All-in-one camera for industrial AI vision applications

Advantech has released a new edge industrial AI camera – the ICAM-500. Embedded with NVIDIA Jetson Nano, its ICAM-500 incorporates an industrial-grade SONY IMX 296 image sensor, advanced LED lighting, and a variable focus lens with acquisition and AI computing capabilities.

The device places these computing modules inside a compact industrial camera system. This includes image acquisition and AI inference functionality in the same system while lowering the latency produced by the distance between IP cameras, cloud, and AI inference systems. It has an FPGA-based trigger input, lighting strobe out, and MIPI interface, enabling it to perform low-latency and high-bandwidth image acquisition. These features enhance the efficiency of on-site AI inference, producing an excellent solution for edge AI applications, such as AI automated optical inspection, AI optical character recognition, and object recognition at the edge, requiring real-time responsiveness.

The camera also supports the NVIDIA DeepStream SDK. AI developers can employ C/C++, Python or Graph Composer, NVIDIA's low-code tool, to quickly incorporate pre-trained models for speedy deployment within vision systems.

The device is a highly integrated industrial AI camera fitted with programmable variable focus lenses, LED illumination, and SONY industrial-grade image sensors. These features lower the effort required in installation and maintenance. The camera's generic settings, lighting, and 1m inspection distance fulfil most vision application requirements. In addition, the built-in buttons on it enable the user to take snapshots or customise their functions. Users must connect it and control the system utilising LAN to implement vision systems. The camera has a USB interface and offers flexibility for customers to connect solutions for communication modules for Wi-Fi and 5G applications. This lowers the barriers to entry for AI software developers and allows them to effortlessly step into vision AI applications.

The camera combines lighting, cameras, and AI computing within a compact system (82mm x 121mm x 53mm; 3.22" x 4.7" x 2.08"). This not only saves space but also saves vision solution providers time when installing additional AI computing equipment. Also, its ruggedised fanless design is capable of enduring operation in harsh factory environments.

The camera is ideal for various industrial-edge AI vision applications.