What if your imaging setup could adapt precisely to your inspection requirements?

Our MultiChannel setup is designed to provide maximum flexibility across all relevant imaging parameters — enabling tailored solutions for complex, high-speed inspection tasks.

The setup supports multiple camera configurations and variable resolutions, allowing precise adaptation to field of view, depth of field, and feature size. Top and bottom sections of the system can be separated, offering additional flexibility for installation and maintenance.

On the illumination side, the system integrates up to 10 independently controllable channels, including darkfield, backlight, reflex light, and our MST-PSL for high-speed photometric stereo. Each channel can be configured and combined depending on the application.

To ensure precise and efficient alignment, our purpose-built mounting brackets are complemented by support tools for easy adjustment of all components, enabling:

• Discrete distance adjustment in 5 steps
• Continuous angular positioning around the object
• Flexible combination of multiple illuminations

A system built to adapt — not to compromise!

Sometimes size matters. But choosing the right inspection approach matters even more.

For a recent feasibility study, the goal wasn’t just to test one solution—it was to systematically compare different imaging approaches on the samples. To make this possible, we built three high-end, complementary setups, each representing a different philosophy in machine vision. Having all three available side-by-side is what made this study truly powerful.

1) Maximum detail over length: Line Scan (16k) camera with MST-PSL + Reflex and Darkfield Add-On

2) Perspective-independent imaging: 8 MP Matrix camera with telecentric lens and external coaxial illumination

3) Uniformity at scale: 24 MP Matrix camera with FlatDome (500 × 500 mm)

Having these three premium, fundamentally different setups directly comparable on the same samples allowed us to clearly identify strengths, trade-offs, and the best-fit solution for each task. The result: clear insights and a very happy customer. Special thanks to our partners Edmund Optics , LUMIMAX® ®, Basler AG, Baumer Group and wenglor sensoric group for providing loan hardware and enabling this unique side-by-side evaluation.

Lens casting at MSTVision: Who will get the leading role for our PS Advanced? 🔬

Over the past weeks, we’ve been intensively testing a wide range of lenses to evaluate how they perform in combination with our PS Advanced. Our goal was simple: generate reliable data and real-world insights so we can recommend the optimal setups for demanding machine vision applications.

In our lab, we evaluated nearly 30 lenses on Baumer cameras ranging from 5 MP to 24 MP, covering multiple sensor sizes and configurations. Each setup was carefully assessed for image quality, sharpness, distortion, and overall system performance: because in precision applications, even small differences can make a significant impact.

Why all this effort?
We put in this work to determine the optimal camera–lens combinations under real-world conditions. The result: proven configurations you can rely on, reduced technical risk during integration, and a faster path from evaluation to productive use.

Yesterday, the 92nd Heidelberg Image Processing Forum took place in Mainz, bringing together experts from industry and research to discuss the latest developments in optical components and lighting techniques.

As a sponsor alongside Edmund Optics, we were proud to support the event and contribute to the exchange within the machine vision community. Events like the Heidelberg Image Processing Forum provide a great platform to connect with experts from industry and research, share experiences, and discuss current challenges and innovations.

During the forum, Michael Stelzl presented “Lighting Techniques for Surface Inspection”, sharing practical insights into effective illumination strategies for reliable inspection. We also had our PS Advanced on site and had some great discussions about practical applications.

Another highlight for us was receiving the inVISION Award for our PS Line Light, presented by Peter Ebert. We are very grateful for this recognition and proud that our development was acknowledged in this way.

A big thank you to the organizers and all participants for the inspiring presentations, engaging discussions, and the great atmosphere throughout the event.

We’re already looking forward to the next forum!

The PS Line Scan Solution combines the PS Line Light with either a classic line scan camera or — when installation space is limited — a Contact Image Sensor (CIS) as a compact alternative.

The WHEC CIS, currently in our lab and shown in the images, fits seamlessly into the system and demonstrates how a CIS enables an extremely space-efficient setup that can be easily integrated into existing inspection environments.

In combination with the PS Line Light, the CIS becomes part of a fully integrated photometric stereo system, with image processing performed directly on the frame grabber’s FPGA. This enables photometric stereo computation without CPU load, even at data rates of up to 3.6 GB/s.

