The global machine vision market is set to reach $11.6 billion in 2024, nearly doubling to $22.6 billion by 2032. This translates to a compound annual growth rate of 8.7%, according to a report issued last month by Fortune Business Insights. This is good news for an industry that has seen its share of recent challenges during the last 12 to 18 months, especially in Europe. As we’ve reported on extensively in Vision Spectra, 3D imaging and vision-guided robotics are playing a critical role, with the authors of Fortune Business Insights noting that the “widespread adoption of these systems across various industries, including semiconductor, health care, automotive, manufacturing, and others is expected to drive market growth.” One development is the emergence of standard systems that combine several of these technologies, such as integrating 3D vision, AI software, and a robot for tasks such as part handling and random object pick and place tasks. Such systems are at the heart of our coverage in this issue. In “AI Assists Vision-Guided Robots in Food and Beverage Inspection,” Oxipital AI’s vice president of product and marketing examines how artificial intelligence is enabling robots tasked with food inspection to adapt in real time, making them more efficient, accurate, and reliable despite the high variability inherent in food production. Vision systems have long been used to detect objects, determine their position and orientation, and perform specific tasks, such as picking, placing, and sorting. The constraints of traditional vision systems stem from their reliance on rigid programming and predefined algorithms — which work best in predictable environments where parts are uniform and rigid. But when it comes to inspecting chicken breasts, as a good example, each one coming down the line differs from the next. With AI-powered vision systems, robots can analyze each piece individually, adjusting their movements accordingly. AI also plays a key role in enabling value-added capabilities, such as evaluating the fat content in chicken breasts or detecting spoilage or allergens that might not be visible to human inspectors. Learn more here. Pharmaceutical inspection is another area poised to fuel growth in the vision industry. In this edition’s cover story, learn how longwave and midwave IR imaging systems play a vital role in assessing the seals of pharmaceutical bottles and packaging. The article, “Thermal Industrial Inspection Is Heating Up,” begins here. We hope you enjoy the issue! Editor-in-Chief