Machine vision systems are increasingly using cloud technology

Machine vision inside and outside the manufacturing environment is increasingly turning to the cloud for off-site computing and storage solutions. Historically, these processes were handled in-house for cost and security purposes. Now, this is all changing.

Machine vision systems can connect to remote cloud computing and storage facilities, augmenting the abilities of any machine vision system, even in the industrial sector. Applications like quality inspection and sorting stand to benefit greatly from this trend. Machine vision has always been responsible for acquiring and processing an enormous number of gigabytes of image data, especially for industrial applications.

Over the years, this amount of data has swelled to an unmanageable size, forcing companies to turn to off-site cloud computing and storage solutions. Without cloud technology, machine vision systems are inherently limited in the amount of data that can be processed. After being connected to a cloud solution, machine vision systems can achieve their full commercial potential.

Increased machine vision connectivity

Cloud technology drastically increases the speed of front-end analysis, allowing manufacturers to experiment with new, more connected solutions. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is enabled by the speed and connectivity that cloud solutions deliver. Remote monitoring, for example, is an early application of IIoT leveraging cloud technology to improve manufacturing operations. Machine vision inspections can be monitored in real-time via the web, which allows for inspection performance analysis, maintenance and changes to inspection criteria.

IIoT is reaching just about every corner of every factory. Machine vision systems connected to the cloud with unprecedented levels of connectivity can achieve entirely new types of vision applications, especially in industrial inspection settings. The cloud is an increasingly vital technology for machine vision systems.

Many of the applications being performed today would not be possible without cloud computing and storage. As more and more data is acquired and processed in industrial settings, machine vision will rely more heavily on cloud technology to meet the demands of today’s manufacturing sector.

This article originally appeared on the AIA website. The AIA is a part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). A3 is a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, Control Engineering, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

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