This setup offers:

• Very compact sensor–illumination integration
• Uniform, high-intensity line illumination
• Minimal installation space
• Excellent conditions for high-resolution line-scan inspection

The modular architecture supports multiple synchronized cameras or CIS units, as well as additional illumination modes such as darkfield, backlight, or multispectral setups.

We are excited to announce that we have been named one of this year’s Top 10 Innovations by inVISION News with our Photometric Stereo Line Light (MST-PSL).

This recognition highlights our continuous commitment to developing innovative machine vision solutions that push technological boundaries and deliver real value to our customers. The MST-PSL is the result of strong teamwork, technical expertise, and the dedication of everyone involved in its development.

Being selected by a jury of industry experts is a great honor and motivates us to keep driving innovation forward. We would like to sincerely thank inVision News and the jury for this recognition, as well as our entire team whose passion and expertise made this achievement possible.

Find out more: https://invision-news.com/invision/photometric-stereo-lighting-unit/

New Gear in the Test Lab: JAI is Pushing Our Limits

We’ve just installed a new JAI camera (Sweep SW-16000M-CXP4A) in our test lab — and it’s impressively fast.

With 16k resolution at up to 277 kHz, it delivers 4.5 GB/s of data, making it one of the first cameras to truly push our Photometric Stereo Applet to its limits.

Our system can typically process around 3.6 GB/s, so this is the first time hardware is pushing us to go further, and we’re excited about it!
To fully leverage the JAI’s massive bandwidth, we’re integrating additional channels alongside our full-speed Photometric Stereo processing, capturing even more information while keeping up with the camera’s throughput.

It’s amazing to watch technology drive progress and even more exciting to be part of it!

A new generation of ultra‑fast, AI‑powered precision grape sorting.

Scharfenberger, Strelen Control Systems and MSTVision have joined forces to develop a next‑level sorting system that combines decades of experience with cutting‑edge technology:

• Scharfenberger contributed its long‑standing expertise in building machinery for wine production.
• Strelen Control Systems brought in its know‑how in AI and sorting solutions.
• MSTVision added its deep experience in high‑speed image processing and ultra‑fast sorting technology.

Together, we developed this system in record time and tested it during the harvest at multiple sites with different grape varieties. The results exceeded even our high expectations.

Despite using “conventional” camera technology, the sorting performance was at least comparable to systems based on complex mulitspectral cameras. Next, we plan to bring this solution to series production and adapt it to further application areas. This is what happens when great teams with deep expertise and real passion work together.

High-end illuminations deserve high-end quality assurance.

We have received multiple orders for our Photometric Stereo Line Light (MST-PSL), and we want to make sure every single illumination meets our highest standards. To achieve this, our team built a dedicated measurement setup that supports both the fine-tuning of all illumination parameters and the quality control process itself.

A huge thank you to the team for their hard work! The concept, construction, and commissioning of the setup are all part of the ongoing bachelor’s thesis of Oliver Keusgen – excellent job!

Special thanks also go to Artifex Engineering for their invaluable support in selecting some of the key components from their product range.

If you’re interested in using one of these illuminations for your projects, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

The Electro Optics Photonics100 list for 2026 is here – and MSTVision is on it!

Michael Stelzl has been recognized as one of the 100 most innovative minds in photonics worldwide.
Listed alongside disruptive technologies, international industry leaders, and some of the most exciting minds of our time.

In a year in which the industry is navigating between geopolitical turmoil and technological quantum leaps, one thing remains constant:
Innovation begins with people who look closely – sometimes at the micrometer level.

We proudly say: Congratulations, Michael.

Platinum winner of the 2025 Vision Systems Design Innovators Award!

Our Photometric Stereo Line Scan solution was recognised as a Platinum Honoree in the Lighting, Lenses and Optics category.

We would like to thank the team, our customers, and everyone who has worked with us to make Photometric Stereo ready for industrial and inline applications, whether line or area.

Would you like to know how PS technology can be used productively?
We’ll show you! Let’s get in contact!