NOVI, MI - The International Conference for Vision Guided Robotics (ICVGR) was held September 30 to October 2, 2008 in Novi, MI.

The Robotic Industries Association (RIA) and the Automated Imaging Association (AIA) jointly hosted the comprehensive three-day workshop covering vision guided robotics topics for industries across the globe.

Bob Rochelle of Kawasaki Robotics USA Inc. opened the conference with a talk on the basics on robotics, followed by David Dechow of Aptura Machine Vision Solutions, who presented sessions on the basics of machine vision and successfully integrating vision guided robotics.

Rochelle began by explaining that "robota" is a Czech word for "forced labor" or "serf," and then described basic robot technology and robot-based systems. He concluded with a list of common applications for robotic systems.

Dechow's presentation provided a chance for attendees to actively participate in the session and ask questions relating to their specific applications. Dechow, a machine vision expert with 26 years of experience, began by providing an overview of machine vision integration and then offered details on lighting, optics and applications. After lunch, his second seminar discussed how to integrate machine vision and robotics, which he said is "not a trivial task." There was plenty to say on the topic, and attendees peppered him with questions about their experiences.

About 70 people were on hand for the first day, followed by about 100 for the next two days. Tabletop exhibits allowed for networking during the extended lunch breaks on Wednesday and Thursday, along with a dinner and comedy event at The Second City on Wednesday evening.