From use in agriculture, production processes, automated robots, retail services of the future, healthcare, and much more, embedded vision systems are increasingly finding use in industries across the globe. With the advent of technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning that are enabling better use of visual data, the scope of use for embedded vision systems is going to flourish further. TimesTech in an interaction with Maharajan Veerababu, Co-founder at E-Con Systems tried to learn more about Embedded Vision System.
Read edited excerpts here:
TimesTech: How does the Embedded Vision System work?
Maharajan: Embedded vision is an innovative new technology with the potential to have a vast range of applications and influence the course of various industries. The vision system is made up of a camera and the processing board is referred to as embedded vision. In the past, vision systems were only possible with the help of a camera and a computer system. Both of which were pricey and huge. Both cameras and computers became more compact and inexpensive as time went on. Thus, making it possible to integrate them into other systems.
The mix of hardware and technology helps enable process control and automation, much like machine vision. Compact embedded vision systems generally consist of an image processor installed on top of a camera. In today’s world of linked embedded systems, devices, and objects, vision intelligence is possible through a mix of traditional image processing and deep learning. It takes advantage of edge computing as well as cloud computing capabilities to create a seamless system.
TimesTech: How will Embedded Vision Systems and Artificial Intelligence revolutionize industries in the coming future?
Maharajan: The capabilities of embedded vision technology will expand as a result of further research, innovation, and integration with AI. Since it will be easier and faster to train, the AI module, and subsequently the processing, will be far more powerful. It will be able to recognize a significantly larger number of images than it currently can. To develop more adaptable applications, embedded vision will also be combined with other technologies or branches of AI. For instance, the environment may be understood by visually impaired persons using a mix of picture captioning software and natural language generation (NLG).
The next ten years will see AI-powered robotic systems intelligently interact with people to achieve certain goals. This will enable a wide range of applications for AI-integrated embedded vision across a number of sectors. These includes logistics, construction, agriculture, healthcare, education, and more. In the near future, smart camera systems will operate sophisticated AI algorithms. It will allow robots to make more intelligent judgements. Driven by the rapid advancements in sensors, processors, and software, the future of the technology is clearly promising.
TimesTech: How can challenges associated with embedded vision systems such as reflective materials be mitigated?
Maharajan: Since light reflected towards a camera is the most common reason for over-saturation and a loss of features, reflective surfaces pose a challenge for embedded vision systems. High dynamic range (HDR) is widely used to reproduce a wider dynamic range of brightness than is often attainable with traditional digital imaging or photography processes, hence reducing reflections in an image. However, the light source is sometimes an integrated lighting component of the inspection system with a parallel illumination path to the camera’s line of sight (LOS). This can create heavy back reflection, where HDR is insufficient, and cutting-edge proprietary anti-reflection (AR) solutions are employed. Multiple images are produced using various directional lighting modules, which are then combined to produce a single, reflection-free image.
TimesTech: How will the market for Embedded Vision Systems perform in the future?
Maharajan: Cameras and image-sensing technologies are rapidly evolving all around the world. The demand for improved image sensing and processing technologies has risen due to the rising demand for automation. These ranging from automotive and industrial to medical and retail. Adapting these new technologies and developing solutions is a very specialized competence that e-con Systems has honed over time. For example, new application use cases such as Autonomous Mobile Robots, Smart Farming, Smart Checkout systems, and patient monitoring necessitate the use of cutting-edge imaging sensor technologies and the development of camera sensor solutions with intelligence. All of e-con Systems’ R&D and product design takes place in India before being exported to the world. In the years to come, the demand for specialized embedded vision systems will only rise. Further requiring more and more innovations and high-quality solutions to support various industries.
