For decades, automakers have primarily used robots for welding and painting. Final assembly lines were considered too complex and too unsafe for automation. However, that is changing.

Whenever a new technology is introduced, it's often viewed with suspicion and distrust, if not outright hostility.

Vision systems play a vital role in automated assembly systems. They can check for the presence or absence of parts or materials. They can measure key dimensions of assemblies. They can tell robots the precise location of parts. They can even read 1D and 2D codes. Here's a look at some of the latest developments.

On the water, yachts and superyachts are wonderful to look at and be aboard. But, in the factory, these vessels present a major assembly challenge: Accurately positioning, aligning and joining the large, composite components of the hull.

Lotus Cars Ltd. has been famous for cutting-edge technology for more than 60 years. For decades, the British company founded by legendary engineer Colin Chapman was synonymous with Formula 1 motor racing.

In 1951, at the height of the Cold War, the U.S. Army Chemical Corps and Ordnance Corps initiated a program to develop a new rocket that could deliver chemical weapons over a large area. The result was the M55 rocket, which was equipped with a unitary warhead filled with sarin or VX—highly toxic nerve agents. The rocket was rushed into production, and tens of thousands were produced from 1959 to 1965.

Compared to manual inspection, vision systems deploying area-scan cameras offer improved accuracy and far higher consistency. Plus, they work nonstop without suffering fatigue or requiring a paycheck.

The pace at which artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a mainstream technology in manufacturing is quite impressive. Companies in many industries use AI daily to optimize assembly processes, perform predictive maintenance, improve part and product quality through enhanced vision inspection, and increase data cybersecurity.

Technical universities are often taken for granted in their development of manufacturing technology. Thankfully, this is not the case in Germany.