Bertrandt and Bosch Rexroth Combine Machine Vision AI and Automation
Bertrandt and Bosch Rexroth are driving the digitalization of industrial processes forward together. As part of a collaboration, evopro systems engineering AG, a subsidiary of Bertrandt AG, is contributing its expertise in industrial machine vision and artificial intelligence to Bosch Rexroth’s open automation platform ctrlX AUTOMATION. The goal of this ctrlX OS OEM collaboration is to bring machine vision, AI, and automation together on a common technological foundation and provide customers with an open, scalable, and future-proof platform for industrial applications.
Industrial manufacturing is facing the challenge of capturing, analyzing, and translating ever-growing volumes of data into process actions in real time. At the same time, demands for flexibility, efficiency, and scalability in automation solutions continue to increase. To actively shape this development, Bosch Rexroth and Bertrandt subsidiary evopro systems engineering AG (evopro) have entered into a ctrlX OS OEM collaboration. At the center of the collaboration is the integration of evopro’s Software-Defined Camera technology into Bosch Rexroth’s open automation ecosystem. In addition, VISIONWEBx, the platform developed by evopro, will become available through the ctrlX World partner network. This will give users access to a comprehensive development and runtime environment for industrial machine vision applications based on ctrlX OS. At the same time, Bertrandt and Bosch Rexroth will further expand their engineering collaboration.
“Industrial value creation will increasingly depend on how efficiently companies can capture, process, and translate data into concrete actions. Together with Bosch Rexroth, we are creating an open technological foundation where machine vision, artificial intelligence, and automation work seamlessly together. This collaboration underscores our commitment to supporting customers throughout their transformation toward intelligent and connected production systems,” said Dr. Andreas Fink, Member of the Board of Management of Bertrandt AG.
Steffen Winkler, Head of Sales for the Automation & Electrification Solutions Business Unit at Bosch Rexroth, added: “With evopro, we are gaining an OEM partner that consistently combines machine vision with automation. The combination of VISIONWEBx and ctrlX OS creates a seamless foundation for industrial machine vision applications, from Software-Defined Cameras and edge controllers to IPCs and servers. Users can select the hardware best suited to their specific requirements and develop their vision application only once.”
By combining evopro’s expertise in machine vision with Bosch Rexroth’s automation know-how, new opportunities for industrial applications are emerging. Functions that have traditionally been separate, such as vision systems, edge computing, AI analytics, and PLC functionality, can now be consolidated on a single platform. This creates the foundation for so-called Physical AI applications, in which systems visually perceive their environment, intelligently interpret information, and directly translate insights into actions in the physical world.
A key technological building block is evopro’s Software-Defined Camera platform, evoVIU VIUx. Unlike conventional smart cameras, it is based on a clear separation of hardware and software, providing significantly greater flexibility for implementing customized applications. The platform combines industrial machine vision, artificial intelligence, automation, and control functions within a single system and can be individually expanded through software and apps.
For customers, this delivers significant added value. Consolidating multiple functions on a common platform reduces the number of required hardware components, simplifies integration, and lowers cabling and commissioning efforts. At the same time, companies benefit from high flexibility, as applications can be expanded and adapted to new requirements through software. Depending on the use case, substantial savings in installation space and overall system costs can be achieved.
“By combining our Software-Defined Camera technology with Bosch Rexroth’s open automation platform, we are creating the foundation for a new generation of industrial vision solutions. Vision, AI, and control functions converge on a single platform, enabling applications that previously required significantly greater integration effort,” said Stefan Kraus, Head of Product Development at evopro systems engineering AG.
The solutions are primarily aimed at OEMs, machine and plant manufacturers, manufacturing companies, as well as automation and system integrators. Potential applications range from quality inspection and AI-based defect detection to robotics and pick-and-place applications, as well as smart factory and edge AI scenarios.
For more information: www.evopro-ag.de
