The pace, breadth, and frequency of innovations in our industry is truly remarkable, and if you’re me, it can be a little overwhelming. Just how does one poor scribbler such as Yours Truly differentiate between what is fad and what is substance?

We at Vision Systems Design tend to go with the idea that fad is cool, but substance is, well, useful. Obviously, it’s a little glib to liken someone’s technological baby to, say, a mood ring, or Beta Max (I know; I’m showing my age). But the fact is, useful is going to last awhile. It’s going to be affordable, easily applied/integrated, and most important, will significantly leverage whatever task or application to which it is applied to much higher levels.

This edition of Machine Vision Insider brings a variety of such topics to your attention, starting with an interesting and thorough look at how 3D vision, AI, and edge computing is elevating the field of robotics to revolutionary levels. We’ll also finish my interview with Elementary CEO Milind Karnik, who discusses integrating AI into existing legacy vision systems to significantly improve inspection and throughput efficiency. 

Need a break from the daily grind? Play the latest edition of VSD’s machine vision/engineering word game, OptiLex. And if you really want to see how far things have come in a short amount of time, check out what we have from the archives.

As always, if you have a story idea or news to share, hit us up at [email protected], or reach out directly to me at [email protected].  

Jim Tatum, senior editor
Vision Systems Design