Lets talk: Inspection
Every so often a new technology arrives with genuine potential to disrupt the market. For several years quality control professionals have been putting stereo microscopes to good use and, in more recent years, adopting digital microscopes (which swap a conventional magnifying lens for a camera). While the latter bring added capabilities such as image capture, data collection and traceability, the user has to settle for a flat 2D image. The only way to gauge depth is to measure the height of different features or shadows. From vision to reality: A stereo digital microscope
Float an idea “In essence, our DRV-Z1 houses two digital microscopes and a pair of monitors,” he says. “These two high-resolution channels project two distinct optical paths through two specialist lenses on to a unique, large convex mirror, giving crisp 3D visualisation in stereo. When users sit down in front of the microscope they see a full 3D HD [1080p] digital image float before their eyes. There’s no hunching over and squinting down an eyepiece.” Users of the DRV-Z1 do not require any special eyewear or goggles, and there are no unpleasant side effects. They simply sit back and
“For some tasks a 2D image is fine, but many others require a true stereo image,” explains Logan Wheeler, North UK Sales Manager at Vision Engineering. “Most people with two good eyes see a stereo image in normal life. We have left and right eye paths, and our brain puts the images together to give depth perception. The DRV-Z1, as the industry’s first 3D digital microscope, replicates this process.” Vision Engineering showcased its DRV-Z1 at the recent MACH 2024 exhibition in Birmingham, where it caused quite a stir. DRV stands for Deep Reality Viewer. This is optical inspection like nothing before.
Machinery & Manufacturing 24
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