Machine vision (MV) solutions for quality control in manufacturing are becoming ever more essential for manufacturers due to increased regulatory requirements, new manufacturing techniques, and crippling labour shortages.
ABI Research says the market is facing a period of significant evolution due to the growing presence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions acting as an enabling technology, which will fuel growth in the quality control machine vision market to reach US$7.2 billion by 2028, up from US$2.3 billion in 2023.
“AI is accelerating and improving the efficiency of the MV market. It increases inspection speeds and enables the movement of quality upstream, and AI systems are more adaptable than traditional software,” explains James Prestwood, industrial and manufacturing industry analyst at ABI Research.
“Although many AI solutions can easily integrate with existing MV hardware and software, making it a low-hanging fruit for manufacturers to leverage, its lack of explainability can be challenging. Without this functionality, AI could struggle to make traction in high-regulation markets.” James Prestwood
“While some AI vendors are making great strides to support their software with explainability functionality, such as Neurala, it is not a standard feature on all solutions yet,” said Prestwood.
The MV ecosystem comprises a wide range of vendors, with many specializing in providing best-of-breed components, such as Neurala, Intel, Google, Landing AI, Instrumental for AI, and Sony, Teledyne, and Nikon for cameras. Other vendors focus on providing robust end-to-end MV solutions, including Aqrose Technology, Cognex, Basler, Keyence, SICK, Omron, and Elementary Robotics.
“For most manufacturers, budget and build complexity will be the defining factor for choosing off-the-shelf solutions and build-your-own with best-of-breed component deployments. Smaller manufacturers will likely find the greatest use for off-the-shelf solutions due to their lower cost and simpler requirements,” Prestwood concludes.
