The MV Pro Podcast - Uncovering Machine Vision

What happens when machine vision becomes accessible enough that a new engineer can solve in an hour what used to take an expert weeks? Matt Moschner, President and CEO of Cognex, and Brian Benoit, Director of Product Management, join the show to talk about how AI is changing who can deploy vision technology and where. They discuss why the cost and complexity of vision projects are dropping fast, how tools like OneVision are helping teams collaborate and scale across sites, and what it looks like when manufacturers start adding inspections to lines that never had them before.

What happens when technology once reserved for NASA starts showing up in your wristwatch, factory floor, and medical devices? Jeff Bier, founder of the Edge AI and Vision Alliance, goes behind the scenes of the "jaw-dropping" shift from the early days of manually coding computer vision to frontier technologies like Vision Language Models on the agenda of Embedded Vision Summit 2026.   Jeff Bier: linkedin.com/in/jeffbier/ Edge AI and Vision Alliance: edge-ai-vision.com/  |  linkedin.com/company/edgeaivision/ Edge AI and Vision Alliance Newsletter: edge-ai-vision.com/latest-news/newsletter/ Embedded Vision Summit 2026: embeddedvisionsummit.com Official Registration Link: embeddedvisionsummit.com/passes/ Promo Code: 26EVSUM-IP-MVPro (10% Off)

Heiko Eisele, President of MVTec’s U.S. argues for why hardware‑independent architectures often beat the latest smart cameras in the long run and how the wrong software choice can quietly burn months of engineering time. He breaks down when to trust open source, and why labeling and data management are the unglamorous heart of industrial AI.   Heiko Eisele linkedin.com/in/heikoeisele   MVTec Software  mvtec.com | linkedin.com/company/mvtec-software-gmbh

We zoom in on the physics of imaging with Georgy Das, Director of Systems and Training at MidOpt, to explore why filters are a necessity in 99.9% of machine vision applications. Georgy explains how the right optical filtration tames glare, ambient light, and inconsistent environments when you scale from lab to factory floor. He also shares practical tools engineers can use to design complete, reliable systems from day one.   Georgy Das linkedin.com/in/georgydas Midwest Optical Systems: midopt.com | linkedin.com/company/midwest-optical-systems Automate 2026 – Visit MidOpt at Booth #333 | automateshow.com

How do you modernize 50-year-old paper mills to make operations safer? Brian Mock explains  how machine vision, edge computing, and AI are transforming the pulp and paper industry. He digs into why aging, siloed vision systems are a hidden drag on uptime, how edge devices change the economics of quality control from the woodyard to finished rolls, and why even tiny efficiency gains can mean millions in savings. Brian Mock: linkedin.com/in/brian-mock Event Capture Systems Inc: ecsuptime.com | linkedin.com/company/event-capture-systems | youtube.com/@eventcapturesystems7693 TAPPICon 2026 Program: https://events.tappi.org/event/tappicon/technical-program?session=66f0a3f4-d932-4c7a-8167-8d9e47ec30c9&shareLink=true

How RealSense is reshaping itself to deliver the future of robotics and AI. Chris Matthieu, VP of Developer Ecosystem at RealSense discusses the company's spin-out from Intel, their industry-leading depth cameras and vision systems, and a recent slew of new partnerships aimed to expand the company's influence. * Chris Matthieu on LI | linkedin.com/in/chrismatthieu * "RealSense Completes Spinout from Intel, Raises $50 Million to Accelerate AI-Powered Vision for Robotics and Biometrics" | realsenseai.com/news-insights/news/realsense-completes-spin-out-from-intel-raises-50-million-to-accelerate-ai-powered-vision-for-robotics-and-biometrics/ * RealSense | realsenseai.com

We discuss the consolidation of TKH Vision's 2D Vision group under the Allied Vision brand. CEO Robert Franz elaborates on the company's customer-centric approach, its diverse product portfolio, and the benefits of consolidating member companies to better serve its customers. The conversation also touches on Robert's extensive career in the industry, significant technological trends like AI and 3D vision, and future growth prospects for Allied Vision. * Robert Franz on LI | linkedin.com/in/robert-franz1/ * Allied Vision Press Release | alliedvision.com/en/company/news/view/one-stop-shop-experience-for-2d-machine-vision

We kick off the year with an interview featuring David Dechow, a renowned expert in machine vision and industrial automation. David shares insights on his decades-long career, the importance of fundamentals in machine vision, and the value of mentorship and continuous learning. His thoughts on emerging trends in 3D imaging and the proper application of AI provide a compelling start to 2026 for both new and seasoned professionals. * David Dechow on LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/daviddechow/ * "Best Practices for Implementing Vision Guided Robotics" | bit.ly/4aUFxI8 * A3 Certified Vision Professional Program | bit.ly/4qe6VWh * Motion AI | ai.motion.com/

We end the inaugural year of The MV Pro Podcast with a peek behind the curtain of MV Pro Media. This interview with CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Tom Tiner, discusses the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly international market, significant trends that caught the attention of the team in 2025, and big goals for 2026. * Tom Tiner on LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/thomas-tiner/ * MV Pro Media | mvpromedia.com

