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The history of the evoVIU

Probably Nicéphore Niépce, creator of the very first photograph in 1826, could not have imagined in his wildest dreams where the journey of photography would lead. The picture, which was taken with a camera obscura and a tin plate coated with asphalt, marked the birth of photography. The evoVIU smart camera was born 189 years after Niépce took his first picture. No trace of asphalt and tin plates anymore, but lots of bits and bytes. How it came to the invention of the evoVIU and how the evoVIU has developed in its so far rather short history, you can read here. The need for a smart camera like the evoVIU became apparent when the market was looking for a robust and technically advanced camera in connection with the evoTrQ system. A camera was to be placed in a forming press that could read out freshly lasered codes and further process the data obtained – all while flying along on the crossbar feeder. The cameras with corresponding functions available on the market at that time were out of the question because either the load would have been too great, the camera itself too massive for the environment or the supply of the cameras in the pressing plant would not have been guaranteed. True to the company motto it’s possible, the task was taken into their own hands, their own resources were exhausted and the starting shot for the development of the Smart Camera evoVIU was fired!

Prototyping (2015 - 2016)

The first step was to develop a concept for the smart camera. The first prototypes were realized and feasibility studies were carried out to find out which components would be needed. After all, choosing the right processor, image sensor, and ultimately optics is crucial to having a usable, high-quality smart camera. Already in this phase there were first solutions for data transmission and control via a web interface. In order to test whether the prototypes really meet all requirements, they were tested in the press shop of an automobile manufacturer.

Smart camera as a product (2017 - 2019)

Over the next few years, the inner workings of the smart camera were built up and optimized step by step. The circuit boards for this were designed in such a way that all components could be compactly packed into the smallest possible space, but there was still the possibility of individual design and adaptability of the camera. A housing encased the sensitive electronics and thus protected the processor, sensor and lens from external influences. A display is integrated in the housing, which can be used to make further settings. In addition, the web interface was further developed so that the user could easily interact with the camera. Further quality and feasibility tests followed, so that nothing stood in the way of its use for its original purpose.

Smart camera evoVIU (2020 - today)

As the evoVIU smart camera turns out to be suitable for the desired use – and even for use cases beyond that – development will be stepped up in 2020. The focus is on various elements such as light, software or image processing. In addition to the Loxi1 light module installed as standard, three others have been developed so that they can be optimally selected depending on the application. The web interface has been given a completely new look and, in addition to countless settings for image acquisition, also offers various custom routines with which different image processing procedures can be carried out. These processes are constantly being further developed, and often these developments are even solutions to customer inquiries. So, throughout the development phase, the smart camera is ideally adapted to different needs and that is until this day. For more information about the current feature set of evoVIU, please visit our website or read this blog article. Because today, after six years of development, the evoVIU smart camera is ready to take on its competitors.