Competitive Analysis

Competitive Analysis &

Information Report

High-Speed Video Market

For New Distributors

December 2003

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Table of Contents

1.0 Fastec Imaging Background 3 2.0 Questions & Answers on High-Speed Video 4 3.0 High-Speed Digital Imaging Technology Overview 15 4.0 Key Competitive Metrics for High-Speed Video 17 5.0 Current HSV Companies Active Worldwide 21 6.0 TroubleShooter Technology & Packaging 28 7.0 TroubleShooter Competitive Position vs. All Competitors 31 8.0 Fastec Marketing Strategy/Opportunity 53 9.0 Selling Information for New HSV Distributors 62 10.0 Conclusion 67

Table of Contents - ii

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1.0 Fastec Imaging Background In March 2003, Steve Ferrell and John Foley started Fastec Imaging Corporation to develop high-speed video cameras with much broader appeal than the existing products on the market. The first two cameras will be named the TroubleShooter and TroubleShooter II. Prototypes of the TroubleShooter were completed in December 2003, first run production units will be deliverable to distributors in March 2004 and full production units will deliverable to customers in April 2004. The TroubleShooter II will be available approximately three months later. Steve Ferrell began his career in the high-speed industry in 1981 with film camera manufacturer Redlake Corporation. He led a management buyout of the company in 1991 and began the conversion of the product line to video technology. He sold the film camera business in 1995, merged with a San Jose-based engineering design company in 1997 and sold the company to Roper Industries (NYSE:ROP) for $9M in cash in 1999. From 1999 to 2001 he was President of both Redlake Imaging and the former Motion Analysis Systems Division of Eastman Kodak, which was purchased by Roper simultaneously. There were over 200 employees and $50M in annual sales in the combined companies. John Foley was a founding member of the Motion Analysis Systems Division of Eastman Kodak in 1982 and served in increasingly key sales and business development positions until 1992 when he retired as Director of Business Planning & Development. Mr. Foley then joined Redlake Imaging as Vice President of Sales and Marketing and was instrumental in strategic business development and building and managing Redlake’s worldwide distribution channel. After the acquisition by Roper Industries in 1999, Mr. Foley worked for the combined companies in a variety of positions, including Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing. Note: This report was prepared for the internal use only of Fastec Imaging and its Authorized Distributors. The contents of this report as contained herein should not be disclosed, copied or disseminated to anyone outside your organization. It is definitely not for distribution to your customers as is, or any person who is not employed by you. Fastec specifications and prices are subject to change as well as those of our competitors. We therefore make no warranty as to the accuracy of the contents nor should you to your customers. This report is solely intended to assist you in gaining an understanding of some of the elements of the high-speed video market.

1.0 Fastec Imaging Background 3

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2.0 Questions & Answers on High-Speed Video What is High-Speed Video? High-speed video is a diagnostic tool that helps engineers, technicians and researchers analyze high-speed processes. It is a sequential series of images that are recorded at very high frame rates and played back in slow-motion to allow the viewer to see, measure and understand events that happen to fast to see with the unaided eye. High-speed video is simply the technique of recording an event at a high frame rate and playing the images back at a much slower rate, thus slowing down the event so a user can actually see what’s happening Standard camcorders only record at 30 frames per second and, as a result, usually miss most of the action in fast-moving events. However, if high-speed digital cameras are used to record these events at hundreds or even thousands of frames per second, it’s a different story. When the images are played back in slow motion, or even stopped to examine a single frame, details can be seen that go unnoticed at normal speed.

High-speed video can help a user understand many unique motion analysis applications. Whether the work involves product design, research, machinery maintenance, or biomechanics, high-speed video can become one of the most important tools at a user’s disposal. The world moves much too quickly to catch it all with unaided human eyes.

If high-speed video cameras are used instead of standard camcorders to capture motion sequences at hundreds or thousands of frames per second, details can be seen that occur within that high-speed event. At 500 frames per second, there are nearly 17 images for every one that would be captured by standard (30 fps) video. And at 3,000 frames per second, there will be 100 more images for each standard video frame. With high-speed video, a user can view important high-speed applications in a manner that allows for a meaningful analysis of that event. If a motion sequence is recorded at 500 fps for example and played back at 30 fps, the user will see a smooth, continuous motion. Compared to other forms of data acquisition, high-speed video gives users a much better understanding of the actual motion they are studying. With high-speed video, problems that could not previously be seen are made clear and problems are solved more quickly. Why Use High-Speed Video?

Understanding high-speed motion is absolutely critical in today's fast-paced manufacturing and research environments. To a large extent many high-speed machine problems are still solved by the costly and time consuming and trial and error method. Using high-speed video is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to quickly acquire this important information.

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The human eye sees motion at the standard camcorder rate of 30 frames per second, and, as a result, usually misses most of the action in fast-moving events. However, if a high-speed camera is used to record these events at hundreds or even thousands of frames per second, it is a different story. When the images are played back in slow motion, or even stopped for examination of a single frame, details can be seen that go unnoticed at normal speed.

We can learn a great deal about motion sequences if we record them with high-speed video cameras and then study the recordings in slow motion - or even as individual frames. We’ve all seen the slow motion images of automobile crash testing on TV commercials that illustrate seat belt safety. Trying to capture and view these images at 30 fps would have far less impact and would be difficult, if not impossible, to analyze in any meaningful way.

What are the Advantages of High-Speed Video?

While it’s possible to use standard video equipment to record and analyze motion, there are limitations to this technology:

The sampling rate of 30 frames per second (for standard NTSC video) is too slow for most motion problems. Lets use the example of a high-speed activity that occurs in 100 milliseconds, 1/10 of a second. With standard 30 fps video we are only able to capture one image every 33 milliseconds. In an event that occurs within 100 milliseconds, standard video would provide a user with approximately three frames of information. With a high-speed system recording at 1,000 fps, the user would be able to view 100 frames of that same event.

A motion sequence that is recorded at 30 frames per second and slowed down by a factor of ten allows viewing of it at 3 frames per second. The resulting image showing motion is very "jerky" and therefore extremely difficult to analyze with any accuracy or in meaningful detail. This is extremely important when a critical understanding of motion is crucial to your success.

Some camcorders are advertised as “high-speed” but what is meant by that is that they have a high-speed shutter, usually up to 1/10,000th of a second. This is not the same kind of high-speed camera as a TroubleShooter because the camcorder will still only take 30 pictures, (25 in PAL), per second.

Who Uses High-Speed Video? Industries where high-speed video is solving a wide range of problems include: Aerospace Machine tools Printing and publishing Appliances Medical devices Research facilities Automotive Metal stamping Rubber products Beverages Motors and engines Switches and controls


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Can manufacturing Munitions Sporting goods Chemicals Paper products Test instruments Computers and office products Personal care products Textiles Electronic components Petroleum products Universities Food processing Pharmaceuticals Household products Plastics What Is High-Speed Video Used For? Although every high-speed application is at least a little unique, high-speed video applications generally fall into four broad functional areas: Equipment Design, Testing, Research and Production. These categories cut across industry lines and include dozens of specific applications. Equipment Design Research New mechanism design Biology Equipment modification Combustion Pre-shipment shakedown Biomechanics Fluid Dynamics Wind Tunnel Testing Production Materials testing Equipment setup and changeovers Fracture Full capacity characterization Penetration Predictive maintenance Impact Preventative maintenance

Vendor certification Machinery diagnostics Assembly and component testing General troubleshooting Vibration Maintenance and repair Shock Stress Vehicle impact testing Munitions and weapons testing What Are The Technical Considerations?

The very first thing you should consider when talking to your customers about high-speed video is “what speed is necessary for their application?” Common questions to keep in mind are "How fast do they need?" and "How fast is fast enough?" Surprisingly, 250 frames per second record rate, the TroubleShooter 250, will work for a vast number of applications. The TroubleShooter 250 has a 20X shutter capability, shutter speeds of 1/5,000th of a second, and captures 8-times more information than standard NTSC or 10-times more than standard PAL camcorders.


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After speed is determined, the next item to be considered is the resolution of the image. If storage space is a concern, then the smallest resolution that works for the application should be chosen. If storage space is not an issue, than higher resolutions can be used. However, there will be a lot of wasted data generated from this practice. The idea of "more is better" is not always true when other variables are considered.

Once the necessary speed and resolution choices have been made for the application, the next choice will be between the type of camera and type of control interface required. The speed and resolution choices will determine a range of cameras, but the type of interface also plays a role in this choice. Will your customer be working in a lab where he can interface the camera to a computer full-time, or will he be in a factory or out in the field, where simplicity and portability are key requirements?

In summary:

Know your prospects application - the biggest and fastest is not always required Know how your prospect wants to interface with Storage requirements Portability Speed Make sure all parts of the solution will be compatible.

Some Technical Definitions

Frame Rate

Frame rate, sample rate, capture rate and imager (or camera) speed are interchangeable terms. Measured in frames per second, the imager’s speed is one of the most important considerations in motion analysis. The frame rate is determined after considering the event’s speed, the size of the area under study, the number of images needed to obtain all the event’s essential information, and the frame rates available from the particular motion analyzer. For example, at 1,000 fps a picture is taken once every millisecond. If an event takes place in 15 milliseconds, the imager will capture 15 frames of that event. If the frame rate is set too low, the imager will capture not enough images to give meaningful data. If the frame rate is set higher than necessary, a camera may not be able to store all the necessary frames. In some cameras, too high a frame rate may sacrifice the area of coverage. This happens when a camera’s frame rate is set higher than it’s ability to provide a full-frame coverage. The TroubleShooter has a full 640 x 480 resolution up to 1,000 fps. There are a number of high-speed cameras with the option of providing "partial frames" recording. At higher record speeds, the height or width of the image is decreased but in return, the recording frame rate can be set at significant increase over the full frame recording rate. When considering different cameras performance be aware that some of the increased speeds are gained by recording partial frames, which can significantly reduce resolution.


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Sensor Dimensions It is important to know the size of the image sensor in a camera. Some common size sensors include 1/2 inch, 2/3 inch and 1 inch. The 1-inch sensor has an effective width of 12.8 millimeters, while the 2/3-inch sensor has an effective width of 8.8 millimeters. A lens that works properly on a camera having a small sensor may not produce a large enough image to work correctly on a camera having a large sensor. This is due to the distortion in the fringe areas of the lens. Knowing the width of a sensor prevents image blur because users can calculate parameters such as the correct exposure time. The sensor’s width also allows users to calculate the depth of field for a given aperture. The TroubleShooter uses a sensor that has an effective working area equal to a 2/3” sensor. Exposure Many factors influence the amount of light required to produce the best image possible. Without sufficient light, the image may be: under-exposed, detail is lost in dark unbalanced, poor color reproduction blurred, due to the lack of depth-of-field The time that light is exposed to the imaging sensor depends on several factors. These factors include, lens f-stop, frame rate, shutter time, light levels, reflectance of surrounding material, imaging sensor’s well capacity, and the sensor’s signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio. All of these factors can significantly impact the image quality. An often overlooked factor is the exposure time, also known as the shutter speed. The exposure time and shutter speed are interchangeable terms. The exposure time for electronic sensors is either the inverse of the frame rate if no electronic shutter exists or the time that an electronic shuttered sensor is exposed in milliseconds or microseconds. Shown below are the relationships for defining the exposure time:

no shutter = 1/frame rate electronic shutter = period of time that the sensor is “live”, acquiring charge

The exposure time determines how sharp or blur free an image is - regardless of the frame rate. The exposure time needed to avoid blur depends on the subject’s velocity and direction, the amount of lens magnification, the shutter speed or frame rate (which ever is faster) and the resolution of the imaging system. A high velocity subject may be blurred in an image if the velocity is too high during the integration of light on the sensor. If a sharp edge of an object is imaged, and the object moves within one frame more than 2 pixels or a line pair, the object may be blurred. This is due to the fact that multiple pixels are imaging an averaged value of the edge.


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This creates a smear or blur effect on the edge. To get good picture quality, the shutter rate should be 10x that of the subject’s velocity. The lens magnification can influence the relative velocity of the subject being imaged. The velocity of an object moving across a magnified field-of-view (FOV) is increased linearly according to the magnification level. Instinctually, if an object is viewed far away, the relative velocity in the FOV is less than that viewed next to the object. A proper shutter speed may be calculated as follows:

Exposure (shutter rate) 2X Pixel Size / Vr where: Vr = sensor dimension x (field-of-view / object’s velocity) Pixel Size = pixel dimension / total pixels

Note: pixel dimension should correspond to the dimension used for the total pixel count. The TroubleShooter’s pixels are 12 microns square. If the object’s velocity, the field-of-view, the imaging sensor’s dimensions and pixel count are known, the shutter speed required to produce a sharp image can be calculated. The relative velocity (Vr) at the sensor can be calculated by reducing the subject’s velocity by the optical reduction at the sensor. The pixel size must be calculated by dividing the sensor size in the dimension of interest (x or y). Knowing that a relative velocity at the sensor plane that is less than 2 pixels or a line pair will produce a good image, we multiply the pixel size by two. Therefore, the shutter speed is calculated by dividing the 2X pixel size by the relative velocity (Vr). The inverse yields the minimum shutter speed or in the case of an imaging system without a shutter, it is the minimum frame rate for sharp images. Depth of Field Depth-of-field (DOF) is the range in which an object would be in focus within a scene. The largest DOF’s are obtained when a lens is set to infinity focus. The smaller the f-stop the smaller the DOF, for example a setting f/2.0 would have a small depth of field. If the object is moved closer to the lens, the DOF also decreases. Lenses of different focal lengths will not have the same DOF for a given f-stop. Sensitivity Most modern image sensors have a sensitivity that is equivalent to a film Exposure Index value of between 125 ISO and 480 ISO in color and up to 3200 ISO in monochrome. The sensitivity is a very important factor for obtaining clear images. An inexperienced user may confuse motion blur with a poor depth-of-field. If the sensitivity of the camera is not high enough for imaging an object for a given scene, the lens aperture must be opened up. This reduces the depth-of-field for the object to remain in focus. As the object moves, it could take a path outside the area that is in focus. This


