アポロ精工 List of News Articles

Within Ipros Monozukuri, the ★Catalog Ranking (out of 244,808 items) has reached 13th place with the "Introduction to Image Processing" (not for sale)! 【Aggregation Period】August 9, 2023 – August 15, 2023 For details, click here http://www.ipros.jp/ranking/catalog/general/?rankNo=13 We will be giving away the "Image Processing Learning Software (IP Kit 3)" (regular price 9,900 yen) to 10 lucky winners selected from everyone who downloads the introductory book. The download is available until August 23. It’s free, so we hope you will take a look! As of August 22, we also reached 1st place in the product ranking for "Image Processing Software" within Ipros Monozukuri. https://www.ipros.jp/ranking/product/category/3/709/

This is an announcement for the "Image Processing Learning Set Giveaway Campaign." From July 18 to August 23, 2023, you can download the "Introduction to Image Processing" (over 50 pages) for free on the Ipros website. Download the Introduction to Image Processing: https://www.ipros.jp/product/detail/2000497063 You can download the "Introduction to Image Processing" from this page. All individuals who download the introductory book will be eligible to enter a lottery to win one of ten "IP Kit 3" software packages. If you want to try it out immediately, you can download it from our company website or from the Vector website. A trial version is available for free use. Regarding the content of the introductory book, if you want to understand how to use it in practice, you can gain a deeper understanding by attending an image processing seminar. However, this introductory book is designed to provide a broad overview. Since it is free, we hope you will take a look at it first.

This is an announcement for the "Image Processing Learning Set Giveaway Campaign." From July 18 to August 23, 2023, you can download the "Introduction to Image Processing" (over 50 pages) for free on the Ipros internal page. Download the Introduction to Image Processing: https://premium.ipros.jp/apolloseiko_shinyokohama/product/detail/2000497063/?hub=159 We will give away the "Image Processing Learning Software (IP Kit 3)" (regular price 9,900 yen) to 10 lucky winners selected from all those who download the introduction book. This introduction book is an excerpt from the software portion of the lectures given at the "Image Processing Seminar" organized by the Japan Tech Center in the past. Many of the features in the downloaded introduction book can also be realized with the trial version of "IP Kit 3." If you want to try it out right away, please download it from our company website or the Vector website.

We are pleased to announce the revival of the "Image Processing Learning Set Giveaway Campaign." From July 18 to August 23, 2023, you can download the "Introduction to Image Processing" (over 50 pages) for free on the Ipros internal page. Additionally, we will be giving away the "Image Processing Learning Software (IP Kit 3)" (regular price 9,900 yen) to 10 lucky winners selected from all those who download the introductory book. This introductory book is an excerpt from the software portion of the lectures given at the "Image Processing Seminar" organized by the Japan Techno Center in the past. For those who need the latest information, please attend our biannual image processing seminars. In addition to this software section, topics such as acceleration, SoCFPGA, and hardware implementation will be covered (the next seminar will be held on September 27). Many of the features in the downloaded introductory book can also be realized with the trial version of "IP Kit 3." If you want to try it right away, please download it from our website or the Vector website. We will provide further information once the download page for the giveaway campaign is published. *News is distributed via our company newsletter.

Our company belongs to the Techno Horizon Group, and we have decided to merge with three sister companies within the group. On April 1st, K.I. Technology Co., Ltd., Apollo Seiko Co., Ltd., and Aindo Co., Ltd. will merge. The surviving company will be Apollo Seiko Co., Ltd. Our company has not had a dedicated administrative staff, but due to this merger, all of our administrative operations will be unified under Apollo Seiko Co., Ltd. As mentioned above, the changes will be as stated, but what will not change is that none of our members will change, and we will continue our business in Shin-Yokohama as before. Additionally, our business content will continue to be "image processing development for our customers." New customers are also always welcome as before. Details will be provided on the websites of each company, including ours. Thank you for your continued support. Since our operations will not change, we appreciate your continued cooperation. *News is distributed through our company newsletter.

