Image processing
Industry 4.0 route
The 'fourth revolution' in industry promotes and demands visionary perspectives: Intelligent sensors record a wide range of data and are more than just simple switches for controlling industrial production processes.
Good part/bad part detection by a vision sensor is a classic example of a binary assessment - and initially has little to do with a future-oriented solution for the smart factory. However, if the data captured by the sensor during the inspection process can be used to take specific measures to avoid bad parts, this changes the added value potential and benefits of the image processing solution immensely.
Vision sensors for capturing 1D barcodes and 2D codes provide further food for thought in the direction of Industry 4.0. Familiar tasks such as sorting processes or track & trace have been reliably solved - they no longer represent disruptive or even radical innovations. In contrast, the combination with other data - such as object history, digital fingerprints and histogram and feature data - opens up the possibility of trend and deviation analyses that go far beyond the mere identification of components and products. Image processing thus creates a value-adding basis for newly conceived applications and services in the context of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT).
And last but not least, new paths are also being taken in navigation: If a ride-on control system can generate a spontaneous route from a position determination and additional environmental features and derive the corresponding navigation commands, then an image-processing sensor solution is also responsible for this. It records the vehicle's specific application scenario and allows the control system to leave the predetermined course, choose a different route and also react smartly to obstacles or events. When implemented industrially, this can give rise to new business models, such as parking space management with autonomous industrial transporters that safely store and retrieve cars, for example. This is where the topic of Industry 4.0 comes very close to 'Privacy 4.0'.
Industry 4.0 route
The three examples show the disruptive potential with which industrial image processing is making its way towards Industry 4.0 and enabling the development of new services. The 'AppSpace' system from Sick is a technological trailblazer here:
The Sensor Integration Machine 'SIM4000' with four streaming cameras, controlled lighting and an app for stitching image data and fiducial capture.
© SickThe open platform for programmable sensors breaks through the boundaries of classic programming. The system offers system integrators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) the opportunity to develop application solutions themselves specifically to meet the needs and requirements of problems. From the design of the desired web user interface to the selection of the most suitable programming technology and the distribution of the software to different hardware platforms, AppSpace focuses on flexibility in the development of a customized solution.
The platform is divided into three areas: Programmable sensors such as the vision sensors from the Inspector P63x, P64x and P65x product families are used as sensor hardware. Another component of the hardware is the Sensor Integration Machine 'SIM4000', a multi-camera and sensor processor for cross-technology image processing, sensor fusion and data collection. On the software side, the system offers the 'AppStudio' module for application development and the 'AppManager' for implementing and managing apps in the field.
The third pillar of the platform concept is the 'AppSpace Developers Club' community, in which developers from Sick and from customers exchange ideas and define the further development steps of the system.
The open platform system enables application programmers - regardless of different sensor and image processing technologies - to design easy-to-use solutions with lean user interfaces. It does not matter whether it is 3D triangulation, stereo camera, ToF sensor, ranging scanner or conventional 2D vision sensor.
The embedded operating system, a wide range of hardware functions and the Sick and Halcon image processing algorithms can be addressed as basic firmware via extensive APIs.
Exploring opportunities
The idea of thinking in terms of open platform systems for industrial image processing simplifies the implementation of disruptive solutions and ideas in the form of new services and business models. It can be assumed that the number of app developers within the AppSpace system will increase significantly because everyone has the opportunity to design and offer their solutions on Sick's hardware. This will facilitate the further development of industrial image processing into a key technology of Industry 4.0.
AppSpace is a major change not only for users and competitors, but also for Sick - after all, until now, only self-developed application solutions have been offered on the company's sensors. At the same time, an open system for application solutions from OEMs and integrators is now being created.
Author:
Andreas Behrens is Head of Marketing & Sales Barcode RFID Vision at Sick.
The 'AppSpace' platform
'AppSpace' combines software and hardware: 'App-Studio' offers flexible programming options and utilities as well as access to Sick's software toolbox and image processing libraries such as 'Halcon'. Thanks to Lua scripting with many integrated development supports such as auto-completion, app development for the programmable sensors can be easily integrated into existing development processes. The app developed in this way will then be rolled out to various programmable sensors from Sick.
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