i-PRO’s moduca: BTO industrial camera customizable with over 1,500 possible combinations

i-PRO, a Japanese camera manufacturer, released a new industrial camera named “moduca”. Users can choose any of the three components that make up the camera, and there are more than 1,500 possible combinations. Depending on applications such as visual inspection and image processing for automated equipment, orders can be placed from a single unit.

Customizable with over 1,500 possible combinations

i-PRO released moduca, an industrial camera, in January 2023. The camera is sold on a build-to-order (BTO) basis, where modules containing the elementary components necessary for a given function are stocked and assembled upon receipt of an order. Users are free to determine the specifications by changing the combination of the three modules that make up the camera according to their purposes and applications. This makes more than 1,500 combination patterns possible.

The moduca consists of three components: an optical module that contains a lens and other parts to capture images, a system-on-a-chip (SoC) module that processes images and video, and an interface module that outputs images to external devices.　The optical module allows the user to select the angle of view, resolution, etc. The SoC module has a variety of memory capacity and performance, and some types can be equipped with image processing software, etc. The interface module is used to connect to an external device and offers a choice of connection formats and communication methods with external devices.

Use video more easily

Since this product uses a combination of stock components, it can provide products with specifications that meet the user’s purpose with short delivery times and at low cost, even for small orders. Custom-made industrial cameras usually cost several million yen or more. The moduca, however, offers models starting at a minimum price of 50,000 to 60,000 yen. Orders can be placed for as little as one unit, and up to nine units can be shipped within three business days of order placement.

Hoyo Seiko, a manufacturer of automotive and camera parts, is actually utilizing moduca in its factory. The company has automated the visual inspection process, for which there has been a labor shortage, with the moduca. The industrial cameras perform a visual inspection of 32 items, including verifying the presence or absence of parts and the condition of the assembly. The manager of Hoyo Seiko’s Fukuoka plant commented, “Since the moduca does not require significant costs to install, we can expect to recoup our investment within a year. We would like to expand the use of the moduca to other production facilities”.

Masato Nakao, CEO of i-PRO, explains enthusiastically, “We hope to meet the demand for a wide range of video applications by offering products that meet users’ needs”.