APRIL 8--The US Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency "DARPA Grand Challenge" was held March 13, 2004. The Grand Challenge demonstrated the need for truly intelligent camera systems.
There are few choices for sensing and processing data from the environment, and the Vision Components VC2028 as an integrated solution is appealing. Primary alternatives include connecting several delicate and expensive CCD cameras, radar systems, or ladar systems to bulky high-end computers; all of these combinations may cause a reliability issue because of the number of components needing power, cooling, vibration isolation, and so forth.
The VC2028 is a powerful solution because it does not require cooling even in the desert, it's sturdy packaging prevents moisture and shock damage, and it carries a Texas Instruments DSP chip allowing for the equivalent of 1 GHz of computing power. The VC2028 is also an industrial camera, so it is compatible with standard lenses and stands, and the DSP programs can be copied to other VC cameras in only seconds.
For more information go to www.vision-components.com, www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge, or
www.irrf.org.