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would then give the appearance of an object with motion blur. However, in reality, it is out of focus. In practice, many TroubleShooter recordings may be made with ambient lights. A single incandescent light may be used to add illumination to either eliminate shadows in areas where light is blocked or to add illumination for closing down the aperture of the lens to get greater depth of field. No extra or minimal light is fine for many applications, although some demanding high-speed events have characteristics where greater light availability may be preferred. Record Time The recording time of a high-speed video camera is dependent on the frame rate selected and the amount of storage medium available. Continuing technological advances in DRAM memory make greater storage levels affordable, but DRAM can still a limiting factor in some situations. However, most high-speed events occur in such short duration that 2000 frames is usually more than enough to capture the event. As memory chips get denser, the storage capacities will increase in high-speed cameras. Resolution The resolution of a high-speed camera is generally expressed in terms of the number of pixels in the horizontal and vertical dimensions. A pixel is defined as the smallest unit of a picture that can be individually addressed and read. At present, high-speed camera resolutions range from 128 x 32 (split-frame) to approximately 1600 x 1200 pixels. A rule of thumb for capturing high-speed events is that the smallest object or displacement to be detected by the camera should not be less than 2 pixels within the camera’s horizontal field of view. The sensor resolution may be expressed also in terms of line pairs per millimeter (lp/mm). The meaning of line pairs per millimeter is an expression of how many transitions from black to white (lines) can be resolved in one millimeter. To calculate a sensor’s theoretical limiting resolution in lp/mm, take the inverse of two times the pixel size. Shown below is the limiting resolution of a sensor with a 16-micron pixel. Theoretical Limiting Resolution = (1/ (2 x pixel size)) x 1000 = 1/(2 x 16) x 1000 = 31.25 lp/mm Record Modes High-speed cameras have two principal methods of recording, which are to solid-state memory – DRAM or to videotape in modified recorders. Certain recording methods, like random triggering, cannot be matched by high-speed film cameras, many of which are still in use. A high-speed camera’s most useful recording mode is called continuous record. In continuous record mode the camera runs indefinitely, replacing it’s older


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images with newer images until an event occurs and triggers the camera to stop. Further flexibility allows the operator to program exactly how many images before and after an event are saved. For engineers and technicians trying to record something unpredictable or intermittent, the continuous-record with triggering is the only feasible method of capturing the event. Another less common recording technique for motion analyzers with DRAM memory is external sync or external phase lock. This recording technique is used to operate the camera at a frame rate that is defined by a user’s input signal. External sync recording is very similar to the method of imaging with a strobe synchronized with an object that has a repetitious movement. For example, a user could input a frequency to the camera that was synchronized to the tachometer. As the frequency is varied, the images captured will be sync with the tachometer in a positive or negative direction. This allows any position of movement to be observed and captured. Another example would be that of an accelerometer voltage that is feed to a voltage-to-frequency converter. As the acceleration changes, so does the frequency out of the converter. This frequency then drives the frame rate of the camera. Why should this interest us? Objects that move faster need a higher frame rate for recording than objects that move slower. Therefore, the rate of change is directly proportional to the rate of recording. Application examples include a crush test for materials using a strain gauge, a flame propagation study in a combustion engine using a pressure sensor, an automotive car crash using an accelerometer or an explosion that has a light sensor detecting the detonation. This mode of recording is uniquely possible with DRAM based high-speed cameras. Time Magnification The goal in using a high-speed camera is to obtain a series of images that are observable in slow motion after a high-speed event occurs. Time magnification describes the degree of "slowing down" of motion that occurs during the playback of an event. To determine the amount of time magnification, divided the recording rate by the replay rate. For example, a recording made at 1,000 fps and replayed at 30 fps will show a time magnification of 33:1. One second of real time will last for 30 seconds on the television or computer monitor. If the same recording were replayed at only 1 fps, that one-second event would take more than 16 minutes to play back! Most high-speed cameras, including the TroubleShooter, allow replay in forward or reverse with variable playback speeds. Therefore, it is important to capture only the information that is necessary; otherwise along recordings could take too long to playback. Lighting Techniques Lighting an application properly can produce dynamic results over poor light management. There are four fundamental directions for lighting high speed video subjects; front, side, fill and backlight. Placing a light behind or adjacent to a lens is the most common method of illuminating a subject. However, some fill lighting or side


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lighting may be needed to eliminate the shadows produced by the front lighting. It is advisable to have the light behind the lens to avoid specular reflections off the lens. Side lighting is the next most common lighting technique. As the name implies, the light is at an angle from the side. This can produce a very pleasing illumination. In fact, for low contrast subjects, a low incident lighting angle from the side can enhance detail. Fill lighting may be used to remove shadows or other dark areas. Fill lighting may also be used to lessen the flicker from lamps that have poor uniformity. Fill is from the side or top of a scene. Backlighting may be used to illuminate a translucent subject from behind. It is not used that frequently in high-speed video. However, certain applications such as microscopy, web analysis or flow visualization will be suited for backlighting. All of these techniques are important for getting a high quality image. The TroubleShooter has been optimized to operate under most ambient light situations. This makes using the camera in environments like factories easier and therefore more appealing to customers because of an elimination of set up time. Lighting Sources There are a number of lighting sources available for high-speed video. Some care must be taken in lighting selection due to the several factors. The areas that need to be considered included the type of light, the uniformity of the light source, the intensity of the light, the color temperature, the amount of flicker, the size of the light, the beam focus and the handling requirements. All of these factors are important in matching the light to the application. Type of Lighting Lighting types can be identified by two characteristics; physical design and the method of producing the light. The physical characteristics include lens, the reflector, packaging and the bulb design. The method of producing light includes tungsten, carbon arc, fluorescent and HMI. Tungsten Tungsten lighting is also referred to as incandescent lamps. Tungsten color temperature is 3200K. A type of tungsten lamp is called halogen. Halogen is a hotter lamp since the bulb must heat the regenerative tungsten. The tungsten lamps are efficient in their light output. Carbon Arcs This type of lamp forms an arc between two carbon electrodes. The arc produces a gas that fuels a bright flame that burns from one electrode to the other. In time, this consumes the carbon. These types of lights very large and expensive and are therefore almost never used in high-speed videography. Gas Discharge


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The fluorescent tube is one type of gas discharge lamp. At the end of each tube are electrodes. The tube is normally filled with argon and some mercury. As current is applied at the electrodes, the mercury is vaporized by the argon gas. The mercury emits an ultraviolet emission. This then strikes the side of the tube that is coated with a phosphor. The phosphor then transforms the ultraviolet to visible light. Most fluorescent lamps emit a dominant green hue, which is not very suitable for a balanced light source. Additionally, the discharge produces a non-uniform light that is easily detected as a 60-cycle flicker when playing images back from a high-speed camera. Arc Discharge HMI (mercury medium-arc iodide) is the most common lamp in this class of lighting and is used in large area lighting for high-speed work. As current is passed through the HMI electrodes, an arc is generated and the gas in the lamp is excited to a light emitting state. The spectrum of light emitted includes visible as well as ultraviolet. This light source typically has a UV filter to block the harmful emissions. The HMI light is a balanced light source that generates an intense white light. If a switching ballast is used with the HMI, it produces a uniform light with very low flicker. Color Understanding color is difficult but necessary even for monochrome imaging. The color of light is determined by its wavelength. The longer wavelengths are hotter in color (red). The shorter wavelengths are cooler (blue). Color perception is a function of the human eye. The surface of an object either reflects or absorbs different light wavelengths. The light that the human eye perceives is unique in that it produces a physiological effect in our brain. What is red to one person may have a slight difference of perception by another person. Terms that further describe the color of an object are hue, saturation and brightness. Hue is the base color such as red, blue violet, yellow and others. Saturation is the shades that vary from a basic color to that of a different shade. An example of a hue would be green and a saturated color would be lime (light green). Brightness also known as luminance is the intensity of the light. The subject of color would take an entire book to fully explain the science. However, studying a color chart can give the user some insight into the composition a color scene. Color temperature is a common way of describing a light source and is listed in degrees K. Color temperature originally derived it’s meaning from the heating of a theoretical black body to a temperature that caused the body to give off varying colors that ranged from red hot to white hot. Incandescent lights usually operate at 3,200K and HMI at 5,500K, which is closest to sunlight. Color versus Monochrome Most of the early high-speed film was black-and-white. Once color film became available, the use of black and white declined somewhat. The use of high-speed color


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film set the format standard that video has attempted to meet. Over the years, monochrome images have been all that could be recorded on most high-speed cameras. Today’s high-speed cameras produce images that replace color film for many high-speed applications. To understand the strengths and weaknesses of both color and monochrome in high-speed video applications, some background must be discussed. There are various methods of producing color in high-speed video. The two the most widely used techniques are beam splitters and color filter arrays. Using three imaging sensors with stationary color filters and a beam splitter, true color reproduction is possible. True color means that the primary colors and all the saturations are possible. This technique is costly since all of the camera’s electronics are tripled because of using three imaging sensors. The alignment of the three sensors in the manufacturing process has to be very precise, otherwise mis-registration will occur on the colors. The second technique is a cost saving compromise. Color Filter Arrays (CFA) provide a more cost affective means for producing color because they require only one imaging sensor. There are individual color filters deposited on the surface of each pixel. There is some combination of Red, Blue and Green or a complimentary color scheme. Each pixel is isolated to a certain color spectrum. Although the pixels are filtered, the raw data must be interpolated for solving the missing pixels in each color plane. Now that the two methods for producing color have been discussed, we need to review what the trade-offs are between color and monochrome. Generally, monochrome images are better in overall image quality. Monochrome cameras are more sensitive due to the absence of a color filter. Monochrome resolving capability is also better than that in CFA imaging sensors. This is due to the fact that there is no interpolation involved. The main disadvantage of a monochrome image is the loss of color differentiation. The subtle change in gray levels is harder to observe than a change in hue or saturation. Color is valuable for differentiating shades. Generally monochrome is preferable for ease of use and better performance in sensitivity and resolution.


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3.0 High-Speed Digital Imaging Technology Overview Eastman Kodak’s Motion Analysis Systems Division, (MASD), and NAC, Inc. were the first two companies in the high-speed video market when they introduced cameras in 1982. Both companies used proprietary and, in some cases, patented technology to make their products. These two companies accounted for the overwhelming majority of cameras sold into market for the ten years from 1982 to 1992. By then, Photron had commercially viable products, which they were induced to sell to MASD through a patent infringement claim. Within the next 5 years Redlake Imaging, Weinberger of Switzerland, Vision Research of Wayne NJ, Olympus America Industrial of Melville NY and DRS Technologies of Oakland, NJ all became active in the market. This list does not include every company that makes some form of high-speed camera but it does represent the major companies supplying products today. The key component of all high-speed cameras, and the only technology that has ever been specifically developed for this market, is the image acquisition sensor. Until 2000, all cameras were made exclusively with CCD technology sensors. In 2000, FillFactory, NV of Belgium made a high-speed sensor based on CMOS technology. At about the same time, Photobit of Pasadena, CA was also making high-speed CMOS sensors. Mr. Ferrell and Mr. Foley, while at Redlake Imaging, gave a contract to DALSA of Waterloo, ON, Canada to develop a high-speed CMOS VGA sensor, which is also a catalog product. In 2001 Micron Technology, the large US-based PC and memory maker purchased Photobit. Micron now supplies the only viable commercially available CMOS sensor on the market, named the MI-MV13, a 1280 x 1024 pixel sensor capable of 500 frames per second at full resolution. Photron, NAC, Redlake MASD, DRS and Fastec all use the MI-MV13. FillFactory produces CMOS sensors under private contract, with Vision Research being their main customer in high-speed imaging and Redlake using one of their sensors for the HG-100K. NAC and Photron may also be using custom CMOS sensors from Japanese suppliers in some of their cameras. The major difference between the Micron and FillFactory sensors are that Micron integrates the A/D converters into the sensor silicon. Other technologies used in high-speed cameras include digital recording media, mostly standard PC industry DRAM, various FPGA’s and general purpose IC’s to provide camera control. Current cameras use firmware and software as well as industrial packaging techniques. With the exception of the Redlake MASD MotionMeter, none of the existing cameras is a truly portable device. Two major forms of packaging are employed by the current vendors; the first is to house a sensor in a separate camera head and send images back to a camera control unit, either a PCI card peripheral installed in a PC or a separate camera control unit. In these cases, the memory is in the camera control and these designs are used in

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Photron’s Ultima 1024 and APX, NAC’s Hi-Dcam II and Redlake’s MotionPro. Incidentally, the Redlake MotionPro is manufactured by DRS Technologies for Redlake. The second form of packaging is to put the sensor and camera control into a single unit as exemplified by the NAC K3 or the Phantom V4.2. A variant on this form of package is to “harden” it to withstand 100 “G” impacts for vehicle impact testing and other severe environments including military weapons testing. With these cameras, a PC or separate monitor is still required to display the images Another area that has begun to be exploited by high-speed camera vendors is software for image archiving and analysis. Archiving is becoming more of an issue in applications that require records to be kept of various tests. A single recording sequence can contain 1-2 Gigabytes of images and some applications like automotive testing require that thousands of test shots be saved annually and be available for retrieval. The other major use for software is in motion analysis and several high-speed camera companies have software packages that they provide, especially with their PC based cameras. The key functions in motion analysis are calculating the distance and velocity of a single point or a series of points over multiple images. Time information is also useful and can be calculated in these software packages. In a product like the TroubleShooter, the time in milliseconds is displayed in the header of each frame, allowing for quick answers to questions such as “how long does it take for a part to be ejected from the tooling mold”? A number of independent vendors have software available for sale or have relationships with high-speed camera companies. These include Falcon, (www.falcon.de), and Signum, (www.signumbt.com), in Europe and SAI, (www.sensorsapplications.com), Xcitex, (www.xcitex.com), Microsys, (www.micro-sys.com) and Boeing SVS, (www.svsinc.com) in North America. In summary, the key component of a high-speed camera is the image sensor. All other technologies used in these products are widely available, resulting in an industry that seeks differentiation through minor variations in top end speed, amount of storage, functional packaging or software. Despite efforts by the manufacturers, most high-speed cameras are very similar in overall performance and price with the exception of the new TroubleShooter, which will shift the performance standard for the entire market.

