Why AI Innovation Should Start with the Algorithm
What's the best way to develop the next generation of AI and machine vision systems?
According to Michael John Fanous, Ph.D., founder and CEO of FanousPhotonics, it may be time to rethink the traditional engineering process. Instead of starting with available hardware and working within its limitations, he suggests beginning with the algorithm, exploring what's possible, and then building the system around that vision.
Here, he explains how an AI-first mindset can open the door to more creative thinking, broader solution spaces, and breakthroughs that might never emerge from a constraints-first approach.
The concept challenges conventional development workflows and encourages engineers to get comfortable operating in the abstract before bringing ideas into the physical world.
The topic is explored in greater depth in Dr. Fanous's article Designing the Blur Budget: Continuous-motion as an Imaging System Lever and in an upcoming episode of the Vision Systems Design podcast Visions: Machine Vision and Automation Solutions.
About the Author
Sharon SpielmanSharon Spielman
Head of Content
Sharon Spielman joined Vision Systems Design in January 2026. She has more than three decades of experience as a writer and editor for a range of B2B brands, most recently as technical editor for VSD's sister brand Machine Design, covering industrial automation, mechanical design and manufacturing, medical device design, aerospace and defense, CAD/CAM, additive manufacturing, and more.