27.10.2011 • Product

Smart Cameras Drive Machine Vision Market Growth

The markets for machine vision hardware in EMEA and Asia Pacific are forecast to grow at 6.2% and 8.0% p.a. respectively over the next five years, according to leading automation analyst IMS Research. The prime driver for this increase is predicted to be the substantial growth in the use of smart cameras and smart sensors.

Senior Market Analyst John Morse commented: “Both regions are forecast to experience reasonable growth in terms of revenue with even higher growth rates of 9.1% and 11.1% in terms of unit shipments. This reflects the significant price erosion that is expected for all the product groups analysed in this report”.

IMS Research consulted manufacturers and users for its study and concluded that there is a strong requirement for a “smart” solution to machine vision where features are integrated into the camera and where set up and use are made easy. As a consequence, the frame grabber market is forecast to decline substantially in revenue terms. Amongst the trends predicted is the substantial growth anticipated in the use of Ethernet for communications in machine vision systems.

Morse continued: “The machine vision market is changing very quickly, not only from a technological point of view but in the consolidation of manufacturing companies that have taken place recently, a trend that is forecast to continue.”

About IMS Research

IMS Research is a specialist supplier of market research and consultancy services on global electronics markets. Information from IMS Research is used by major companies worldwide to assess market trends, solve marketing problems, and improve the efficiency of their businesses. IMS Research is an international company, selling in more than 35 countries around the world and supported by offices in Wellingborough, UK and Austin, Texas. IMS Research regularly publishes detailed research on automation and industrial control markets, including PLCs, HMIs, industrial PCs, machine vision, Ethernet and fieldbuses.

John Morse Senior Market Research Analyst IMS Research – UK Tel. +44 1933 402255 john.morse@imsresearch.com www.imsresearch.com

Digital Events

Digital Event Calendar 2026
live or on demand

Digital Event Calendar 2026

By participating in our free digital events, you can stay up to date in your field of expertise.

Award

inspect award 2026
Vote now!

inspect award 2026

The jury for the 2026 inspect award has nominated ten products in each category. With your vote, you decide which product deserves the inspect award 2026.

most read

Photo

SWIR Smart Camera Alecs

The Alecs Smart Camera portfolio is now extended with the Sony IMX993 SWIR sensor, a 3.2 MP InGaAs sensor with 2080 × 1544 resolution, global shutter, and a spectral range of 400–1700 nm.

Photo

3D Camera Nion

The Nion 3D time-of-flight camera combines high spatial resolution with precise depth perception for detailed 3D data, even with fast movements or in difficult environments.

Photo

Piezo System 6D-Nanocube

The 6D NanoCube from Physik Instrumente (PI) is a 6DoF piezo system for high-precision alignment of optical components and fibers, offering subnanometer resolution for photonics and silicon photonics applications.

Photo

Image Sensor VD1943

The VD1943 is a transformative 5 MP RGB IR image sensor that eliminates the traditional trade off between high speed motion capture and high precision inspection.