CCS Robotics
Booth 2145
Description: Autonomous mobile robots are no longer restricted to specially engineered environments. Using a simple pushbutton interface and synthesized voice feedback, the RoboCourier will deliver items to selected work cells. Once the delivery is completed, the robot will return to the booth for another mission. Call buttons are also used to summon the robot to pickup locations. In addition to courier applications, security and telemedicine robots will be available for hands-on demos.

What you will learn: With very little installation preparation, autonomous mobile robots are finding wide acceptance in commercial and industrial markets. The robots involved in the demos are production models (not one-offs or research projects). With over 3 years of service in the field and thousands of autonomous miles traveled, commercially viable mobile robots are available, affordable, and relentlessly reliable.

Compass Automation
Booth 1323
Description: The demo involves the participant signing their name on a tablet connected to the robot cell we have as part of our booth. The robot then will instantly drill the participant's signature along with our logo into a piece of material that they will get to keep.

What you will learn: The participant will learn the advantages of a robot with Robotmaster software from Compass Automation in dealing with complex processes and difficult machine tool paths. The advantages include seamless integration of robot programming, simulation and code generation with a PC.

Hitachi Kokusai Electric America, Ltd.
Booth 816
Description: Hitachi will demonstrate 2 cameras out of our large GigE product line. The KP-FD202GV and the KP-FD33FV color cameras will both be operating through a camera hub. One camera will be powered externally while the other will be powered over ethernet (POE). The KP-FD202GV is a 2 megapixel UXGA, 18 fps color camera. The KP-FD33GV has VGA color resolution that obtains 120 fps. Both cameras can be addressed separately changing various settings including triggering methods, frames per second, bit depth and the 6 vector color corrector to name a few.

What you will learn: Operators will learn how easy our GigE cameras are to use. They will also be happy to learn that all of our GigE cameras can be powered over ethernet (POE). Camera settings can be changed to best fit the customer's application and it is easy to do. All of our cameras have been certified as Genicam compliant.

HTE Inc
Booth 1218
Description:  Mark Read Track Demo: Laser mark a metal giveaway with a data matrix barcode containing customer information which customer can self scan with a fixed mount vision camera into HTE's plant watch software to "birth the customer" into a sql data base to simulate in-process traceability.

What you will learn:  How to serially mark with a laser hard parts to perform error proofing and traceability. Reduction in mark time using lasers as well as automatic id to perform traceability and error proofing using cameras.

Motoman, Inc.
Booth 1423
Description:  MAN vs MACHINE: RACE DEXTER!  Attendees will race against Motoman’s 15-axis, dual-arm SDA10D robot (aka Dexter Bot) by tracing the Motoman logo (just don’t touch the sides; your time will be penalized for each touch). Dexter, holding the sign in one arm and a pen in the other arm, will perform the same process. Will the human or the robot get the faster time? It’s not as easy as it looks! Top five times of the day will receive a model robot.

What you will learn:  Benefits of a dual arm robot: dexterity to perform complex tasks; coordinated motion with 7-axis arms working together or independently; robot “elbow” in different orientation with same tool center point; robot path accuracy and range of motion.

Stäubli Robotics
Booth 1505
Description: A demonstration of the Staubli Robotics Studio off-line emulation environment. Watch a 3D model of the Staubli TX90 arm move as you control it from a virtual pendant interface. The system will preform a variety of common automation tasks such a material handling, pelletizing, and dispensing. Visualization tools in the 3D viewer allow you to see the complex trajectories VAL3 creates. Zoom in and shift view points to get a difference perspective.  

What you will learn: The participant will learn the basics of the Staubli Robotics Studio (SRS) off-line application development software. This will include the VAL3 Studio programming interface, CS8 Emulator, and the user-friendly 3D Studio environment. These software tools will illustrate how easy it is to visualize some of the most common production tasks.

MATRIX VISION GmbH
Booth 428
Description: Four robots are playing soccer. The Gigabit Ethernet camera mvBlueCOUGAR-S is acquiring images and the system is delivering the coordinates of the ball in real-time. This setup is consisting of a multi-core Cell/B.E. Blade Center from IBM, which is performing the image processing and controlling the robots. The system’s multi-core Cell/B.E. processor is well-known given that this processor accelerates both the world’s fastest super computer in Los Alamos and Sony’s PlayStation 3. Simultaneously, the different cores are responsible for the different tasks like, image handling, image processing and robot controlling.

What you will learn: One aspect is necessary to get the demonstration with overlapping operational areas working: real-time. But this entails a slew of changes. First, you will need a fast image acquisition with enough fps including adequate bandwidth. Second, you will need a processing system, which handles the acquisition and responds in real-time. A multi-core Cell/B.E. accommodates this demands with enough processing power (1 Blade has 2 Cell/B.E. processors with totally 18 processors @ 3.2 GHz).

Midwest Optical Systems
Booth 922
Description:  Live CCD cameras and infrared viewing device will allow visitors to "see" varying effects UV - Visible -IR wavelengths produce. Cameras and viewer will demonstrate extended capabilities of image acquisition utilizing wavelengths ranging from 350nm - 1300nm. We will reveal how to make use of optical filters to maximize image quality. 

