The Olympics have arrived in Paris. For most, that’s a cause for celebration. But if your task is to monitor the flow of people, say for transportation needs, you likely have your hands full. The authorities who run the Paris Metro believe they are up to the task of effectively controlling the flow of people in and out of each subway car during the Olympics using a people-flow monitoring system. Such a system provides real-time people flow guidance information.

Using machine vision, an embedded computer can interpret and understand visual information from various inputs, including cameras and other sensors. In an industrial setting, this information is combined with image-processing algorithms to help make informed and extremely valuable decisions.

Automated optical inspection (AOI) is a quality-control process used by manufacturers to detect and identify defects in products. It plays a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of quality control, reducing the likelihood of defects reaching the end consumer.

Smart factories are fairly new concepts, but have evolved more in the last decade than in the 50 years prior. First, a smart factory is an advanced manufacturing facility that employs cutting-edge technologies such as the IoT, AI, and automation to optimize the entire production process.

Machine vision, sometimes referred to as computer vision, is a subset AI that lets computers interpret and understand visual information from the world. It involves algorithms and systems that allow machines to "see" and comprehend images or videos, similar to how humans perceive and understand the visual world.

The evolution within a factory or other manufacturing facility has been occurring as long as those establishments have existed. Getting higher yields, more efficient production, etc., is a never-ending goal. To that end, the “smart factory” was born.

The judges have met and the votes are in. I’m pleased to announce the latest round of Embedded Computing Design’s Best in Show winners for the Automate 2023 Show.