different note when he describes how CCD and CMOS designers are increasing the dynamic range of image sensors.
During November’s VISION 2009 trade show in Stuttgart, Germany, a full symphony of vision products, technologies, and systems will be on display. With 6000 attendees expected to view the latest developments from 300 exhibitors from around the world, the show promises to provide its audience with scores of new ideas. While some of these may not be traditional, the new products that emerge will fuel the development of more novel applications.
W. Conard Holton, Editor in Chief
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