Simplified implementation of machine vision applications, regardless of the interface.
Barcelona, October 26th, 2026. The GenICam (Generic Interface for Cameras) machine vision standard is a key technology in industrial image processing. It is maintained by the European Machine Vision Association (EMVA) and was introduced in 2006 with the goal of enabling industrial cameras to be addressed and configured in a standardised manner, regardless of their interface or manufacturer. The widespread acceptance of GenICam within the industry demonstrates that this objective has been achieved.
The EMVA celebrated the 20th anniversary of the GenICam standard, as well as the GigE Vision interface – which was also introduced two decades ago – at this year’s VISION trade fair (Stuttgart, 6–8 October 2026) at the ‘International Machine Vision Standards’ stand.
Several experts involved in the development of GenICam highlighted the simplified inte-gration of cameras into machine vision systems as one of the key advantages of this standard. Thanks to this standard, the effort required for the development, integration and subsequent adaptation of vision systems has been significantly reduced. System integra-tors and users therefore benefit from more cost-effective overall solutions.
Michael Schmidt from Basler is currently Chair of the GenICam development group at EMVA. He emphasises: “The success of GenICam shows how the whole industry can benefit from common standards and good cooperation. Standardisation creates a win-win situation for both users and suppliers of components and software. We are proud of our contribution and hope that this spirit will continue for a long time to come.”
The development of GenICam remains dynamic, as the free and widely used library of the GenICam reference implementation is affected by the European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). The relevant technical experts in the EMVA’s GenICam Working Group are al-ready working intensively on a practical solution that meets the needs of all stakeholders in the machine vision industry, ensuring that the GenICam reference implementation will remain available after December 11, 2027. From that date onwards, products must comply with the requirements of the CE marking, which has been extended to include CRA com-ponents, in order to continue to be marketed in Europe.
On the first day of the Vision trade fair, representatives from various organisations and standards bodies celebrated 20 years of GenIcam and GigE Vision with a small reception.
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From left to right:
Michael Schmidt, Basler; Dr. Olaf Munkelt, MVTec; Thomas Lübkemeier, EMVA; Eric Car-ey, Teledyne; Jeff Burnstein, Association for Advancing Automation; George Chamberlain, Pleora Technologies; James Falconer, Pleora Technologies; and Dr Chris Yates, EMVA |
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Michael Schmidt: „The whole industry benefits from common standards.“ |
Founded in 2003, the European Machine Vision Association (EMVA) is a not-for-profit and non-commercial association representing the Machine Vision industry in Europe that is open for all types of organizations having a stake in machine vision, computer vision, embedded vision or imaging technologies: manufacturers, system and machine builders, integrators, distributors, consultancies, research organizations and academia. The EMVA hosts four international vision standards, and all members – as the 100% owners of the association – benefit from the dedicated networking, standardization, and cooperation activities of the EMVA. www.emva.org
The machine vision standardization community is looking back on a successful spring edition of the International Vision Standards Meeting (IVSM) which was hosted by the European Machine Vision Association (EMVA) and held in the Czech capital, Prague from April 13 – 17. Overall, 82 machine vision engineers from all over the world have attended the meeting in person. The main discussions and decisions in the working groups are summarized as follows. Above that, a common theme in many meetings was the possible impacts of the EU Cyber Resilience Act and how to address the topic.
Always being one of the highlights, the traditional plugfest gathered engineers applying the standards connecting a wide range of products to test compatibility, functionality and technical performance. Herein, the release candidate of GigEVision 3.0 had its inaugurating plugfest in preparing the release of the standard version.