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http://www.sensorsapplications.com/

http://www.micro-sys.com/

http://www.svsinc.com/

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4.0 Key Competitive Metrics for High-Speed Video Camera performance has 3 key measures: 1. Resolution 2. Speed 3. Recording Time 4.1 Resolution is described in the number of pixels horizontally and vertically and their bit depth. For example the TroubleShooter II has a resolution of 1280 pixels horizontally by 1024 pixels vertically at 10 bits of data per pixel. This array count results in a resolution of 1,310,720 total pixels per image. More pixels means that for the same field of view more detail can be seen in the subject. The size of the subject and the degree of detail that need resolving will help a user determine the best resolution to use. However, the speed the subject is moving, the size of the subject relative to the overall field of view, the type of movement, (rotary, linear, reciprocal, etc), and primary and system magnification need to be taken into account also. Applications can generally be categorized into 4 main field-of-view (resolution) requirements: 1. Microscopy – camera is attached to a microscope. 2. Very small – up to 2-3 square centimeters – looking at a disk drive head

actuating or an artificial heart valve. 3. Small – less than a meter square – a vast majority of packaging applications as

shown in the image below. 4. Large – 5 meters square or more – automotive crash test, missile launch, human

biomechanics. The current high-speed cameras also can be categorized into four general resolution categories: 1. Low-resolution – Redlake MotionMeter, Redlake MotionScope PCI and Photron

Fastcam Super 10K in the 30,000 to 200,000 pixel range, 2. Mid-resolution – Phantom V4.2, Fastec TroubleShooter in the 250,000 to

500,000 pixel range. 3. High-resolution – TroubleShooter II, Photron Ultima 1024, NAC K3 in the

1,000,000 pixel range, and 4. Very-high resolution – Phantom V9 and Redlake HG-100K in the 1,500,000 pixel

range. Traditional selling techniques in high-speed have centered on the premise that more resolution means a better camera, with the same premise used with speed also – faster

4.0 Key Competitive Metrics for High-Speed Video 17

--------------------Fastec Imaging

is better. In high-speed video, as with many types of products, salesmen often try to sell the customer more performance than they need. A vast majority of users, at least 90% in packaging applications, will get excellent results with mid-resolution cameras like the TroubleShooter operating no faster than 1,000 fps. A very-high resolution camera like an HG-100K is good to resolve small details, like a 50mm centroid target on an automobile in a 5 meter horizontal field of view. However, large increases in resolution and speed also mean much higher prices. 4.2 Speed is the measure of how fast images are acquired. In the high-speed industry, speed is described in frames per second. For example the TroubleShooter can record images from 60 to 1,000 frames per second. How fast a user needs to capture images is also dependant on his application. In packaging for example, an extremely high speed process is the filling of beer cans in brewery operations. Some breweries noperate filling machines up to 2,000 cans per minute.

ow

Typical field-of-view in a shot of can conveying – about 1 foot horizontally.

However, if a maintenance engineer want to record this operation he will usually find that 1,000 fps is more than adequate. 2,000 cans per minute divided by 60 seconds per minute equals 33.33 cans per second divided by 1,000 images per second gives 30 images of every can. With typical system magnification in a 200mm field of view there is more than enough information in the 30 images to understand the dynamics of the motion. The number of different applications that require speeds above 5,000 fps diminish greatly and in packaging 90% of all work can be done at 1,000 fps or slower. The cameras advertising 20,000 to 100,000 images per second are very expensive and only useful in a limited number of applications, such as explosive studies, disk drive head seeks, ink jet spray pattern analysis and a few other applications that have very high magnifications or very high speed requirements. The premium in price for these very high speeds can only be justified in these few high-end applications. One other issue that interrelates with speed is shuttering. All CMOS and CCD sensors designed specifically for high-speed uses have an electronic shutter built into each pixel. Non-shuttered cameras have an effective shutter rate of 1 over the recording rate. For example if a camera with no shutter is recording at 250 fps with no shutter, the effective shutter speed is 1/250th of a second or 4 milliseconds. A number of


--------------------Fastec Imaging

applications can be captured at a lower speed, for example with a 250 fps recording rate motion blur can be eliminated with a fast shutter of 1/5,000th of a second. One other note about speed and cameras is that, as the industrial camera business migrates from analog cameras to digital progressive scan technology, they will often refer to the technology as “high-speed”. What they mean is 60 or in a very few cases 120 fps, with most of these being ½ height or ¼ height images. These cameras are used mainly in machine vision applications. 4.3 Storage Time is usually described in seconds of record time or number of frames. For example, the TroubleShooter records 2,000 frames and therefore 2 seconds at 1,000 frames per second record rate. By their nature, high-speed events happen in a short period of time and are usually measured in milliseconds. Some vendors will advertise longer record times, NAC with their HSV 500C3 or Photron’s Fastcam DVR, but these also are for a very few specialized applications. Some of these include rocket motor firing, missile tracking, or long fuse burning studies. Before TTL triggering became widely available, cameras with long recording times like the NAC HSV 1000 were used to capture random events such as a failure on a continuous product line. The use of triggering, built into practically all high-speed cameras, removes the requirement for long recording systems built around videotape technology The following is a technical description of the Micron MI-MV13 sensor used in the TroubleShooter and TroubleShooter II. This sensor is also used in The Redlake MotionPro, NAC Hi-Dcam II, Photron Fastcam-X PCI 1280 which cost as much as $35,000 to $40,000 for the high-end models. T9M413 TECHNICAL BRIEF 1.3-MEGAPIXEL CMOS ACTIVE-PIXEL DIGITAL IMAGE SENSOR Micron Part Number: MT9M413C36STC Description The MI-MV13 is a 1,280H x 1,024V (1.3 megapixel) CMOS digital image sensor capable of 500 frames-per second (fps) operation. Its TrueSNAP™ electronic shutter allows simultaneous exposure of the entire pixel array. Available in color or monochrome, the sensor has on-chip 10-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), which are self-calibrating, and a fully digital interface. The chip's input clock rate is 66 MHz at approximately 500 fps, providing compatibility with many off-the-shelf interface components. The sensor has ten 10-bit-wide digital output ports. Its open architecture design provides access to internal operations. ADC timing and pixel-read control are integrated on-chip. At 60 fps, the sensor dissipates less than 150mW, and at 500 fps less than 500mW; it operates on a 3.3V supply. Pixel size is 12 microns square, and digital responsivity is 1,600 bits per lux-second. Features • Array Format: 1,280H x 1,024 V (1,310,720 pixels) • Pixel Size and Type: 12.0µm x 12.0µm TrueSNAP (shuttered-node active pixel) • Sensor Imaging Area: H: 15.36mm, V: 12.29mm, Diagonal: 19.67mm


--------------------Fastec Imaging

• Frame Rate: 0–500+ fps @ (1,280 x 1,024), >10,000 fps with partial scan, [e.g. 0–4000 fps @ (1,280 x 128)] • Output Data Rate: 660 Mbs (master clock 66 MHz, ~500 fps) • Power Consumption: < 500 mW @ 500 fps; <150 mW @ 60 fps • Digital Responsivity: Monochrome: 1,600 bits per lux-second @ 550nm; ADC reference @ 1V • Internal Intra-Scene Dynamic Range: 59dB • Supply Voltage: +3.3V • Operating Temperature: -5°C to +60°C • Output: 10-bit digital through 10 parallel ports • Color: Monochrome or color RGB • Shutter: TrueSNAP freeze-frame electronic shutter • Shutter Efficiency: >99.9% • Shutter Exposure Time: 2_s to > 33 msec • ADC: On-chip, 10-bit column-parallel • Package: 280-pin ceramic PGA • Programmable Controls:

Open architecture On-chip: • ADC controls • Output multiplexing • ADC calibration

Off-chip: • Window size and location • Frame rate and data rate • Shutter exposure time (integration time) • ADC reference


--------------------Fastec Imaging

5.0 Current HSV Companies Active Worldwide Photron, (Japan) Olympus Industrial, (USA) NAC, (Japan) AOS Technologies, (Switzerland) Redlake MASD, (USA) Weinberger, (Switzerland) Vision Research, (USA) The following is information taken from the various web-sites. Photron Background Information: Photron was founded in 1974 to provide manufacturing, sales and service of professional film and video equipment and photo- instrumentation. Since then, Photron has been offering photo optics and electronic technologies to manufacturing industries, the medical field, film laboratories, major movie and television studios, as well as to the military worldwide. The company name "PHOTRON" combines photon and electron, the basic elements that represent our state-of-the-art technologies.

After gaining experience with image processing systems, Photron branched into the development of high-speed motion analysis cameras. Some highlights of our product launches are:

• In 1991 the Model 4540 was launched as the world's fastest commercial high-speed video system, operating at up to 40,500 frames per second. The 4540 is now marketed under the name of the ultima SE.

• A year later, 1991, the MotionCorder family of cameras is launched, including the FASTCAM Super 10k, which becomes a major best-selling high-speed video system.

• In 2000 Photron's FASTCAM-X 1280 PCI is the first mega-pixel CMOS camera system for the PC to compliment the CCD FASTCAM PCI.

• And currently we are underway with the launch of Photron Motion Tools software, a suite of tools designed to perfectly compliment PC-based cameras for image analysis.

Photron's varied product range makes it the first choice for designers, manufacturers, R&D and test engineers to solve their most challenging motion problems. Whether it's testing a new product design or piece of equipment or trouble-shooting a high-speed production line, Photron's digital camera systems can capture thousands of high-resolution images for playback and analysis. And with Photron Motion Tools software, users can automatically track the motion of any point within a recorded sequence. Photron's continuing development of new state-of-the-art products shows our commitment to furthering research and development in the areas of digital imaging and motion analysis solutions. Photron also designs and develops software for the motion picture and television industries under the Primatte brand. Photron began marketing Primatte in the mid-90s, at which time Scott Gross joined the Primatte team to help introduce, sell and support Primatte software in the U.S. In the ensuing five years since its introduction, Primatte has gone from being one platform with two versions to nearly forty versions on three platforms, a testament to its powerful and versatile ability to create seamless and realistic chromakey compositing effects.

5.0 Current HSV Companies Worldwide 21

http://www.photron.com/high_speed_cameras/products/ultima_se/cameras_prod_ult_se_main.html

http://www.photron.com/high_speed_cameras/products/ultima_se/cameras_prod_ult_se_main.html

http://www.photron.com/high_speed_cameras/products/super_10k/cameras_prod_super_10k_main.html

http://www.photron.com/high_speed_cameras/products/super_10k/cameras_prod_super_10k_main.html

http://www.photron.com/high_speed_cameras/products/x_1280_pci/cameras_prod_pci_1280_main.html

http://www.photron.com/high_speed_cameras/products/pci/cameras_prod_pci_main.html

http://www.photron.com/high_speed_cameras/products/software/cameras_prod_software_main.html

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Photron Locations:

Asia Office

Photron Limited Shibuya 1-9-8 Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo 150-0002 Japan Phone: +81 (0) 3 3486-3471

Europe Office

Photron (Europe) Limited Willowbank House 84 Station Road, Marlow Bucks. SL7 1NX United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0) 1628 894353 Fax: +44 (0) 1628 894354 Sales - Europe, Africa and Middle [email protected]

Fax: +81 (0) 3 3486-8760 Toshiharu Saiyoshi [email protected] Kiyoshi Sano [email protected] Sales - Asia [email protected]

Redlake MASD Background Information:

Four decades of leadership in providing high performance imaging solutions mahigh resolution, high speed digital imaging systems. The result of a merger betKodak MASD, Redlake combines vast industry experience with today's most adunprecedented breadth and depth of products, services and support to choose

Our products range from stand-alone digital cameras to complete, bundled systspecialized control and analysis software. Unique to our industry, we have highspectral device meet virtually every high performance imaging need.

Our high-speed cameras solve problems, save time and cut costs by providing

High frame rates in just about every industry you can think of. Use Redlake hig cameras to record and play back problems that are too fast to the human eye Recording at very high frame rates, the cameras let you slow the motion and a a variety of industries, such as:

• Research, design and test: superb light sensitivity, robust fearecording times make the cameras versatile analytical solutio

• Vehicle impact testing, airbag deployment testing, safety component teimpacts of 100+Gs.

• Ballistic tests, missile intercepts, and projectile impacts: Redlake cameInstrumentation Group (IRIG) timing code systems to precisely controleven when located miles apart.

• Production line diagnostics

High-resolution MegaPlus Cameras Redlake high-resolution MegaPlus® line of cameras has set t medical, industrial and machine vision applications. MegaPlu convenient control of image exposure and capture timing, and into image processing systems. Redlake high-resolution Meg crisp, colorful images for a variety of applications:

• Medical imaging (digital radiography, ophthalmology)

5.0 Current HSV Companies Worldwide

Photron USA, Inc. 9520 Padgett Street, Suite 110 San Diego, CA 92126-4446, USA Phone: 1-858-684-3555 1-800-585-2129 Fax: 1-858-684-3558 Tak (Takashi) Takimizu President [email protected] Andrew Bridges Manager, Sales & Marketing

ke Redlake the provider of choice for ween Redlake Imaging and Eastman vanced technology, allowing an from.

ems, including computers with speed, high resolution, and multi-

imaging at very:

h-speed to see. nalyze details in

tures and long ns. sting: some systems can handle

ras work with Inter-Range and synchronize multiple systems —

he industry standard for research, s® cameras provide precise and are designed for easy integration

aPlus® imaging systems deliver

22

mailto:[email protected]



http://www.redlake.com/high_res/index.html

http://www.redlake.com/spectral/index.html

http://www.redlake.com/spectral/index.html

http://www.redlake.com/high_res/index.html



--------------------Fastec Imaging

• Metrology • Microscopy • PIV • Laboratory • Document conversion • Machine vision • Electronic inspection (flat panel display, semi-conductor, wafer, etc)

Redlake Locations

Americas: Redlake 11633 Sorrento Valley Road San Diego, CA 92121-1010 USA Phone: +1-858-481-8182 Toll Free: 1-800-462-4307 Fax: +1-858-792-3179 [email protected] Now accepting major credit cards:

Locate a Motion Camera Sales Rep. Locate a MegaPlus Camera Sales Rep.

