JULY 17--Cognex UK (Epsom, Surrey, UK; www.cognex.co.uk) has developed vision technology that will soon be incorporated into low-cost vision sensors for new, nonindustrial applications. The Cognex CPS-100 vision sensor is designed for door security; it can detect and count people as they pass through an access-controlled doorway. The company's existing vision software, as well as patented 2-D and 3-D vision technology has recently been developed for "people-sensing" applications.
To market this product, Cognex has entered into a multiyear agreement with Horton Automatics, a leading manufacturer of automatic doors headquartered in Corpus Christi, TX. Under the agreement, Cognex will develop and manufacture the CPS-100 and will provide the sensors, on an OEM basis, to Horton. Horton will integrate the CPS-100 into its secure automatic doors and portals, which control access to facilities such as airports, government buildings, industrial clean rooms, and computer network rooms. The CPS-100 will be used to prevent unauthorized personnel from entering secure areas by "piggybacking" or "tailgating" on the entry or exit of another person.
"Even though a human observer can readily detect piggybacking and tailgating, it is challenging to make silicon as smart as protoplasm," commented Sanjay Nichani, Cognex lead developer of the CPS-100. "Designing a sensor that can work 'out of the box' in an uncontrolled environment where lighting and shadows are unpredictable requires both advanced academic study and practical machine-vision experience."
Robert J Shillman, Cognex chairman and CEO, says, "Because of the increased performance and decreased price of computer hardware, we can design vision-based products for some of the high-volume applications that require high speed, high accuracy, and high reliability, but very low cost."
