The Vision Trade Fair held from November 8th to 10th, 2011, in Stuttgart marked its most successful edition yet. With 323 exhibitors—a first-time milestone exceeding the three-century mark—and a record-breaking visitor count of 6,752 highly qualified attendees, this event underscored significant growth in the machine vision market.

Several technology trends stood out during the exhibition:

CMOSIS-Based Cameras: A Rising Star

CMOS technology has firmly established itself in high-end applications, particularly following advancements in global shutter image sensors from companies like CMOSIS. These developments have positioned CMOS as a competitive alternative to traditional CCDs.

CCD Image Sensors: Still Relevant

Although CMOS is gaining ground against CCD image sensors, the latter remains resilient in machine vision applications due to its superior image quality. Exhibitors such as Kodak and Sony showcased impressive products that highlight this ongoing competition.

3D Imaging Takes Center Stage

The trend toward three-dimensional imaging continued with extensive discussions and component displays across various exhibition booths, reflecting growing market interest in depth perception technologies.

USB3 Vision: High Anticipation

USB3 Vision generated considerable excitement among attendees. As a member of the USB3 Vision group, Adimec will provide updates on developments. Point Grey also presented their USB3 cameras alongside other exhibitors.

CoaXPress Gains Momentum

With over 18 exhibitors showcasing products using this interface standard, CoaXPress continues progressing toward full market acceptance. The Plugfest for interoperability compliance testing and certification demonstrated the community’s commitment to standards adherence. Industry plans include another Plugfest at the ITE in Japan for physical layer compliance.

Expanding Applications

Machine vision cameras are finding use in increasingly diverse applications beyond traditional factory automation:

  • Hyper or multispectral imaging is being used more frequently for surface inspection.
  • Defense systems and intelligent transportation systems designers are leveraging machine vision technology due to its combination of low cost and high performance. A recent Vision Systems Design article explores these trends further.

Honoring Excellence

The 19th annual VISION Award recognized outstanding innovation in the field:

Congratulations go to the winners: the 3D Dental Scanner developed at the Austrian Institute of Technology and being commercialized by Klagenfurt-based company a.tron3D.

We look forward to seeing you all at next year’s event!

Last Updated: 2025-09-04 21:36:02