Europe, Middle East and Africa: Roper Scientific BV Ir. D.S. Tuijnmanweg 10 4131 PN Vianen Netherland Telephone: +31-347-32-4989 Fax: +31-347-32-4979 [email protected]

Asia/Pacific: Redlake 10 Eunos Road 8 #12-06 Singapore Post Centre 408600 Singapore Tel: +65-6293-4758 Fax: +65-6293-3307 [email protected]

Japan: Nippon Roper 6F Sakurai Building 2 8 19 Fukagawa Koto Ku Tokyo, 135-0033, Japan Telephone: +81-3-5639-2770 Fax: +81-3-5639-2775 [email protected]


http://www.redlake.com/index.html


http://www.redlake.com/contact/motion_sales.html

http://www.redlake.com/contact/megaplus_sales.html

http://www.redlakeeurope.com/


http://www.redlake.com/index.html


http://www.roper.co.jp/redlake


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NAC Background Information: The following is a summary of major NAC achievements and developments since 1958. This listing will give you some idea of the types of applications with which NAC has experience. As you'll see, NAC has a track record of solving the most challenging image technology problems. 1958-1970 1958 Developed and commenced marketing of "NAC Anamorphic Lens" (for Cinemascope) 1961 Developed and commenced marketing of "NAC Film Motion Analyzer" the quantitative film data analysis

system 1962 Developed 16mm Telecine System, 16mm TV Finder and Proxer Lens 1963 Developed Spectroheliograph and Projection Lens for Cinerama 1964 Developed 360 Shooting & Projection System, Crane -Simulator, Lasertracker, Motion Analyzer, 35/70mm

Film 1964 Developed and delivered 360 shooting & projection system for Japan Science Foundation

Delivered complete filming equipment and full maintenance for official filming of Tokyo Olympic games 1965 Developed Optical and Photographic Instrumentation System for tracking and recording rocket flights.

Delivered to Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science, University of Tokyo Developed and installed full arch Aurora recording photographic camera for Polar Research Institute at Japanese Antarctic Base

1966 Developed Bi-Plane Cine Angiographic System, and delivered to Kita Kyushu Welfare Hospital Developed and commenced delivery of High-Speed Photographic Instrumentation System for safety research at automobile manufacturers worldwide. Delivered "NAC Television Finder Cine Recording System" to Japan National Theatre

1967 Developed and delivered Image Display System to San Antonio International Exposition (USA) 1968 Developed Computer Controlled Visual Display System for train engineer training simulator and delivered to

National Railway Technological Lab Developed Automatic Tracking Cinetheodolite for NASDA, and installed at Tanegashima Space Center Developed and delivered computer aided semi-automatic film analyzer for Nuclear Research Lab, University of Tokyo

1965 Developed airborne Radar Scope Camera for F104 Jet Fighter of Japanese Defense Agency. cooperation with Mitsubishi Electric Co. Developed Optical Tracking System CT-7 and Time-Lapse Camera System

1966 Developed and commenced marketing of NAC Eye Mark Recorder Developed 16mm Compact Camera for photographing human internal organs with aid from Ministry of Health and Welfare

1967 Developed Streak Recording Camera 1969 Developed D-150 Lens with capability of 150 photography 1970 -1980 1970 Contracted for design, manufacture, installation and operation-maintenance of Visual Display Systems of

over ten pavilions including Japanese Pavilion Government at Expo 1970 Developed and delivered high-speed automobile simulator for mechanical lab in Agency of Industrial

Science and Technology 1971 Developed and delivered Image Display System to Hokkaido Historical Museum

Delivered infra-red aided Automatic Cinetheodolite and Film Data Analyzing System to JDA 1972 Awarded contract for Multi-band Remote Sensing Camera System from Geographical Survey Institute 1973 Developed and delivered Human Rehabilitation Activity Instrumentation System for various rehabilitation

centers 1974 Developed and delivered high-speed automobile visual simulator for mechanical lab in Agency of Industrial

Science Developed and delivered Photo- instrumentation System for missile launch experiments to JDA Started marketing of high speed video recorder

1975 Delivered "Cine Sextant" Optical Tracking Mount for tracking of flying projectiles to JDA 1976 Developed and delivered Visual Display System for Tank Simulator at JDA 1977 Delivered photographic processing system of Meteological Satellite image data sent to ground station of the

Japanese Meteological Agency Delivered High Speed Video System to NASDA for N rocket on-ground combustion test

1978 Delivered Remote Sensing Image Data Processing System to Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry Delivered photographic processing system for LANDSAT images sent to Receiving Station of NASDA


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Delivered "Cine Sextant" Automated Optical Tracking System to Tanegashima Space Center, NASDA 1980-1990 1980 Developed "NAC Animatography", advanced Animation & Graphics System 1981 Commenced manufacturing and marketing of "NAC High Speed Camera Model E-10"

Developed High Speed Video System Model HSV-200 1982 Developed 16mm Laser Beam Recorder under the guidance of NHK Technical Research Laboratories

Developed field type and on-board type High Speed Video 1983 Commenced manufacturing and marketing of "NAC Eye Mark Recorder Model V" 1984 Developed Large-Format Laser-Beam Image Recorder

Developed 70mm LBIR for computer graphics 1982 Awarded contract for technical study of remote sensing techniques for oil resources by MITI 1983 Awarded with the prize of UNIATEC (Union International Des Associations Techniques

Cinematographiques) at the 3rd World Animation Festival Varna '83 for NAC Animation Graphic System President K. Nakajima awarded with Haruki Prize of Motion Picture & TV Engineering Society of Japan for

many years of technical contributions to the motion picture and TV industries 1984 NAC Compact Video Tape Recorder flown in Space Shuttle (NASA) Started marketing of Arnold & Richter "Arriflex & Arritechno" 1990-1994 1990 Developed Ultra High Speed I Converter Camera Model "Ultranac"

Developed new Color High Speed Video System Model "HSV-1000" Developed Eye Mark Recorder Model"EMR-600"

1990 Awarded contract for "Human Sensory Measurement Application Technology" from Industrial Technology Institute of MITI

1991 Delivered "Lenticular Stereoscopic Display System" to ATR 1992 Delivered "Lenticular Stereoscopic Display System for multiple images for multiple viewer" to ATR

Delivered "Ultra High Resolution Image Processing System" to NTT 1993 Delivered "Wide-screen Autostereoscopic Display System" to NTT 1993 Developed Eye Mark Recorder Model"EMR-7" 1994 Developed solid state memory type Color High Speed Video Model "Memerecam Ci" and "Memrecam CCS"

Developed "non-contact type Eye Mark Recorder"

NAC Locations: Yokohama and Kohoku, Japan , are the sites of the two major NAC production facilities. These factories design, develop and manufacture NAC imaging products. Here, imaging equipment like NAC's high speed cameras, film analyzers, high speed video, image transfer systems, etc., are made by workers highly skilled in delicate assembly processes. The facilities are equipped with the latest manufacturing, measuring and inspection equipment. The plant and equipment are updated frequently in order to keep up with changes in technology and to meet the needs of employees. Japan North America & Europe NAC Image Technology, Inc. NAC Image Technology 8-7 Sanban-cho, Chiyoda-ku 2245 First Street, Suite 108 Tokyo, Japan 102-0075 Simi Valley, CA 93065 Tel: +81-3-5211-7960 805-584-8862 Vision Research (Phantom) Background Information: It all started in 1950 when a young, idealistic, engineer quit his job at Fairchild Camera to pursue a career in an industry that barely existed. He formed a brand new company named Photographic Analysis Company whose sales mark was "Research Through Photography". That industry is the industry of high-speed photography.


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High-speed photography is an engineering tool, much as is an oscilloscope or a computer. It is a photographic technique that enables us to visualize and analyze motion. Especially motions that are too fast for the human eye or conventional cameras to perceive. During the first forty two years of the company's existence high speed photographic images were generally "captured" on photographic film. The company excelled in teaching and applying high speed photography to numerous clients for a multitude of applications. The company also designed , manufactured and marketed products specific to the high speed photographic needs of its clients. The company's film based cameras were so widely accepted that they are national stock listed (NSN) by the US DoD. In 1992 the company decided to form a separate entity that was to design and fabricate high speed electronic imagers that did not rely on photographic film for imaging. That "spin off" was later to be known as Vision Research Inc. and their family of electronic imagers is currently marketed under the "Phantom" trade mark. Vision Research prides itself in the high resolution of its images, the power of its software, the reliability of its products and its high level of attentiveness and dedication to its customers. The company's innovative approach to high speed electronic "digital" imaging was recognized by the US Patent Office and was granted US Patent #5,625,412 The future holds more technology innovation and unique products from Vision Research . The company's development goals include electronic imaging products with higher resolution and faster framing rates and "smarter" cameras with more powerful and robust software While hardware and software products are important, the company realizes that its key to future success is the same now as it was in 1950 and that is listening to and serving its customers. Vision Research Location Vision Research, Inc. 190 Parish Drive Wayne, NJ 07470 973-696-4500 Summary Photron, NAC, Redlake MASD, Weinberger, Olympus and AOS all have either direct sales reps or a mix of direct sales repres and independent distributors selling their cameras. Vision Research and Olympus primarily use direct sales reps (employees) for their sales. All of these companies use the traditional methods of selling high-speed video cameras. When they get a lead, either self-generated or via trade show, advertisement, phone call, etc., they take the camera to the prospect’s site for a demonstration. Because of the technical nature of many of these cameras, and the high prices, demos are required for virtually 100% of the sales. In many cases, multiple demos are necessary because various levels of management need to see the camera due to the budget impact. The only camera that doesn’t always follow this procedure is the Redlake MotionMeter. Because of its ease of use and relatively low price, it can often be sold without a demo. Distributors will simply send a camera to the customer and let them try it for a day or two.


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The Japanese based high-speed companies, Photron and NAC, both have product lines other than high-speed cameras, similar relative overall revenues ~$50M+, relatively large fixed cost structures with local factories, similar distribution models and a dependency on a relatively high average selling price for their cameras ~ $30,000 or more. Redlake MASD is also dependent on relatively high selling price points for their cameras and as a result put substantially all of their effort into selling the MotionPro and especially the HG-100K. Phantom’s lowest price offering, the V4.2 priced at US$ 35,000, further inhibits volume increases. Phantom also has grown revenues over the last couple of years and its fixed cost base has increased proportionately. The existing companies overhead, the purchase price barriers, the desire not to cannibalize their own sales by extreme price-cutting, and somewhat limited distribution networks will make them vulnerable to attack by products like the TroubleShooter.


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6.0 TroubleShooter Technology & Packaging No single camera that now exists in the market provides a complete unitized packaged solution for high-speed applications, especially in the factory trouble-shooting environment. After listening to hundreds of users of high-speed cameras we designed the TroubleShooter to address all of their needs. What we learned was that, for high-speed imaging to bmore widely adopted, cameras had to be smaller, easier to use and much less expensive, yet still provide performance on a par with the best products in the market.

e

nd

n

Key features required to ensure the camera has a broad appeal included:

Mega-pixel resolution (1280 x 1024) Built-in digital memory 1,000 fps and higher speeds (up to 16,000 fps) In-pixel shutter Small & lightweight design (1.5Kg) Built-in display (5” LCD) Battery power, with AC backup Ease of use High-speed digital connection to PC (USB 2.0) Affordable pricing On-board removable storage (Compact Flash)

1. No other product has this combination of features, awhen put together in a complete package like the TroubleShooter, no other product even comes close iprice. For example, the only other camera with a built-in display is the Redlake MotionMeter, but its

resolution is only 10% of the TroubleShooter’s and it has no digital PC connection no color version and no removable storage media. The Photron Ultima 1024, which uses the same type of CMOS sensor but with less resolution than the TroubleShooter and TroubleShooter II cameras, has 3 separate components in its design but has no built-in display with which to view the images. In Section 7 most of the major selling cameras in the high-speed market are listed in comparison tables with either the TroubleShooter or the TroubleShooter II.

6.0 TroubleShooter Technology & Packaging 28

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TroubleShooter User Interface

Playback Scroll Keys

Record Button

Stop Button

Power Switch

Menu Value Up / Down

Function Select

Setup Switch

Download Switch

Mode Record Rec Rate 1000

Shutter 10X Event No. 85Trigger 50%

Side Access Door for Input Connectors: Trigger In Phase Lock In Phase Lock Out NTSC/PAL Video Out IRIG Input

External Power Connector

Side Access Door for Compact Flash Card & USB 2 Connector

The design of the Troubleshooter has eliminated the “setup” associated with all other high-speed cameras on the market with the exception of the inferior-performing MotionMeter. A user simply takes the TroubleShooter out of its case, turns the power on and starts taking pictures. When looking at the comparison tables in Section 7, keep in mind that the competitive products all have multiple components to attach to each other and to power supplies, display monitors and cables, etc., before being mounted on tripods. The TroubleShooter’s packaging makes it a breakthrough product that will be a formidable competitor to all existing products.


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Troubleshooter Block Diagram

Microprocessor ARM-9 Microcontroller USB1 port SDRAM Controller DCT Transform Engine CMOS Sensor Interface Smart Media driver I2C Control Bus NTSC / PAL Video Out

32 bit Address / 32 bit Data Bus

NVRAM Code Storage – 256KB X 32 Bits

Program SDRAM Resource – 8 MB X 32 bits

320 X 240 LCD Display – 5 inch Module

Camera Control

PhillipsUSB2UC

USB2SlaveInterface

USB1MasterInterface

LCD Interface

Oscillators / Clocks

Control PCB Power Supplies

CompactFlash Card I/O

CFExternalConn.

