This email originates from the British Machine Vision Association. =
Please accept our apologies if you receive multiple copies.
All responses to this email should be sent to [log in to unmask]
The BMVA believes that machine vision is having an increasing impact on
=
people and businesses in the UK and that the trend will continue at an =
accelerating rate. In order to help the wider community take full =
advantage of the technology, the BMVA is participating in the UK=92s =
National Foresight Programme. The Foresight Programme is a major =
initiative, managed by the Office of Science and Technology, that sets =
out to identify opportunities to create sustained competitive advantage
=
and to enhance the quality of life.
As part of the BMVA=92s participation in Foresight, this survey is =
being undertaken to gain as wider view as possible of the future impact
=
machine vision so that it can be fed into the Foresight process. We =
believe it is important that the Foresight Panels who are developing =
future scenarios are informed by those using and developing new =
technology.
It is intended that the results of this survey will be widely =
publicised and acted on, so please do take the time to participate.=20
The presumption is that you will wish to express your views anonymously
=
and that they do not necessarily represent the views of your =
organisation. If you have specific ideas or comments that you would =
like to be attributed, please make it clear in your response.
To complete the survey, just fill in the in the banks between square =
brackets. Some questions just require a [yes], a [no], or a box to be =
ticked [x], others need a longer answer. The abbreviation MV has been =
used throughout to stand for "machine vision and image processing". We
=
would welcome detailed contributions.
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First we would like to know a little about you.
1. How long have you been involved in MV research, development, or use?
[ ] Just started
[ ] Less than a year
[ ] 1 to 3 years
[ ] 3 to 5 years
[ ] 5 to 10 years=20
[ ] More than 10
2. What is your level of MV expertise?
[ ] I know very little MV
[ ] I know something about MV
[ ] I have a good general knowledge of MV
[ ] I have high level of expertise
[ ] I am an expert at the forefront of MV technology
=20
3. To which sector of the MV community to you primarily belong?
[ ] Student
[ ] Academic
[ ] Industrial
[ ] Retail
[ ] Medical
[ ] Media
[ ] Defence
[ ] Civil
[ ] Other - please specify: [ ]
4. How would you classify yourself?
[ ] User
[ ] Supplier
[ ] Developer
[ ] Researcher
5. Where are you based?
[ ] UK
[ ] European Union country other than the UK
[ ] USA
[ ] Other - please specify: [ ]
6. Is your work mainly concerned with MV?=20
[Yes/No]
7. What are your primary sources of MV information? Please put a 1 by =
your primary source, 2 for your secondary source and so on.
[ ] Academic journals
[ ] Technical magazines
[ ] General press and media
[ ] Books
[ ] Supplier organisations
[ ] Technical meetings
[ ] Conferences
[ ] Training courses
[ ] Academic courses
[ ] Conversations with colleagues
[ ] Newsletters
[ ] The Web
[ ] Other - please specify: [ ]
There are ten sectoral Foresight panels each focused business sectors =
or other broad areas of activity. For each one we would like your =
opinion of how they will be influenced by developments in MV. When =
describing applications of MV we would welcome detailed responses.
8. In which sectors does MV have the greatest current impact? Please =
put a 1 by the sector where MV has the greatest current impact, 2 for =
the next and so on.
[ ] Built Environment and Transport
[ ] Chemicals
[ ] Defence, Aerospace and Systems
[ ] Energy and Natural Environment
[ ] Financial services
[ ] Food Chain and Crops for Industry
[ ] Healthcare
[ ] Information, Communications and Media
[ ] Materials
[ ] Retail and Consumer Services
9. In which sectors will MV have the greatest impact in the next five =
years? Please put a 1 by the sector where MV will have the greatest =
impact, 2 for the next and so on.
[ ] Built Environment and Transport
[ ] Healthcare
[ ] Information, Communications and Media
[ ] Retail and Consumer Services
[ ] Defence, Aerospace and Systems
[ ] Energy and Natural Environment
[ ] Food Chain and Crops for Industry
[ ] Financial Services
[ ] Chemicals
[ ] Materials
10. For each of the ten sectors, what do you consider will be the most =
important uses of MV five years time?
Built Environment and Transport
[ ]=20
Chemicals
[ ]=20
Defence, Aerospace and Systems
[ ]=20
Energy and Natural Environment
[ ]=20
Financial services
[ ]=20
Food Chain and Crops for Industry
[ ]=20
Healthcare
[ ]=20
Information, Communications and Media
[ ]=20
Materials
[ ]=20
Retail and Consumer Services
[ ]=20
11. If the time scale of the last question had been changed to ten =
years, how would your answers have differed?