What you will learn:  Seeing ultraviolet - infrared is an advantage CCD/CMOS cameras offer machine vision applications. Common materials inspected will absorb or reflect each wavelength differently. A distinction can produce an acceptable image required for fast, reliable and repeatable detection.  However, since UV and IR is undetectable to our eyes, it is often overlooked or not properly applied in the conceptual stages of an application. Each participant will learn how to optimize image features by using optical filters.

National Instruments
Booth 416
Description:  Discover how NI Vision Builder AI, a menu-driven software environment for building, bencharmking and deploying complete machine vision applications, can interact with four different, real-time vision systems to inspect roller skate wheels. Using a GigE Vision linescan camera, the NI Embedded Vision System inspects the printed graphic on each wheel. High-speed and high-resolution NI Smart Cameras precisely measure the physical characteristics of each wheel. Finally, an NI Compact Vision System takes two sequential images of each rolling wheel to measure its velocity.

What you will learn:  This demonstration proves that you don't need to learn and maintain a different software package for every vision system you create. With Vision Builder AI, you can configure cameras, acquire images, build inspections, communicate results and even create HMIs without programming. With its intuitive user interface, even a vision novice can create a seemingly complex machine vision system that incorporates state-based branching and looping.

PIAB Vacuum Products
Booth 1211
Description: Participants will view three different types of vacuum systems designed around optimizing vacuum technology and reducing energy consumption. Participants simply record findings onto an Excel spreadsheet which will compare air usage and response times of the three different types of systems and calculate their energy usage. Helps participants understand that reducing pressures, eliminating restrictions and leaks in a system will help promote a best practice approach to designing vacuum systems and promote ways of reducing energy costs.

What you will learn: This exhibit shows three different types of vacuum systems. Participants push a button to start each demo and record findings onto an Excel spreadsheet. Displays show evacuation time to 15-inHg and blow-off time. This can be done at 80 and 50 psi to see how it responds to different pressures. When recording data, additional information is asked regarding cycle rate, number of pumps and then it will provide yearly compressed air usage and costs.

PPT VISION, Inc.
Booth 513
Description: Check out OCR on a miniature solar windmill or a simple inspection on a toy truck.  PPT's demo features three smart cameras inspecting different features on a perpetually-moving model work site. All three smart cameras interface into a single easy-to-operate control panel.  The panel is a touch screen and someone on the "tour" can self navigate between any of the 3 vision inspections. A solar windmill is inspected to calculate the rotational velocity of the fan blades. PPT's Impact A-series right angle smart camera is automatically triggered at controlled time intervals and outputs the windmill's velocity regardless of the windmill's rotational position.  The second camera, a PPT Impact T-series inline smart camera inspects for the presence/absence of randomly dumped balls in a hopper and calculates the cycle time of a solar-powered truck. The third camera, a compact PPT Impact C-series, is pointed at mirrors attached to a moving vehicle. This optical setup allows the camera to see behind opaque objects. The PPT Impact software flips the mirror image and employs its OCR (optical character recognition) capabilities to output a text string. 

What you will learn: Ease-of-use in applying smart camera technology.

Qioptiq LINOS, Inc.
Booth 710
Description:  The inspec.x Cam will be available to inspect the confined interior of a partially disassembled, reconditioned Harley Davidson 1972 Shovelhead engine. The user will be able to independently handle and operate the 90° camera wand in locating and inspecting various stickers applied to the confined spaces of the motor interior. The user will experience and appreciate the compact and ergonomic 90° inspection instrument, being able to adjust auto-coupled iris aperture and LED intensity with a single hand. Utilizing the USB 2.0 power and interface, the user will view full-color, real-time image on a 24” flat panel display. Using the embedded inspec.x Cam control software, the user will be able to capture full color still images at any point of the demo onto the driving laptop computer. 

What you will learn:   Inspec.x cam features a 1/3" CCD, self-contained white LED's, and single-handed control interface for aperture, illumination intensity, focus adjust and image capture. Compact head is 0.5" wide on an 11" neck affording 90° inspection inside tight spaces where normal cameras will not fit... cylinders, bores, pipes, cast cavities, and hard-to-reach under surfaces. Closeup and infinity imaging mode. Includes control software for control and interface with Windows PC.

Velodyne Lidar, Inc.
Booth 1230
Description: Obstacle detection using a 3D scanning lidar sensor with 360 degree field of view. identify stationary or moving obstacles in the area and determine needs for evasive action, if needed.

What you will learn: Capability of 3D model of environment for mapping, navigation, and safety.

Vision Components GmbH
Booth 822
Description: On a simple turn table a Vision Components platform based smart camera inspects parts in a preset inspection scenario for absence-presence, and measurement tolerances.  The smart camera automatically takes pictures of the parts when in field of view and immediately acts on the results showing them graphically on the monitor screen.  The visitor will be able to change the inspection tasks with the easy operator control on-the-fly. There is no need to stop either the machine or the inspection process while modifying the current setups. You can even ad new measurements or change or delete ROI during operation.

What you will learn:  Hands-On-Highway attendees will experience insights to the Easy To Use operator control.
Participants will learn about how to reduce waste using parallel setup techniques, while inspection tasks are still running in the background .  We will discuss with visitors specific Return of Investment calculation examples with concrete numbers, comparing different platforms, pointing to the direction of the greener technology.