A series of must-see webcasts on topics ranging from machine vision optics to the ever-evolving landscape of deep learning for inspection is on tap for the third annual Vision Spectra Conference. Held exclusively online, the event showcases sessions from industry stalwarts to up-and-coming startups. Highlighting this year’s event is a talk from one of the world’s foremost experts on supply chains and logistics, Yossi Sheffi, Ph.D., director of the MIT Center for Transportation. “Technology and the Future of Work” addresses the role of AI and automation in today’s increasingly dynamic work environment. Author of the recently published The Magic Conveyor Belt: Supply Chains, AI, and the Future of Work, Sheffi explores the benefits that AI and robots have imparted on logistics and supply chain managers. Now, as managers in these sectors face higher rates of data — often embedded in multiple formats — Sheffi examines the array of available technologies and deployment strategies to address these and other challenges. The presentation will look at lessons learned from the pandemic, forecasted trends, and the present state of the supply chain. Yossi Sheffi. Courtesy of MIT. Day one includes the Deep Learning, AI, & Inspection track. VISIONARY.AI, Deepview AI, and PEKAT VISION will be among the companies to introduce novel pairings of sophisticated AI and modern vision solutions. This track will examine the best use cases for deep learning amid an ever-growing number of distinct AI innovations. Sessions will target those aiming to optimize their AI / deep learning rollout, as well as those who may not yet deploy an AI-enabled solution. July 18 also features sessions from Gidel and Concurrent EDA — both developers of field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). With massive potential for embedded vision, FPGA technology offers application-specific options that are not supported by other integrated circuit types. FPGAs can be used to accelerate the performance of computer systems and others that rely on a machine vision component. Concurrent EDA will discuss when users should opt for an FPGA versus another technology. Imaging, systems, and components Cameras and sensors take center stage on July 19. Basler, Baumer, Photoneo, LUCID Vision, and many more will cover topics in area scan, line-scan, SWIR, and 3D imaging. Matthew Dyson, principal technology analyst at IDTechEx and author of the report Emerging Image Sensor Technologies 2023-2033: Applications and Markets, will deliver a market update on trends in embedded vision sensors and discuss embedded vision application drivers. Harvard University spinout Metalenz will also join the July 19 Cameras & Sensors track. The company will discuss how its metalens technology can be deployed for machine vision systems and applications, bringing new possibilities to optical sensing in particular. Metalenz’s session precedes the Optics & Illumination track, on July 20, in which Edmund Optics (with two presentations), Smart Vision Lights, and Theia Technologies will each examine end user considerations for machine vision optics. Leaders in the hyperspectral imaging space will also showcase on July 20: Presenters include Specim, Headwall, HySpex, and EVK. Hyperspectral imaging enables vast and diverse applications, taking users from beneath the ground to outer space — and requiring considerable algorithmic and pre- and post-processing. Specim’s Mathieu Marmion discusses this dynamic as it applies to industrial sorting applications. In the application session “The Importance of High Spectral Fidelity in Imaging Spectroscopy — From an Application Perspective,” HySpex’s Trond Løke guides attendees on taking hyperspectral models out of controlled settings and into a real-world environment. Register now Registration for the 2023 Vision Spectra Conference is open now. Visit www.photonics.com/vsc2023 for the most up-to-date information and to register.