User Switches and LEDs Internal

Batteries

Steering Diodes

External Power Input

Video Output

IRIG SyncInterface

IRIGSync

LCD BacklightPower PCB

Memory /Sensor PowerSupplies

Altera DRAMControl FPGA +Illuminator Control

SDR 72 Bit S)DIMM (Socketed)

Micron MV-13

Image Sensor

vsync / hsync

Memory / Sensor Block

100 bit MV13 Pixel Data Bus

Oscillators / Clocks

SDRAM Address Bus

I2C Control Bus

30 bit Viewfinder data bypass

70 bitMemoryData Bus

The TroubleShooter design uses the latest high-powered microprocessor and FPGA technology ensuring that the manufacturing costs are kept as low as possible. The Troubleshooter’s cost is estimated to be less than half of any competing product on the market with the exception of the MotionMeter.


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7.0 TroubleShooter Competitive Position vs. All Competitors The tables in the following pages show comparisons of the Redlake TroubleShooter and TroubleShooter II to selected cameras, both low-end and mid-range. The low-end CCD cameras that TroubleShooter will compete with include: 1. Redlake MotionMeter 2. Redlake MotionScope PCI 3. Photron Fastcam 4. Photron Fastcam PCI The higher performance CMOS cameras, which both Fastec models of TroubleShooter will directly compete against, include: 1. Redlake MotionPro 2. Photron Ultima 1024 3. Photron Fastcam-X 1280 PCI 4. NAC Hi-Dcam II 5. Olympus i-Speed All of the above-listed mid-range CMOS cameras, with the exception of the i-Speed, use the Micron MI-MV13 image sensor and will therefore have essentially equal capabilities. The i-Speed has a maximum resolution of 800 x 600. Compared to the TroubleShooter, these cameras have major limitations in packaging – ease of use - but only minor differences in performance. In all cases, the competitive cameras are larger or cannot operate without being installed into a PC and cost significantly more than the TroubleShooter. The following pages show a side-by-side comparison of the performance specifications of each camera that the TroubleShooter and TroubleShooter II will compete directly against. We estimate that the total worldwide high-speed market is approximately $70M annually. We further believe that the nine cameras listed above account for as much as 50% of the total. Estimated TroubleShooter Launch Pricing Troubleshooter 250 $5,900 Troubleshooter II $14,900 Troubleshooter 250C $7,900 Troubleshooter II-C $16,900 Troubleshooter 500 $7,900 Troubleshooter 500C $9,900 Troubleshooter 1000 $9,900 Troubleshooter 1000C $11,900

7.0 TroubleShooter Competitive Position vs. All Competitors 31

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Fastec TroubleShooter vs. Redlake MotionMeter

Fastec

TroubleShooter Redlake

MotionMeter System Price Model 250 - $5,900

Model 500 - $7,900 Model 1000 - $9,900

Model 250 - $4,995 Model 1000 - $7,995

Sensor CMOS with electronic shutter CCD with electronic shutter Color Available Yes No Frame Storage Medium DRAM DRAM Recording Rates 50, 60, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 fps 50, 60, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 fps Resolution 250 fps - 640 x 480 (307,200 pixels)

500 fps - 640 x 480 (307,200 pixels) 1000 fps - 640 x 480 (307,200 pixels)

250 fps - 292 x 220 (64,240 pixels) 500 fps - 292 x 220 (64,240 pixels) 1000 fps - 292 x 110 (32,120 pixels)

Standard Record Time 250 fps - 14 seconds 500 fps - 7 seconds 1000 fps - 3.5 seconds

250 fps - 8 seconds 500 fps - 4 seconds 1000 fps - 4 seconds

Standard Frame Storage (included in basic price)

250 fps - 3,495 frames 500 fps - 3,495 frames 1000 fps - 3,495 frames


Recording Modes Manual, external trigger and external sync

Manual, external trigger and external sync

Playback Rates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 25, 30, 50, 60, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 fps plus single step mode, forward and reverse

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 25, 30, 50, 60, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 fps plus single step mode, forward and reverse

Video Display Built-in 5" LCD screen Built-in 3" LCD screen Adjustable Screen Yes - tilt & swivel No Video Output RS-170 composite video RS-170 composite video Direct Digital Download Yes - USB 2 No Compact Flash Card Yes No Phase Lock Yes Yes Trigger Input TTL or switch closure TTL or switch closure Battery Powered Yes - 4 "D" cell batteries No – requires AC power Hand-Held Yes Yes IRIG Capability Yes No Digital Zoom Capability Yes No Auto White Balance Yes No Conclusion: The TroubleShooter has much greater performance capabilities in all areas, with the most important being resolution. The TroubleShooter has a CMOS sensor, while the MotionMeter has the old-style CCD sensor. At 250 and 500 fps the TroubleShooter has 5X more resolution than the MotionMeter and at 1,000 fps is has 10X. For only a slightly higher price the customer gets a far more capable camera. In competitive situations the TroubleShooter should win 100% of the tThe MotionMeter will become an obsolete product very quickly.

ime.


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Fastec TroubleShooter vs. Redlake MotionScope PCI

Fastec

TroubleShooter Redlake

MotionScope PCI System Price Model 250 - $5,900

Model 500 - $7,900 Model 1000 - $9,900

Model 1000 - $9,900 (Requires separate computer)

Sensor CMOS with electronic shutter CCD with electronic shutter Color Available Yes Yes Frame Storage Medium DRAM DRAM Recording Rates 50, 60, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 fps 50, 60, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 fps Resolution 250 fps - 640 x 480 (307,200 pixels)




250 fps - 2 seconds 500 fps - 2 seconds 1000 fps - 2 seconds



250 fps - 512 frames 500 fps - 1,024 frames 1000 fps - 2,048 frames




1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 25, 30, 50, 60, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 fps plus single step mode, forward and reverse

Video Display Built-in 5" LCD screen Requires monitor Adjustable Screen Yes - tilt & swivel No Video Output RS-170 composite video RS-170 composite video Direct Digital Download Yes - USB 2 Yes - Internal PCI Bus Compact Flash Card Yes No Phase Lock Yes Yes Trigger Input TTL or switch closure TTL or switch closure Battery Powered Yes - 4 "D" cell batteries No Hand-Held Yes No IRIG Capability Yes No Digital Zoom Capability Yes No Auto White Balance Yes No

Conclusion: The TroubleShooter has much greater performance capabilities in a number of areas, with the most important being resolution. At 250 fps the TroubleShooter has 35% more resolution than the MotionScope and at 1,000 fps has 6X the resolution. For essentially the same price, the customer gets a far more capable camera and doesn’t need to purchase a separate PC and go through the difficulty of installing the components. The TroubleShooter has a high-speed bus USB2 that will give it PC access and control. In competitive situations the TroubleShooter should win 100% of the time. The MotionScope should become an obsolete product very quickly.


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Fastec TroubleShooter vs. Photron Fastcam PCI

Fastec

TroubleShooter Photron

Fastcam PCI System Price Model 250 - $5,900

Model 500 - $7,900 Model 1000 - $9,900

Model 1000 - $10,900 (Requires separate computer)

Sensor CMOS with electronic shutter CCD with electronic shutter Color Available Yes Yes Frame Storage Medium DRAM DRAM Recording Rates 50, 60, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 fps 50, 60, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 fps Resolution 250 fps - 640 x 480 (307,200 pixels)




250 fps - 8.7 seconds 500 fps - 8.7 seconds 1000 fps - 8.7 seconds







1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 125 and 250 fps, forward and reverse

Video Display Built-in 5" LCD screen Requires monitor (PC) Adjustable Screen Yes - tilt & swivel No Video Output RS-170 composite video RS-170 composite video Direct Digital Download Yes - USB 2 Yes - Internal PCI Bus Compact Flash Card Yes No Phase Lock Yes Yes Trigger Input TTL or switch closure TTL or switch closure Battery Powered Yes - 4 "D" cell batteries No Hand-Held Yes No IRIG Capability Yes No Digital Zoom Capability Yes No Auto White Balance Yes No Conclusion: The TroubleShooter has much greater performance capabilities in a number of areas, with the most important being resolution. At 250 fps the TroubleShooter has 20% more resolution, at 500 fps 60% more resolution and at 1,000 fps is has 5X the resolution of the Fastcam PCI. For a lower price the customer gets a more capable camera that has full communication with the PC. At 1,000 fps the complete package for TroubleShooter is $9,900 vs. $10,990 plus at least $1,500 for a PC. In competitive situations the TroubleShooter should win 100% of the time. The Fastcam PCI should become an obsolete product very quickly.


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Fastec TroubleShooter vs. Photron Fastcam Super 10K

Fastec


Fastcam Super 10K System Price Model 250 - $5,900

Model 500 - $7,900 Model 1000 - $9,900

Model 1000 - $12,900 Model 2000 - $15,900 Model 10K - $18,900

Sensor CMOS with electronic shutter CCD with electronic shutter Color Available Yes Yes Frame Storage Medium DRAM DRAM Recording Rates 50, 60, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 fps 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000 and

10,000 fps Resolution


250 fps - 512 x 480 (245,760 pixels) 500 fps - 512 x 240 (122,880 pixels) 1000 fps - 256 x 240 (61,440 pixels) 2000 fps – 256 x 120 (30,720 pixels) 3000 fps – 128 x 128 (16,384 pixels) 5000 fps – 128 x 80 (10,240 pixels) 10,000 fps – 128 x 34 (4,352 pixels)

Standard Record Time

250 fps - 14 seconds 500 fps - 7 seconds 1000 fps - 3.5 seconds

250 fps - 2.2 - seconds 500 fps - 2.2 seconds 1000 fps – 2.2 seconds 2000 fps – 2.2 seconds 3000 fps – 2.9 seconds 5000 fps – 2.6 seconds 10,000 fps – 2.6 seconds



250 fps - 546 frames 500 fps - 1,092 frames 1000 fps - 2,184 frames 2000 fps – 4,368 frames 3000 fps – 8,736 frames 5000 fps – 13,104 frames 10,000 fps – 26,208 frames




1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 125 and 250 fps, forward and reverse

Video Display Built-in 5" LCD screen Requires separate monitor Adjustable Screen Yes - tilt & swivel No Video Output RS-170 composite video RS-170 composite video Direct Digital Download Yes - USB 2 Yes - SCSI Flash Memory Card Yes No Phase Lock Yes Yes Trigger Input TTL or switch closure TTL or switch closure Battery Powered Yes - 4 "D" cell batteries No Hand-Held Yes No IRIG Capability Yes No Digital Zoom Capability Yes No Auto White Balance Yes No


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Conclusion: The TroubleShooter has much greater performance capabilities in a number of areas with the most important being resolution. At 250 fps the TroubleShooter has 20% more resolution, at 500 fps 60% more resolution and at 1,000 fps is has 5X the resolution of the Fastcam Super Model 1000. The higher speeds of the Fastcam Super Models 2000 and 10K come at the expense of greatly reduced resolution. 5,000 fps resolution of 10,240 pixels and 10,000 fps resolution of 4,352 pixels are so limited that they are practically useless. These speeds are included in the performance for the purposes of making the camera specification look better than it really is. The digital connection to the PC for the purposes of download is SCSI, which is an extremely cumbersome protocol. The user must purchase a separate SCSI board set and try to install it into a PC. This task is very difficult to do after the PC has been purchased. With TroubleShooter, the customer gets a more capable camera that has full communication with the PC with the latest protocol – USB2, and for much less price. If a customer really needs greater than 1,000 fps operation, then the TroubleShooter II is a better option. In competitive situations the TroubleShooter should win 100% of the time. The Fastcam Super should become an obsolete product very quickly.


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Fastec TroubleShooter II vs. Redlake MotionPro

Fastec

TroubleShooter II Redlake

MotionPro System Price

Mono 16000 - $14,900 Color 16000 - $16,900

Model 500 - $24,900 Model 2000 - $29,900 Model 10000 - $34,900 (Requires computer)

Sensor CMOS with electronic shutter CMOS with electronic shutter Color Available Yes Yes Frame Storage Medium DRAM DRAM Recording Rates 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000,

8000, 16,000 fps 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000 and 10,000 fps

Resolution 250 fps - 1280 x 1024 (1,310,720 pixels) 500 fps - 1280 x 1024 (1,310,720 pixels) 1000 fps - 1280 x 512 (655,360 pixels) 2000 fps - 1280 x 256 (327,680 pixels) 4000 fps – 1280 x 128 (163,840 pixels) 8000 fps – 1280 x 64 (81,920 pixels) 16,000 fps – 1280 x 32 (40,960 pixels)

250 fps - 1280 x 1024 (1,310,720 pixels) 500 fps - 1280 x 1024 (1,310,720 pixels) 1000 fps - 1280 x 512 (655,360 pixels) 2000 fps - 1280 x 256 (327, 680 pixels) 3000 fps - 1280 x 168 (215,040 pixels) 5000 fps - 256 x 100 (25,600 pixels) 10,000 fps - 256 x 48 (12,288 pixels)

Standard Record Time 250 fps – 3.3 seconds 500 fps – 1.6 seconds 1000 fps - 1.6 seconds 2000 fps – 1.6 seconds 4000 fps – 1.6 seconds 8000 fps – 1.6 seconds 16,000 fps – 1.6 seconds

250 fps - 6.4 seconds 500 fps - 3.2 seconds 1000 fps - 7 seconds 2000 fps - 3.3 seconds 3000 fps - 3.3 seconds 5000 fps - 16.5 seconds 10,000 fps - 17.9 seconds


250 fps - 819 frames 500 fps - 819 frames 1000 fps - 1,638 frames 2000 fps – 3,277 frames 4000 fps – 6,554 frames 8000fps – 13,107 frames 16,000 fps – 26,214 frames

250 fps – 1,635 frames 500 fps – 1,635 frames 1000 fps – 6,995 frames 2000 fps – 6,547 frames 3000 fps – 9,988 frames 5000 fps – 82,595 frames 10,000 fps – 178,956 frames

Recording Modes Manual, external trigger and external sync Manual, external trigger and external sync

Playback Rates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 25, 30, 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 and 16000 fps plus single step mode, forward and reverse

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 25, 30, 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 fps plus single step mode, forward and reverse

Video Display Built-in 5" LCD screen Requires monitor Adjustable Screen Yes - tilt & swivel No Video Output RS-170 composite video RS-170 composite video Direct Digital Download Yes - USB 2 No Compact Flash Card Yes No Phase Lock Yes Yes Trigger Input TTL or switch closure TTL or switch closure Battery Powered Yes - 4 "D" cell batteries No Hand-Held Yes No IRIG Capability Yes No Digital Zoom Capability Yes No Auto White Balance Yes No


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Conclusion: The TroubleShooter II has equal or better performance capabilities in two of the three key performance measurement categories, speed and resolution. Frame storage in the standard TroubleShooter II is less but the price of additional memory will still leave the price of the TroubleShooter at less than half of the MotionPro. The TroubleShooter II will record up 16,000 fps and has more resolution at the top two speeds than the MotionPro. For less than half the price - $15,000 vs. $34,900 the customer gets a far more capable camera. In competitive situations the TroubleShooter should win most of the time.