This is a story from the perspective of an image processing expert. I considered the strengths of each. Human Eye: I believe the most significant feature is its "adaptive" nature. It can find small differences by staring intently, and it can also derive a broader understanding from fleeting information. When something is hard to see, we instinctively squint, right? We also unconsciously use or ignore color information. Camera Eye: Specialized cameras surpass human capabilities for specific purposes. For example, even if the human eye tries hard to be "adaptive," it has limitations in very dark environments. However, images obtained through optical amplification can reveal objects in darker spaces than the human eye can perceive (they won't be visible if all light sources are completely blocked). Specialized cameras can detect wavelengths that the human eye cannot. This is similar in the world of sound. Infrared and ultraviolet light use wavelengths that go beyond the range of "visible light" that humans can see, which changes the discussion further. The job of an image processing expert is to "realize" the processing of information obtained from these "eyes" in the "brain" part. *News is distributed through our company newsletter.

We are starting preparations to leverage the benefits after the merger. The business and expected benefits of our company post-merger remain unchanged, specifically in the area of "contract development specialized in image processing." If we were to rephrase the "contract" part, it could be described as "dedicated to specific customers." Additionally, we have a strong sales force within our organization, with multiple locations both domestically and internationally. This is very reassuring. I used the term "ammunition" to describe the materials that will allow them to promote, "We can now assist in this field as well." Until now, our information dissemination through this newsletter and exhibitions has been passive, merely advertising "there is such a company here." The new team members, like before, have the main task of "carrying their company's catalog and explaining it." During this process, they will explain, "We can now assist with such matters," rather than starting with "we are struggling with this." Reflecting on the differences between the "planning department" and the "sales department" during my time at a large organization's research institute, I am re-studying PowerPoint and writing. *News is distributed through our company newsletter.

We are developing and providing solutions through software and hardware, but it is not uncommon for there to be misunderstandings due to our mention of "acceleration using FPGA." The belief that any processing implemented in software can be "accelerated" by developing a dedicated board is a significant misconception. In fact, the types of processing that can be accelerated using FPGA are limited. It is suitable for processes that can execute the same computation in large quantities [simultaneously]. Convolution filters are a prime example of this. If you equip the necessary number of multiplication and addition circuits to perform cumulative operations [simultaneously], you can obtain results in one clock cycle, no matter how extensive the range. Additionally, processes that allow for "pipelining" can transition from process A to process B in hardware, performing process A simultaneously when moving to process B, thus eliminating the time of the faster process. Even with a five-stage pipeline, results can be obtained in the time of just one stage. By the way, when accessing large volumes of image data, GPUs with very wide data bus widths are also effective. *News is distributed through our company newsletter.

It is easy to imagine that the differences in what we provide lead to differences in "advertising and promotion." What we offer is a vague concept of "development in the field of image processing." If the recipients of the information already have a common understanding, the appeal becomes clear, as in the case of "cars," where the appeal is "fast," "cool," "affordable," "fuel-efficient," etc. When it comes to "development in image processing," both the providers and recipients of information start from a place of exploration, questioning whether the subject is image processing, or whether machines can replace human understanding. During this exploratory phase, it is difficult to make an appeal like "please feel free to consult us" before grappling with the challenges. Even if you consult us, saying "we can do anything" is a fine line away from "we can do nothing." However, if you reach out, we can respond with something like "it's in a neighboring field" or "the key is in selecting the camera. If you request assistance with the selection, we can help." This information dissemination through newsletters and image processing seminars has continued as a form of advertising and promotion in a broad sense precisely because it involves the provision of vague services. *News is distributed through our company newsletter.

As engineers, we should look forward without looking back. I have been sharing this message, but this time I deliberately chose this title. Let me introduce the path I have taken. In school, I happened to join a research lab of a teacher who was working part-time in "image processing." My first job after graduating and entering the workforce was the development of an "inspection device using a camera." The main CPU was a Motorola 6809, and I designed the hardware circuits for the image processing section using 74 series components. The binary template matching board was the size of two 6U units. It was natural for me to write the software for the circuits I created myself. Initially, the camera used a vidicon tube, which later changed to CCD and CMOS. In the next phase, I upgraded to a 68020 CPU with UNIX as the OS, and I also designed the CPU board myself. For the specialized image processing section, I used AMD's bit-slice 2901. Thanks to this device, I learned the workings of microcontrollers. Coincidentally, I have been involved in "image processing" continuously from my new graduate days to the present. I believe that my experience in both hardware and software design is beneficial to my current work in "system design." *News is distributed through our company's newsletter.

