North American Machine Vision Use Soars 29% in 1999; Worldwide Market Nears $5 Billion

Ann Arbor, Michigan - North American machine vision use soared 29.3% in 1999, according to a new study released by the Automated Imaging Association (AIA), the industry's trade group.

The gains were fueled by large increases in vision use by customers in the semiconductor industry, as well as users in pharmaceutical/medical devices, wood products, food, and electronics.  'The recovery in the semiconductor industry, which is the largest market for machine vision, was a major factor in the 1999 results,' said Jeffrey A. Burnstein, AIA's Executive Director.

The 1999 worldwide machine vision market totaled about $5 billion, with North America accounting for 34%, Japan 31%, Europe 24%, and the rest of the world about 11%.   About 108,000 machine vision units were shipped worldwide last year.

'Last year's results provide further evidence that machine vision is becoming an increasingly critical technology for manufacturing companies in a wide range of industries,' Burnstein said.  'The growing use of vision has spurred a demand for more information about the technology, which is why AIA just launched Machine Vision Online as the world's premier resource for machine vision information.  We believe that as manufacturers learn more about the benefits of using vision and discover more about the companies and their products, vision use will accelerate throughout the world.'

The new 365-page study is titled The Machine Vision Market: 1999 Results and Forecasts through 2004.  The North American market research and Japanese market analysis was provided by Nello Zuech, President of Vision Systems International.  European research was conducted by Don Braggins, President of Machine Vision Systems Consultancy.  It sells for $395 to AIA members and $795 to non-members.  

The comprehensive study provides breakdowns on the use of vision in North America, Europe, and Japan, with particular emphasis on the following industries:

• semiconductor
• electronics
• container
• food
• wood
• transportation
• fabricated metal
• plastic
• printing
• pharmaceutical & medical device
• fastener

Founded in 1984, AIA is the only trade group in North America dedicated to promoting image capture and analysis technology for industrial and scientific imaging.  With over 210 members, the association has grown ten-fold in the last eight years.  Key upcoming events include The Vision Show in San Jose, CA (October 3-5, 2000) and the International Robots & Vision Show in Chicago (June 5-7, 2001).  For full details on the new market study and other AIA activities, contact AIA Headquarters at 734/994-6088.