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Fastec TroubleShooter II vs. Photron Ultima 1024

Fastec

TroubleShooter II Photron

Ultima 1024 System Price Mono 16000 - $14,900

Color 16000 - $16,900

Model 1000 - $35,900 Model 4000 - $39,900 Model 16000 - $43,900


8000, 16,000 fps 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 and 16,000 fps


250 fps - 1024 x 1024 (1,048,576 pixels) 500 fps - 1024 x 1024 (1,048,576 pixels) 1000 fps - 1024 x 512 (524,288 pixels) 2000 fps - 512 x 256 (131,072 pixels) 4000 fps - 512 x 128 (65,536 pixels) 8000 fps - 512 x 64 (32,768 pixels) 16,000 fps - 256 x 32 (8,192 pixels)


250 fps - 2 seconds 500 fps - 1 seconds 1000 fps - 1 second 2000 fps - 2 seconds 4000 fps - 2 seconds 8000 fps - 2 seconds 16,000 fps - 4 seconds



250 fps - 512 frames 500 fps - 512 frames 1000 fps – 1,024 frames 2000 fps – 4,096 frames 4000 fps – 8,192 frames 8000 fps – 16,384 frames 16,000 fps – 65,536 frames



Playback Rates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 25, 30, 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 and 16,000 fps plus single step mode, forward and reverse

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 25, 30, 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 and 16,000 fps plus single step mode, forward and reverse

Video Display Built-in 5" LCD screen Requires monitor Adjustable Screen Yes - tilt & swivel No Video Output RS-170 composite video RS-170 composite video Direct Digital Download Yes - USB 2 Yes - Firewire Compact Flash Card Yes No Phase Lock Yes Yes Trigger Input TTL or switch closure TTL or switch closure Battery Powered Yes - 4 "D" cell batteries No Hand-Held Yes No IRIG Capability Yes No Digital Zoom Capability Yes No Auto White Balance Yes No


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Conclusion: The TroubleShooter II has greater performance capabilities in several respects including better resolution at the lower speeds. The Ultima 1024 is a large camera weighing more than 8 Kg total and has a complicated hand held controller. The camera also needs a separate monitor to view images for setup, recording and playback. For approximately half the price the customer gets an equally capable camera that is easier to use. In competitive situations the TroubleShooter should win 100% of the time.


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Fastec TroubleShooter vs. Photron Fastcam-X 1280 PCI

Fastec


Fastcam-X 1280 PCI System Price

Mono 16000 - $14,900 Color 16000 - $16,900

Model 1000 - $24,900 Model 4000 - $29,900 Model 16000 - $34,900 (Requires computer)


8000, 16,000 fps 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 and 16,000 fps


250 fps - 1280 x 1024 (1,310,720 pixels) 500 fps - 1280 x 1024 (1,310,720 pixels) 1000 fps - 1280 x 512 (655,360 pixels) 2000 fps - 1280 x 256 (327,680 pixels) 4000 fps – 1280 x 128 (163,840 pixels) 8000 fps – 1280 x 64 (81,920 pixels) 16,000 fps – 1280 x 32 (40,960 pixels)


250 fps - 4 seconds 500 fps - 2 seconds 1000 fps - 2 seconds 2000 fps - 2 seconds 4000 fps - 4 seconds 8000 fps - 4 seconds 16,000 fps - 8 seconds



250 fps – 1,024 frames 500 fps – 1,024 frames 1000 fps – 2,048 frames 2000 fps – 4,096 frames 4000 fps – 16,384 frames 8000 fps – 32,768 frames 16,000 fps – 13,1072 frames





Video Display Built-in 5" LCD screen Requires monitor Adjustable Screen Yes - tilt & swivel No Video Output RS-170 composite video RS-170 composite video Direct Digital Download Yes - USB 2 Yes - Internal PCI Bus Flash Memory Card Yes No Phase Lock Yes Yes Trigger Input TTL or switch closure TTL or switch closure Battery Powered Yes - 4 "D" cell batteries No Hand-Held Yes No IRIG Capability Yes No Digital Zoom Capability Yes No Auto White Balance Yes No


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Conclusion: The TroubleShooter has essentially equal performance capabilities at a much lower price. The customer does not have to purchase a PC and go through the process of integrating the camera into the PC. In both portable and lab environments the TroubleShooter II is easier to use, takes up less space and is much easier to move. In competitive situations the TroubleShooter should win most of the time.


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Fastec TroubleShooter II vs. NAC Hi-Dcam II

Fastec TroubleShooter II

NAC Hi-Dcam II

System Price Mono 16000 - $14,900 Color 16000 - $16,900

$22,000 (Requires computer)


8000, 16,000 fps 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 and 16,000 fps


250 fps - 1280 x 1024 (1,310,720 pixels) 500 fps - 1280 x 1024 (1,310,720 pixels) 1000 fps - 1280 x 512 (655,360 pixels) 2000 fps - 1280 x 256 (327,680 pixels) 4000 fps – 1280 x 128 (163,840 pixels) 8000 fps – 1280 x 64 (81,920 pixels) 16,000 fps – 1280 x 32 (40,960 pixels)


250 fps - 3.2 seconds 500 fps - 1.6 seconds 1000 fps - 1.6 seconds 2000 fps - 1.6 seconds 4000 fps - 1.6 seconds 8000 fps - 1.6 seconds 16,000 fps - 1.6 seconds



250 fps - 820 frames 500 fps - 820 frames 1000 fps – 1,640 frames 2000 fps – 3,280 frames 4000 fps – 6,560 frames 8000 fps – 13,120 frames 16,000 fps – 26,240 frames





Video Display Built-in 5" LCD screen Requires separate monitor Adjustable Screen Yes - tilt & swivel No Video Output RS-170 composite video RS-170 composite video Direct Digital Download Yes - USB 2 Yes - Internal PCI Bus Compact Flash Card Yes No Phase Lock Yes Yes Trigger Input TTL or switch closure TTL or switch closure Battery Powered Yes - 4 "D" cell batteries No Hand-Held Yes No IRIG Capability Yes No Digital Zoom Capability Yes No Auto White Balance Yes No

Conclusion: The same comments that apply to the Photron Fastcam-X 1280 PCI apply to the NAC Hi-Dcam II. No image of the camera is shown because it has the same configuration as the Photron camera – a PCI board cables, and a camera head.


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Fastec TroubleShooter II vs. Phantom V4.2


Phantom V4.2

System Price Mono 16000 - $14,900 Color 16000 - $16,900 $35,000


8000, 16000 fps 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 16,000 and 32,000 fps

Resolution 250 fps - 1280 x 1024 (1,310,720 pixels) 500 fps - 1280 x 1024 (1,310,720 pixels) 1000 fps - 1280 x 512 (655,360 pixels) 2000 fps - 1280 x 256 (327,680 pixels) 4000 fps – 1280 x 128 (163,840 pixels) 8000 fps – 1280 x 64 (81,920 pixels) 16000 fps – 1280 x 32 (40,960 pixels)

250 fps - 512 x 512 (262,144 pixels) 500 fps - 512 x 512 (262,144 pixels) 1000 fps - 512 x 512 (262,144 pixels) 2000 fps - 512 x 256 (131,072 pixels) 4000 fps - 512 x 128 (65,536 pixels) 8000 fps - 512 x 64 (32,768 pixels) 16000 fps - 512 x 32 (16,384 pixels) 32,000 fps - 128 x 32 (4,096 pixels)

Standard Record Time 250 fps – 3.3 seconds 500 fps – 1.6 seconds 1000 fps - 1.6 seconds 2000 fps – 1.6 seconds 4000 fps – 1.6 seconds 8000 fps – 1.6 seconds 16000 fps – 1.6 seconds

250 fps - 4 seconds 500 fps - 2 seconds 1000 fps - 1 second 2000 fps - 1 second 4000 fps - 1 second 8000 fps - 1 second 16,000 fps - 1 second 32,000 fps – 2 seconds

Standard Frame Storage (included in basic price) 250 fps - 819 frames

500 fps - 819 frames 1000 fps - 1,638 frames 2000 fps – 3,277 frames 4000 fps – 6,554 frames 8000fps – 13,107 frames 16000 fps – 26,214 frames

250 fps – 1,024 frames 500 fps – 1,024 frames 1000 fps – 1,024 frames 2000 fps – 2,048 frames 4000 fps – 4,096 frames 8000 fps – 8,192 frames 16000 fps – 16,384 frames 32,000 fps – 65,532 frames


Playback Rates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 25, 30, 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 16,000 fps plus single step mode, forward and reverse

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 25, 30, 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000 2000, 4000, 8000, 16,000, 32,000 fps plus single step mode, forward and reverse

Video Display Built-in 5" LCD screen No Adjustable Screen Yes - tilt & swivel No Video Output RS-170 composite video NA Direct Digital Download Yes - USB 2 Yes - Firewire Compact Flash Card Yes Yes - Optional Phase Lock Yes Yes Trigger Input TTL or switch closure TTL or switch closure Battery Powered Yes - 4 "D" cell batteries No Hand-Held Yes No IRIG Capability Yes Yes Digital Zoom Capability Yes No Auto White Balance Yes Yes


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Conclusion: The TroubleShooter II is a superior camera in almost every respect compared to the Phantom V4.2. The only environment where the V4.2 would be a better choice is in a Hi-“G” (impact-load) situation such ason a sled or an automobile in an impact test.

The maximum resolution of the Phantom V4.2 is only 262,144 pixels vs. 1,310,720 in the TroubleShooter II. The only specification where the Phantom appears superior is the recording rate of 32,000 fps. However, the resolution at this speed, 4,096 pixels, is so low as to be useless for most applications. The camera is not portable and requires a PC host to even function, making it a poor choice for factory troubleshooting use. Expensive cables and connectors are also required to operate the camera. At the price differential in both general lab and factory applications, the TroubleShooter should win every competitive bid.


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Fastec TroubleShooter II vs. Olympus i-Speed


Olympus i-Speed

System Price Mono 16000 - $14,900 Color 16000 - $16,900 $28,000


8000, 16000 fps

60, 100, 150, 200, 300, 500, 400, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 10000, 15000 20000 and 33000 fps

Resolution 250 fps - 1280 x 1024 (1,310,720 pixels) 500 fps - 1280 x 1024 (1,310,720 pixels) 1000 fps - 1280 x 512 (655,360 pixels) 2000 fps - 1280 x 256 (327,680 pixels) 4000 fps – 1280 x 128 (163,840 pixels) 8000 fps – 1280 x 64 (81,920 pixels) 16000 fps – 1280 x 32 (40,960 pixels)

300 fps - 800 x 600 (480,000 pixels) 500 fps - 800 x 600 (480,000 pixels) 1000 fps - 800 x 600 (480,000 pixels) 2000 fps - 576 x 432 (248,832 pixels) 4000 fps - 384 x 288 (110,592 pixels) 8000 fps – 256 x 192 (49,152 pixels) 15,000 fps - 160 x 120 (19,200 pixels) 33,000 fps - 96 x 72 (6,912 pixels)

Standard Record Time 250 fps – 3.3 seconds 500 fps – 1.6 seconds 1000 fps - 1.6 seconds 2000 fps – 1.6 seconds 4000 fps – 1.6 seconds 8000 fps – 1.6 seconds 16000 fps – 1.6 seconds

300 fps – 14.9 seconds 500 fps – 8.9 seconds 1000 fps – 4.4 seconds 2000 fps – 4.3 seconds 4000 fps – 4.8 seconds 8000 fps – 5.4 seconds 15,000 fps – 7.4 seconds 33,000 fps – 9.4 seconds

Standard Frame Storage (included in basic price) 250 fps - 819 frames

500 fps - 819 frames 1000 fps - 1,638 frames 2000 fps – 3,277 frames 4000 fps – 6,554 frames 8000fps – 13,107 frames 16000 fps – 26,214 frames

300 fps – 4,473 frames 500 fps – 4,473 frames 1000 fps – 4,473 frames 2000 fps – 8,630 frames 4000 fps – 19,418 frames 8000 fps – 43,690 frames 15,000 fps – 111,848 frames 33,000 fps – 310,689 frames


Playback Rates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 25, 30, 50, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 16,000 fps plus single step mode, forward and reverse

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 25, 30, 60, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 15,000, 33,000 fps plus single step mode, forward and reverse

Video Display Built-in 5" LCD screen No Adjustable Screen Yes - tilt & swivel No Video Output RS-170 composite video NTSC/PAL Direct Digital Download Yes - USB 2 Yes – 10/100 Base T Ethernet Compact Flash Card Yes Yes - Optional Phase Lock Yes Yes Trigger Input TTL or switch closure TTL or switch closure Battery Powered Yes - 4 "D" cell batteries No Hand-Held Yes No IRIG Capability Yes Yes Digital Zoom Capability Yes Yes


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Conclusion: Both the TroubleShooter and TroubleShooter II are superior to the Olympus i-Speed for the principal market for these cameras: factory troubleshooting. The maximum resolution of the Olympus i-Speed is only 480,000 pixels vs. 1,310,720 in the TroubleShooter II although it is somewhat more than the 307,200 in the TroubleShooter. The only specification where the i-Speed appears superior is the recording rate of 33,000 fps. However, the resolution at this speed, 6,912 pixels, is very low and will be of limited use for most applications. This speed selection is included mainly for specification purposes. The camera is portable but it requires a separate monitor or PC host to view images, making it a poor choice for factory troubleshooting use. Expensive cables and connectors are also required to operate the camera. The multiple camera components and the software that accompanies it appear to be complicated (see above), which will limit it’s utility in the factory environment. At the price differential in both general lab and factory applications, the TroubleShooter should win a majority of the competitive sales and the TroubleShooter II should win almost every competitive bid.