Is there a high probability that useful information is mixed in? The "Engineer-Driven Information for Engineers" newsletter will conclude at the end of March. The publication date is the second and fourth Wednesday of every other week, so there are four issues left, including Vol. 252 on February 8. There may be a "special edition" at the end, but this title and the current members will conclude the newsletter. Counting from the era of print media, the number of information releases is countless, but according to this newsletter's count, Vol. 255 will be the final issue. As for the remaining information releases, in the format of a newsletter, there is no way to confirm how much the "high probability of useful information" has been helpful, as it is a one-way communication. I loved seminars, but they had to be reduced due to the pandemic. It is important for engineers to have the skills to respond to "unforeseen events," so I would like to continue honing those skills together with all of you readers. *News is distributed through our company's newsletter.

Depending on the application, there are image processing tasks that cannot be "used" unless the operational time guarantee is strictly adhered to. I will introduce two further types of "operational time guarantees." Example 1: Inspection Equipment Application If the processing is not completed within the manufacturing tact time of the production line, the next inspection target cannot be inspected. However, the delay time from when the image data is input until the result is produced does not need to be within the tact time. Delays up to the mechanism that rejects the result are acceptable. By skillfully utilizing this "acceptable delay" and adhering to the principle of "guaranteeing a fixed delay time," implementation costs can be reduced compared to Example 2. Example 2: Collision Prevention It may be easier to explain something like automatic brakes. Since it is a collision prevention brake, the faster the time from detection to the judgment of "stop," the better. However, to translate this into catalog specifications, it needs to be paired with braking performance, so an operational speed guarantee is required as "maximum delay." In this case, even if it incurs higher costs than Example 1, speed is prioritized. Since different performance requirements are demanded for the same terminology, understanding the requests is crucial, as discussed in this column. *News is distributed through our company newsletter.

Our company participates in exhibitions such as the Image Sensing Exhibition and the International Image Equipment Exhibition. Perhaps because of this, we sometimes get asked, "You are a machine vision company, right?" While we specialize in "image processing development," our applications are not limited to any specific field; they include medical devices, infrastructure development, and automobiles. Of course, we also engage in machine vision, both within our group and outside of it. When we apply "image processing techniques" from other industrial sectors to machine vision (and vice versa), it can lead to unique approaches. This is why we do not limit ourselves to specific applications. It might be interesting to imagine "what applications are involved?" when viewing our demonstrations at exhibitions or videos on our website. Our primary focus is on method development, and we rely on our customers to discover the applications, so we do not have the answers ourselves. *News is distributed through our company newsletter.

As we transition to a new structure, we will be discontinuing our newsletter. As an engineer, I value looking forward rather than reflecting back, but I took a moment to look back at our information dissemination. Back in 1996, advertising was primarily in print media, so my first foray into information dissemination was through an advertisement in CQ Publishing's "Transistor Technology." https://www.kitech.co.jp/information/adv_index.html Since then, despite changes in media, I have continued to share column information as an engineer for 27 years. Currently, this newsletter has been that medium. As of the end of March 2023, our company structure will change. The newsletter will also be discontinued at the end of March. Under the new structure, we may start information dissemination again through a "newsletter" or similar format. If that happens, I look forward to your continued support. Thank you for your long-time readership. *News is being distributed through our company newsletter.

There is a fear that no one has tried cutting-edge technology. With the evolution of software, automatic updates have become common, but hardware has yet to achieve the ability to swap out components later. Designers sometimes choose to "hide" certain features as a result of various considerations, so I would like to introduce this. Registers set in LSI or FPGA are provided for external "configuration." This "configuration" can easily lead to the misunderstanding that "the more settings available, the better," and if there are many settings, it becomes necessary to understand the meaning of those settings and consider the order in which they are applied. Ideally, it would be best if no configuration were needed at all, and the device could start operating simply by being powered on. However, there are unexpected usage methods and environments that differ from what the designers anticipated. Therefore, it becomes necessary to expose the "configuration" to accommodate these situations. Having many options is not necessarily good, and having too few can lack versatility. This is a dilemma we face. We have often benefited from this, but there have also been times when we were troubled by the lack of publicly available information. The FPGA we provide is developed with these kinds of concerns in mind. *News is distributed through our company newsletter.