Petra Schumacher of SICK AG talks about her early career in machine vision and her passion for empowering other women to explore engineering. We discuss key influences and experiences that helped her turn an interest into a exciting, multi-disciplinary career. Sponsored by AIRON. * Petra Schumacher on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-schumacher/ * SICK AG | sick.com * AIRON | aoi-airon.com

Charlie Long, Zebra's new head of machine vision and factory automation, walks us through recent innovations and strategic investments behind its new portfolio of tools making machine vision more accessible, reliable, and efficient.  * Charlie Long | linkedin.com/in/charlie-long-57236023 * Zebra | zebra.com

Stephen Mott of Components Express Inc. by 2Connect discusses the crucial role of cables in machine vision projects and shares insights from his 29-year career. He highlights the company's focus on validation and customization to meet the rigorous demands of industries like automotive, logistics, semiconductor, and medical devices. The episode also touches on CEI/2Connect's global reach and future plans. Sponsored by MVTec. * Stephen Mott | linkedin.com/in/stephen-mott-0b94a16 * CEI | componentsexpress.com * 2Connect | 2-connect.com * MVTec | mvtec.com/mvpro

A chat with Ed Goffin from Pleora about its 25-year history in real-time video applications. Ed shares his perspective on the state of the market and forthcoming innovations including the GigE Vision 3.0 standard and RoCE v2. * Ed Goffin | linkedin.com/in/edgoffin/ * Pleora | pleora.com

We talk with a Texan SI partnership bringing cutting edge AI/ML-based vision to manufacturing automation. Davide Pascucci of Bright IA and Eric Smith of Ether Advanced Technology talk about the role of AI in enhancing traditional defect detection as well as its limitations, how to spot a phony, and the need for incremental approaches and collaboration in problem-solving. * Aether Advanced Technology | aetheradvancedtechnology.com * Bright IA | brightiatx.com * Automation Stars of Texas | linkedin.com/showcase/asotshow/about

Eric Cheng, co-founder and CEO of Intrinsics Imaging discusses his journey from developing critical vision systems for the US Navy to building advanced AI inspection systems in the cloud. We discuss the benefits of Intrinsics' approach and the comparison to traditional computer vision. * Intrinsics Imaging | www.intrinsicsimaging.com

90% Faster Procurement w/ FQ Source Arturo Lopez and David Bonillo of FQ Source talk about their pioneering, AI-driven platform designed to drastically cut supplier discovery time. We discuss their vision for the platform, the opportunity for enhancing supplier discovery in the age of AI, and how their background in system integration informed their approach.

In this episode Josh chats with Michael Koper about how EINES specialize in artificial vision systems developed exclusively for quality control in the automotive industry. Together they look at how EINES collaborate with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to automate inspections at every stage of the production process from stamping, painting, and metrology to final assembly ensuring consistent quality, reducing production costs, and digitizing data to improve traceability.

An interview with Maximilian Grau and Petra Gospodnetiç, co-founders of the machine vision startup, Medabsy, on how their simulation tools can optimize visual inspection systems up to 90% faster. They discuss the origins, mission, and innovative technologies behind virtual inspection planning and synthetic defect data generation. 

A selection of our interviews from Automate 2025 in Detroit, Michigan, including: - Alek Shikany, A3 - Ronald Mueller, Vision Markets - Eric Hershberger, Cognex - Matt Puchalski, Bucket Robotics - Frantisek Takac, Photoneo - Steve Kinney, Smart Vision Lights 

Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) shares his extensive experience in promoting robotics, machine vision, and motion control. We also discuss the upcoming Automate conference and the future intersection of AI and automation. Enjoy this insightful conversation about the enduring potential and exciting future of vision in automation. * Automate Show, May 12-15, Detroit, MI | automateshow.com * FOCUS: Intelligent Vision & Industrial AI Conference, September 24-25, Seattle, WA | https://www.automate.org/events/focus-2025 * Jeff Burnstein: [email protected] | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-burnstein-25b5138    Want to appear on the podcast? Reach out to [email protected]

An insightful conversation with Mark Williamson, former chair of the VDMA Machine Vision Board. The discussion delves into historical cost structures for machine vision, technological advancements, and the transformative impact of AI on future cost reductions. Mark maps out the landscape of the machine vision industry and helps listeners understand how to apply machine vision successfully for their market.

An interview with Ronald Mueller, managing partner at Vision Markets (http://markets.vision) and features writer for MVPro magazine. He discusses the potential impact of Donald Trump's second term as president of the United States on the machine vision industry, including the effect of his economic policies on domestic and international markets, decoupling from China, and reshoring to the U.S.. Mueller shares insights on market trends, investment shifts, and the future of automation.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of The MVPro Podcast! Here we take a look at some of the drivers behind the predicted growth of the machine vision market in North America in 2025. We'll look at how machine vision has become more accessible and valuable to various industries within manufacturing and logistics as well as some of the barriers to growth that still remain.