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The following list with images shows most of the other high-speed cameras available throughout the world. These cameras are not being considered direct competition to the TroubleShooter cameras for various reasons. Three features are evident in most of these cameras: 1. Very high resolution, as is found in the Redlake HG-100K, (1504 x 1128 pixels)

and the Phantom V9, (1600 x 1200 pixels). These are the most expensive cameras on the market and can cost $70,000 or more. They are limited to only a few applications that require the extremely high-resolution such as VIT.

2. Very high recording rates, as are found in the Redlake HG-100K (100,000 fps) and the Phantom V.7 (150,000 fps) and the Photron Ultima APX (120,000 fps). The resolution of these cameras makes them only marginally useful at the highest speeds.

3. Highly ruggedized packages, as are found in the Redlake HG-100K, Photron Ultima APX and the Phantom V4.2. This ruggedization is only useful in a few applications like VIT, (Vehicle Impact Testing.

Photron Ultima 512 512 x 512 resolution at 1,000 fps

vs. 1280 x 512 resolution in TroubleShooter II at 1,000 fps. Complicated user interface.

Photron Ultima APX

TroubleShooter has more resolution at 1,000 fps 1280 x 1024 vs. 1024 x 1024. This camera operates up to 120,000 fps and can be used in a Hi “G” environment. Price is over $50,000.


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Redlake HG-100K

Special purpose camera designed for high impact automotive environments - VIT. Difficult setup – needs network controller. Price is more than $70,000

NAC HSV 500 C3 The HSV C3 is an old design ~ 10

years, uses CCD technology and is low resolution. It is a tape-based system with all of the associated mechanical drawbacks including tape breakage.

NAC Memrecam K3 The K3 is another camera

made for high-end applications such as crash testing. Its price is more than ten times the entry level TroubleShooter. It has the same maximum resolution as the TroubleShooter II but costs five times more.

NAC Memrecam Ci This camera has only 580 x 434

pixel resolution and only operates up to 2,000 fps. TroubleShooter and TroubleShooter II are better choices in every case.


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NAC Memrecam fx RX5 The RX5 is specifically built for automotive applications. Its maximum resolution is the same as the TroubleShooter II 1280 x 1024, although it records up to 1,000. Unless a user has an automotive application, the much less expensive TroubleShooter II is a better choice.

NAC Memrecam fx 6000

The fx 6000 is a 512 x 512 camera that records up to 70,000 fps at greatly reduced resolution. It has some attractive features but its huge price premium make the TroubleShooter II a better choice in most cases.

Vision Research Phantom V5.0 The Phantom V5.0 has a maximum

resolution 1024 x 1024 up to 1,000 fps. The large price premium, for the somewhat increased performance over the TroubleShooter series, makes the Phantom a less attractive choice in most cases.

AOS Technologies MOTIONeer The MOTIONeer requires a PC to be

able to program and operate the camera. This limitation reduces its ease-of-use and therefore applicability to factory troubleshooting applications. The TroubleShooter has equal performance, a lower price and is easier to use – it is a better choice.


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Vision Research Phantom V 6.0

The Phantom V6.0, with a resolution of only 512 x 512, is a variant of the V4.2 and is only useful for automotive and some military applications.

Weinberger Visario

Weinberger has had moderate success with the Visario in automotive applications. The camera has very high resolution – approximately 1500 x 1000 pixels but must be connected to a network to even operate and has been selling the $70,000 range.


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Summary of HSV Cameras: Company

Camera

Resolution

Top Speed

Price

Fastec Imaging TroubleShooter 307,200 1,000 $9,900Redlake MASD MotionMeter 32,120 $7,995Redlake MASD MotionScope PCI – 1000 50,400 1,000 $9,900Redlake MASD MotionScope PCI – 8,000 4,080 8,000 $15,900Photron Fastcam Super 10K –

1,000 61,440 1,000 $12,900

Photron Fastcam Super 10K – 10,000

4,352 10,000 $18,900

Photron Fastcam PCI 61,440 1,000 $10,900 Fastec Imaging TroubleShooter II 1,310,720 16,000 $14,900Redlake MASD MotionPro 1,310,720 10,000 $29,500Photron 1280X-PCI 1,310,720 16,000 $34,900Photron Ultima 1024 1,310,720 16,000 $43,900NAC Hi-Dcam II 1,310,720 16,000 $22,000Vision Research Phantom V4.2 262,144 32,000 $35,000Olympus i-Speed 480,000 33,000 $28,000

1,000

Company Links: AOS Technologies: www.aostechnologies.com NAC: www.nacinc.com Olympus Industrial: www.olympusipg.com Photron: www.photron.com Redlake MASD: www.redlake.com Vision Research: www.visiblesolutions.com Weinberger: www.weinberger.ch


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8.0 Fastec Marketing Strategy/Opportunity The entire history of high-speed video has been characterized by cameras that are so expensive that they represent significant capital equipment purchases. From 1982 to 1997 the average price of Kodak MASD and NAC cameras was approximately $100,000. It was only when Redlake Imaging and Photron began to sell significant numbers of cameras that the average price began dropping. By 1999 industry average was approximately $50,000 and it has declined to approximately $35,000 today. Even with a 65% drop in average selling price, a $35,000 or even a $15,000 to $20,000 high-speed camera represents a significant capital equipment purchase with a relatively long selling cycle. Traditionally, high-speed vendors use direct salesmen and highly trained manufacturer’s representatives and distributors who are dedicated virtually full time to sell their cameras. The territories covered by these sales people are large and often exclusive territories. The reason for this is that camera purchases are made by a relatively small number of the prospective companies in a territory, requiring larger territorial coverage so that the selling entity could make sufficient income to justify carrying the product line. In addition, the complexity of the products required a high degree of skill to operate and demonstrate them effectively. At prices of $22,000 to $35,000 or more, every camera has to be demonstrated, sometimes several times, to prove its effectiveness for the application. When Fastec introduces TroubleShooter early next year, followed within approximately 3 months by the TroubleShooter II, the same performance that costs $22,000 to $35,000 today will be available at $5,000 to $15,000. This will reduce the difficulty engineers and researchers have in getting authorization to purchase this technology. The ease of use of the TroubleShooter – analogous to the “point and click” of the current digital cameras and camcorders - makes it so that the technical training is not nearly as difficult as it is for the more expensive products. As prices decline and purchase cycles shorten, the number of prospective customers increases, requiring different distribution techniques to take advantage of the larger potential market. Fastec management believes that direct salesmen managing a combination of store front and industrial distributors with greater density of coverage is needed to increase the number of units sold by an order of magnitude. At Redlake Imaging, using an exclusive territory distribution model with independent distributors managed by direct salesmen, we sold approximately 600 units per year at an average $20,000 per camera end user price. We estimate that this same distribution model, now being employed by every high-speed video vendor, results in approximately 2,000 cameras per year at an average selling price of $35,000, resulting in a worldwide market of $70 million annually. Over a 10-year period, we sold cameras to more than 2,000 different companies. We were also able to obtain data from other companies in our industry and add them to our total database. Based on this data, we asked San Diego State University’s Graduate Management School to

8.0 Fastec Marketing Strategy/Opportunity 53

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determine the total number of prospective companies, based on the segments that actively were, and still are, purchasing high-speed cameras. The tables below show the number of businesses in a selection of 15 highly industrialized countries within eight industrial sectors plus universities. These specific segments were chosen because companies in each group and country have purchased multiple cameras. These segments, however, are not all of the segments purchasing high-speed cameras. We estimate the total number of high-speed video cameras that have ever been sold by all vendors into these industries at 10,000 to 15,000. This however, only represents minimal penetration because of the historically high cost of the equipment. Lower priced cameras like the TroubleShooter will allow more of the companies in these industries to acquire this technology. Country

Electronics Establishments

Office Equipment Establishments

Food Processing Establishments

Paper Products Establishments

Canada 538 121 4,019 China 15,318 4,756 France 3,068 142 3,325 2,706 Germany 4,321 200 4,683 3,811 Italy 1,395 50 4,835 1,585 Japan 29,545 4,023 47,050 37,420 Spain 1,893 46 35,762 8,317 UK 10,601 1,846 7,635 24,998 United States 32,462 4,412 35,237 144,327 Australia 2,051 1,090 5,366 7,817 Belgium 133 Brazil 410 4,680 1,950 Denmark 1,318 235 3,799 Hong Kong 223 5,259 India 5,534 329 25,667 6,803 Total 92,726 13,260 189,558 257,567

Country

Automotive Establish- ments

Universities

Scientific Inst. Establish- ments

Pharmaceutical Establishments

Industrial Equipment Establishments

Canada 640 200 217 88 979 China 245 France 748 278 1,022 132 2,712 Germany 1,054 392 1,439 367 3,820 Italy 412 425 425 Japan 10,955 3,696 3,957 1,037 16,225 Spain 1,286 1,306 608 346 3,211 UK 2,063 1,261 2,474 378 6,454 United States 5,435 6,392 21,331 2,333 36,603 Australia 1,912 581 1,316 485 2,082 Belgium 430


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Country

Automotive Establish- ments

Universities

Scientific Inst. Establish- ments

Pharmaceutical Establishments

Industrial Equipment Establishments

Brazil 197 160 367 Denmark 242 547 115 1,131 Hong Kong 236 149 1,234 India 4,536 1,345 1,031 3,282 5,623 Total 28,629 16,783 34,102 9,504 80,929

These numbers include companies that manufacture the finished products, as well as the companies that make the machines used to produce these products, and have 50 or more employees at each site. Paper Products also includes printing establishments, Automotive includes sub-contract parts manufacturers, and Industrial Equipment includes a variety of general machinery makers. Data from some of the market segments, as in China’s case, was not deemed reliable and therefore not included. Regression analysis techniques were used to calculate final numbers with the raw number of prospects in Japan alone for example in these industries of 153,938. A site is defined as a separate location where production activities are taking place. One single company, Hitachi for example, might operate up to several hundred different sites. The weighted number of prospective sites in Japan is 68,431, a number that is second only to the US in potential. Following are examples of three different types of high-speed food machinery that require mechanical maintenance and adjustment. This type of machinery is designed, manufactured and tested by several thousand companies worlwide. It is sold to many thousands more large as well as small companies and the images show some of the complexity that engineers and operators must deal with to keep these machinces funtioning at peak output. Small-cavity stretch blow-molding machine rated at 60,000 PET bottles an hour Krones AG has completed the development and manufacture of its small-cavity stretch blow- moulding machines. The SK series utilises the platform of the field-proven Contiform technology, and is available with 30 or 40 moulding stations. The mould carrier can be used for PET bottles up to a volume of 750 ml.


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Krones Labelling System - rated at 6,000 to 72,000 containers per hour *(20 per second) The new KRONES modular labelling systems allows for a combined cold-glue, hot-glue and self- adhesive label application by the Plug & Label principle. As required, the labelling stations can be connected with the basic machine and easily exchanged for a different labelling process. Thus, the systems can be quickly changed over from for example a cold-glue to a hot-glue label application. It is also possible to use different labelling processes in parallel operation like a cold- glue and hot-glue label application to one container. Non-used labelling station are driven to a storing place on tightly fixed rollers

until they are needed again. Computer-controlled servo-drives, installed on the container table, rotate the containers, as necessary for each labelling process. With modular labelling systems, the following labelling processes can be performed in a single process or combined: • four different labelling processes in one system possible • compact building size via exchange of labelling stations not needed • optimal access for operation and maintenance • easy integration due to different setup variations • quick installation and commissioning • variable container rotation via servo-drives machine output between 6,000 and

72,000 containers/h Krones High-Speed Rinsing System rated at 60,000 containers per hour


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Norden industrial Filling System

The Norden filling machine pictured above is typical of a multi-port filling machine that is dependent on hundreds of mechanical and electro-mechanical parts all working in synchronization. Many of these parts are subject to wear and tear or misalignments after use, requiring maintenance. Engineers and technicians face the challenge of trying to diagnose a problem at full-speed operation because they can’t see the timing relationships of multiple parts. When they slow the line down, for example from full speed of 600 parts per minute to 100 parts per minute, so they can see what is going wrong, the line dynamics are altered and the problem often does not occur. The following images show examples of four different types of Bosch high-speed pharmaceutical machinery that require mechanical maintenance and adjustment. Bosch TLT thermoformers deliver production rates of up to 600 blisters per minute. Changeover time has been cut in half with touch-screen controlled servodrives and toolless change parts.


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Separated drive, filling and production areas simplify cleanup, reduce maintenance time and conform to cGMP guidelines.

The Bosch CUT, CAR and CUK cartoners offer reliable high-speed carton folding, insertion and closure, as well as easy size part changeover using digital indicators or computer control. Bosch cartoners are used for a wide variety of products including bottles, tubes, blister packs and bags.

Fillers for vials, ampoules, cartridges, syringes and bottles are available from Bosch Packaging Technology. They can be supplied with bottom-up filling, "no vial - no fill" capability, checkweighing, adjustable suckback and automatic fill volume adjustment. All fillers have a small footprint and most can be integrated into a variety of filling systems (including barrier isolators) to give the maximum flexibility in filling line design

The Bosch VRT & VRK give you compact, low-particulate capping using aluminum caps, and a variety of others, with nearly toolless size change and digital position indicators.

