Basler Introduces pylon AI, a New AI Image Analysis Software for Complex Applications

Basler AG, an international manufacturer of high-quality machine vision hardware and software, is expanding its proven pylon Software Suite with pylon AI. pylon AI are image analysis functions with artificial intelligence algorithms that, unlike conventional algorithms, can solve more complex vision tasks such as classification and semantic segmentation. The new performance benchmark integrated into the software is unique: pylon AI displays the expected performance of an AI model for various processors and AI accelerators. This allows frame rate, latency, accuracy of results and power consumption to be compared. These are important parameters for the performance of the subsequent image processing application.

The new software allows users to create robust image analysis pipelines from image acquisition to deployment in the target application using drag-and-drop programming. The interface to the target application is also particularly user-friendly thanks to the Recipe Code Generator function and proven pylon APIs. The new image analysis software consists of the pylon AI Platform for Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) and four pylon AI vTools (plug-ins that drive AI models).

pylon artificial intelligence platform

Thanks to the open ONNX format for deep learning models, many common AI frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, and NVIDIA TAO can be used. With the platform, AI model classes are assigned to image data. AI models are then optimized (model transformation and quantization are possible) and processing hardware is benchmarked for best performance.

pylon AI vTools are available as add-ons in the pylon Software Suite

The AI ​​model optimized on the pylon AI platform can be uploaded to pylon AI vTools online or offline via drag and drop. Plugins enable complex applications with changing environmental conditions, such as object detection, classification, and semantics and pattern segmentation. They can be combined with existing pylon vTools for image processing based on classical algorithms.

Overall, customers benefit from significantly reduced development costs and a high level of flexibility and transparency. “pylon AI provides an easy entry into AI-focused applications with high cost-efficiency. Integrated into the pylon Software Suite, we now offer the complete image processing route as a full-range provider in a single user interface: from image acquisition to image processing and image analysis. We also provide the appropriate machine vision hardware for high AI readout speeds,” emphasizes Pauline Lux, Product Group Architect at Basler.