[ ]=20
As well as the sectoral panels there are also three thematic Foresight =
panels: Ageing Population, Manufacturing 2020, and Crime Prevention.
12. How will MV applications be influenced by the changing age profile =
of the UK population?
[ ]
13. Manufacturing has traditionally been seen as an application area =
for MV but the combination of low numbers of systems with high =
development costs has resulted in less uptake than anticipated. How do
=
you see that as changing in the next 20 years?
[ ]=20
14. Will the use of MV in product development be more important than =
product manufacture?
[ ]=20
15. What will be the most important uses of MV in manufacturing in ten =
years time?
[ ]=20
16. Better use of data from CCTV systems is expected by many to help =
reduce crime, but MV has other applications in crime prevention =
including the detection of fraud and communication of information. =
What will be the most important MV applications in crime prevention =
during the next ten years?
[ ]=20
17. Which MV technology development will cause the greatest changes in =
crime prevention?
[ ]=20
It is tempting to see advanced technology such as MV always bringing =
benefits, but there can be disadvantages ranging from impact on civil =
liberties to changes in employment.
18. Where do see the most significant potential for MV to decrease the =
quality of life?
[ ]
=20
19. What steps should be taken to reduce the negative impact of VM?
[ ]=20
MV like, any technology area, is continually undergoing change and =
development. The next questions explore what you think those changes =
are and what they are opportunities likely to create.
20. What do you consider the most important drivers for change in MV? =
Place a 1 by most important, 2 by the next most important and so on.
[ ] Improvements in computer processing power
[ ] Cheaper high-resolution image display and printing
[ ] Easy access to image capture
[ ] Digital video
[ ] Digital broadcasting
[ ] Multimedia becoming standard in PCs
[ ] Improved algorithms
[ ] Standardisation of hardware
[ ] Standardisation of software
[ ] Other - Please specify [ ]
21. Which part of the MV community is most important in driving the =
development and use of MV? Place a 1 by most important, 2 by the next =
most important and so on.
[ ] Academia
[ ] MV hardware developers
[ ] MV software developers
[ ] Developers of products incorporating MV
[ ] Industrial users
[ ] Healthcare users
[ ] Aerospace and defence users
[ ] Other civil users
[ ] Consumers
[ ] Government
[ ] Other - Please specify [ ]
There have been more than three decades of extensive research in =
vision. It has lead to many impressive accomplishments, but also to =
disappointments and a lack of solutions to some problems initially =
thought to be straightforward. The next set of questions are concerned
=
with current MV research.
22. What do you see as the most important technical issue faced by MV =
researchers?
[ ]=20
23. What do you see as the most important non-technical issue faced by =
MV researchers?
[ ]=20
24. What do you feel is the most exciting area of MV research?
[ ]=20
25. Which area of MV research is likely to have the most impact in the =
near future?
[ ]=20
26. Which area of MV research is likely to have the most impact in ten =
years?
[ ]=20
27. How does MV research in the UK compare with that elsewhere in the =
world?
[ ] As good as the best in the world=20
[ ] Better than the work in most countries =20
[ ] It is average
[ ] It is poorer than the work in many other countries
[ ] I=92m not in a position to judge
In general, the links between industry and the science, engineering and
=
technology base in the UK are considered to be poorer than in other =
advanced industrial countries. =20
28. How would you characterise the uptake of academic research in MV by
=
UK industry?
[ ] Very poor
[ ] Limited
[ ] Good
[ ] Excellent
29. What do you see as the barriers to the uptake of MV technology by =
industry? Tick those you think apply.
[ ] Poor commercial viability of MV
[ ] Lack of access to technical information
[ ] Identifying the appropriate research
[ ] Lack of appropriate research
[ ] High rate of change of the technology
[ ] Unwillingness to adopt new ideas
[ ] Failure to identify the opportunities
[ ] Lack of funding for product innovation
[ ] MV suppliers are too small
[ ] Unrealistic expectations
[ ] Other - Please specify [ ]
Finally, we would like to know how you think the BMVA can be more =
effective.
30. What is your link to the BMVA?
[ ] Current member
[ ] Previous member
[ ] Never a member
[ ] Only just heard of it
31. What do you think organisations such as the BMVA can best do to =
help the use and development of MV technology?
[ ]=20
32. What activities would you like to see the BMVA undertake?
[ ]=20
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Thank you for your time in completing this questionnaire. The results =
will published on the web at http://www.bmva.ac.uk and used within =
Foresight programme.
We would welcome you passing this questionnaire onto other people who =
are likely to be interested in participating in the survey.
Please send the completed survey to [log in to unmask]
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