Every factory, especially the larger ones, will have many machines in their production lines. Some of the larger factories we have visited, Solectron Corporation in San Jose for example, have as many as 1,000 machines in one site. One of the most important requirements for an instrument in this segment is ease of use. When a machine malfunction occurs, an engineer or technician should not have to go through a complicated and time consuming setup process. A high-speed camera must be able to quickly acquire images to be fully accepted as a useful technology. All other high-speed cameras now on the market, with the exception of the Redlake MotionMeter, require this time consuming setup. Because the TroubleShooter has been designed with this just application in mind, using it is as simple as turning on the power switch, pointing, shooting and playing back the images. The TroubleShooter is an ideal product for factory machine and production line trouble shooting.


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The following table is based on US companies and is an indicator of the types of companies now using high-speed video, (all companies listed own high-speed cameras). Most of these companies also have many international plant operations. Companies # Of U.S. Plants Headquarters Food & Beverage Pepsi Cola (Frito Lay, Tropicana) 112 Somers, NY Coca Cola 70 Atlanta, GA Sara Lee (Spalding) 59 Chicago, IL Kraft (Philip Morris/Miller Brew/Gen.Foods) 49 Northfield, IL ConAgra (Hunt-Wesson) 48 Omaha, NE Nestle (Friskies) 36 Glendale, CA Anheuser Busch (Metal Container) 26 St. Louis, MO Ralston Purina (Eveready/Energizer) 25 St. Louis, MO Nabisco (RJ Reynolds) 24 East Hanover, NJ Pillsbury (Diageo/Haagen Dazs) 20 Minneapolis, MN General Mills (Yoplait) 16 Minneapolis, MN Campbell Soup (Vlasic, Pepperidge) 16 Camden, NJ HJ Heinz (Heinz Pet/Star-Kist) 14 Pittsburgh, PA Del Monte Foods 14 San Francisco, CA Quaker Oats 11 Chicago, IL Hershey Foods 10 Hershey, PA

16 550 Converted Paper Products Weyerhaueser 78 Tacoma, WA Kimberly-Clark 32 Neenah, WI Ft. James Paper 32 Richmond, VA Procter & Gamble 31 Cincinnati, OH Paragon Trade Brands 5 Norcross, GA

5 178 Pharmaceuticals/Health Care Monsanto (Pharmacia-Upjohn/Searle 36 St. Louis, MO Johnson & Johnson 32 New Brunswick, NJ Bayer Corporation 26 Pittsburg, PA Abbott Laboratories 19 Abbott Park, IL Becton Dickinson 19 Franklin Lakes, NJ Novartis (Gerber) 17 E. Hanover, NJ Baxter Healthcare 16 Deerfield, IL Aventis (Hoechst/Rhone) 15 Kansas City, MO American Home Products 14 Madison, NJ Kendall Healthcare 13 Greenwood, SC Boehringer (Hoffman-LaRoche) 12 Nutley, NJ Pfizer 12 New York, NY SmithKline Beecham 10 Philadelphia, PA Warner Lambert (Parke Davis/Capsugel) 9 Morris Plains, NJ Solvay 8 Baudette, MN Bristol Meyers Squibb 8 Princeton, NJ Merck 7 Whitehouse Station, NJ

17 273


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Personal Care Products/Soaps Gillette 13 Boston, MA Colgate Palmolive 11 New York, NY Unilever (Helene Curtis) 11 Greenwich, CT Revlon 6 New York, NY Clorox 14 Pleasanton, CA

5 55 Electronics General Electric 123 Fairfield, CT Eaton (Cutler-Hammer) 83 Cleveland, OH Siemens 74 New York, NY Raytheon 68 Lexington, MA 3M 53 St. Paul, MN Hewlett Packard 41 Palo Alto, CA Motorola 36 Schaumberg, IL Philips Electronics 30 New York, NY Lucent Technologies 26 Murray Hill, NJ

9 534

52 1,590 This very small sample of just 52 companies operates 1,590 factories in the US alone. Each of these factories will have hundreds of machines, even if we assume only an average of 200 machines per factory, this list would represent 318,000 machines that need troubleshooting and maintenance on a regular basis. Again, the same types of companies operate worldwide and these lists should be able to be compiled from industry available data. Hundreds of thousands of design engineers, laboratory researchers, production engineers, production technicians, machine operators and maintenance engineers and technicians can benefit from using high-speed imaging. Many of these people use time consuming and costly trial and error to work on problems and in industries where production downtime means lost business. The first goal of Fastec is to get TroubleShooter’s into a much larger percentage of factories – 10% in the next 3 years. The ultimate goal of Fastec is to get these people using cameras in much the same way that electrical engineers use oscilloscopes – as personal instruments. The current high-speed market hasn’t enjoyed significant growth because of three major factors: the complexity of the cameras, the high prices and the distribution model. The traditional distribution model has a small number of salesmen doing multiple demos to a small number of prospects to get single orders. The TroubleShooter cameras address the first two issues; complexity and cost. Fastec management believes that best the way to address the third issue – distribution - is to appoint large industrial products distributors with many salesmen who are already selling to our target markets and our target personnel. Initial targeted markets include manufacturing and packaging facilities in food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, paper


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products, electronics, personal care products and industrial machinery manufacturers. Universities and research facilities are also key target markets. Targeted personnel include researchers, engineering and manufacturing managers, packaging engineers and technicians and service and maintenance engineers. We expect the salesmen to sell, not spend their valuable selling time doing multiple demonstrations. The expert salesmen can also help manage sub-distributors and thus leverage their efforts. Follow-up demonstrations can either be done by applications technicians or by simply loaning a camera to the customer for a day or two. Fastec’s initial marketing strategy is to attack the existing market first. We will do this by setting up a web site, conducting PR, advertising in general industry magazines like Photonics Spectra, Vision Systems Design and Advanced Imaging (and the their Japanese counterparts), attending industry-specific trade shows in packaging and electronics and machinery-making industries and sending direct mail to prospective customers where appropriate. This will give us access to an active and potentially good market. We believe our excellent competitive price/performance position will enable us to grow the business quickly by initially taking significant market share from the existing competitors. As the customer base increases, and as the TroubleShooter cameras become more widely recognized, we expect to begin to see the benefits of acceptance of this technology by a wider population of users, which will help lower the barriers to education and therefore purchase. Other products with this level of awareness in the factory and lab environment include oscilloscopes, microscopes, machine vision cameras, electrical measuring equipment like DVM’s and DMM’s and even thermography cameras to a degree. The new TroubleShooter cameras will be the only products offering the price/performance features to these markets that will allow for the volume to grow into the thousands of units per year. They will represent a unique opportunity to be first to market, to acquire significant market share and to profit from excellent growth.


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9.0 Selling Information for New HSV Distributors We will briefly address the steps involved in the sales cycle as they relate to our direct experience in HSV; generating leads, performing demonstrations and closing sales. Leads: Over the course of 20 years we’ve discovered that the best way to generate new leads is to exhibit at industry specific trade shows. Many of you will have excellent databases of existing customers and they will provide a rich source of prospects also. The Internet has increased in importance in the last several years and it is now essential to have products listed in your own web site. The best trade shows include those for food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, personal care and general packaging and electronics as well as university sponsored exhibits in biology and locomotion studies and lastly general vision related shows. Examples of packaging shows are listed below and are excellent sources for very high quality lead generation: Pack Expo, Chicago, USA www.packexpo.com ProPack China, Shanghai, China www.propakchina.net ProPack Asia, Bangkok, Thailand www.propakasia.com UPAK Italia, Moscow, Russia www.upakitalia.com The following list is an example from one web site on packaging technology: (www.trpackaging.com) World of Packing 2003 - Ukraine (October - 2003) International Exhibition PrintPack 2003 - Germany (October - 2003) Trade Fair for Package and Label Printing and Packaging Supplies Production. SIPEC 2003 - Morocco (October - 2003) International Show of Plastics, Rubber, Packaging and Conditioning. Agroprodmash 2003 - Russian Federation (October - 2003) The 8th International Exhibition of Machinery and Equipment for Agroindustrial Complex Pack Expo Las Vegas 2003 - United States (October - 2003) PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2003 will focus on the latest developments in packaging technology IAAPW 2003 - Egypt (October - 2003) The 2nd International African - Arabian Printing, Packaging & Processing Exhibition incorporating CPIDC - 10th Cairo International Packaging Development Congress FaraPack Briefing 2003 - Great Britain (October - 2003) FaraPack Briefing 2003 - New Technologies for Innovative Packaging ProPak Vietnam 2003 - Vietnam (October - 2003) The International Food & Drink Processing and Packaging Exhibition for Vietnam

9.0 Selling Information form New HSV Distributors 62

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http://www.trpackaging.com/packaging/exhibitions.nsf/index/874361FD5BDDB5FAC1256D4400343ACF?OpenDocument

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2003 TAPPI Corrugated Packaging Conference & CorrExpo - United States (October - 2003) 2003 TAPPI Corrugated Packaging Conference & CorrExpo. Practical Solutions for Profit Improvement FachPack 2003 - Germany (October - 2003) Trade fair for Packaging and Labeling Technology There are packaging meetings in practically every country in the world and it is worth attending these as exhibitors. Fastec Imaging will attend a number of large international trade shows each year all of which attract qualified buyers from multiple countries. We will keep you informed of our trade show schedule and forward leads Over the last few years the Internet has emerged as a critical source for information dissemination as well as lead generation. Our target customers include engineers, researchers and technicians. If one of these prospects independently decides to research high-speed video he will likely enter this phase or one similar into an Internet search engine. If the prospect sees you at a trade show he will also likely go to your web site to get more information and compare your offerings to the competition’s. Having an up to date web site is critical to success and this trend has already or is fast becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Fastec will help you with product shots, general high-speed information, links and other data useful for your company’s web site. Qualifying Prospects/Preparing for a Demonstration: Step 1: Qualification of Initial Contact

1. Prospect has a need. 2. Fastec has a product that meets the need. 3. Prospect will commit money, time and people to project. 4. Prospect's business is in target industry (electronics, aerospace,packaging,

etc.) 5. Can business be leveraged? a. On-going business with prospect. b. New business within prospect's company (different

departments, divisions or subsidiaries). c. Establish presence in new industry segment. d. Enter new geographic area. 6. Send targeted information if requested by contact (objective is to get

face-to-face meeting or demonstration). a. Product brochures. b. Success stories/references/article reprints.

9.0 Selling Information for New HSV Distributors 63

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Step 2: Identification of Key Players

1. Champion (Engineer, Researcher, etc.) A person who believes that his/her company needs our products and will do what is necessary to make it happen. He/she has knowledge of the organization (personalities, politics, buying process) and will share this information with you.

2. User Buyer (Engineering Manager, Manufacturing Manager, Quality Director, R & D Manager, etc.)

He/she is the implementor, the one who is responsible for applying our products and services to meet the needs of the company. This person needs to champion the implementation to his/her boss to get the order signed (he/she usually reports to the Executive Implementor).

3. Executive Implementor (Director, Vice President or above in Engineering, Manufacturing, R & D, etc.)

His/her group has overall implementation and acquisition responsibility. His/her group is the main benefactor of our products. He/she plays a critical role in the sales process.

Step 3: Information Gathering

Request from Champion when you have established credibility and trust:

1. Organizational Data 2. Decision Making Process 3. Operational Data (run rates, defect rates, yields, etc.)

Additional information that will be useful to the sales process can include:

a. Company politics b. Hot buttons for key players (ROI, corporate goals, etc.) c. Potential benefits and wins for key players. d. Criteria for selection e. Competition (perceived strengths and weaknesses) f. Budget (how much, who has it, etc.) g. Time frames/schedules h. Who has to agree/sign P.O.

Performing the Demonstration: The key advantage that the TroubleShooter has over every one of the cameras it competes against is its ease of use. The product was designed as a point-and-shoot device so as to minimize setup time, operation and interference with production activities.


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When doing a demonstration in a factory setting, i.e., shooting images of a real machine problem, simply take the camera out of its carrying case, preferably with the lens already mounted, turn the power on, point it at the subject, focus the lens and estimate the recording and shutter speed to get blur free images. See the table below for estimating record rates. One of the tactics of competitors is to always take shots at the highest frame rate available, except when the resolution is inadequate, as is often the case. With the electronic shutter in the TroubleShooter it is possible to get blur free images even at 250 fps record rate of almost any subject. For example if your customer needs to see one part interact with a machine (capping, labeling, filling, etc.) in a line running 300 parts per minute, 250 fps record rate would give them 50 separate images of each part, (300 parts per minute/60 seconds = 5 parts per second, divide by 250 images per second = 50 images per part), more than enough for almost all but the most demanding applications. Recording with a higher frame rate, and therefore selling a higher speed camera, allows for more flexibility in use. As the field-of-view gets smaller, magnification larger, relative motion speed increases. Depending on the customer’s budget selling a higher capability camera does have advantages both for us and for the customer. It is always a good idea, when actual production recordings have occurred, to leave images with the customer. We all want to have the purchase decision maker present at the demo but in case this is not possible and to enable many more people to see the benefits of the cameras leaving a CD is a good follow up. CD writers are available on most laptop PC’s and are easy to use. The following is a checklist of items when doing a demonstration:

1. Make certain that Executive Implementor, Champion, User Buyer and Financial Adviser are in attendance.

2. Presentation is focused on the prospect's business issues/problems. They

should spend approximately 50% of the presentation telling you about their problems, ideas for solutions, hot buttons, etc. Presentation should quantify how Fastec products will specifically impact their business (i.e., increase yields, reduce design time, etc.).

3. The presentation should conclude with specific actions to be taken by both

Fastec and the prospect, including schedules for next steps. 4. Follow-up the presentation with a face-to-face meeting with the Executive

Implementor. You need to determine if he is sold on implementing Fastec products. It is critical to turn him into a Champion by determining his


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business and personal needs, and showing him how Fastec can meet these needs. Try to determine:

a. Does he have the authority to make this decision? b. Does he have the money to invest in implementation? c. Is he motivated enough to go out and sell this decision?

Closing the Sale: Many of you are very successful in obtaining orders for capital equipment from your customers so you may already be familiar with the above listed information. In other cases your local business practices may be different than what is described here. In any case the information has been compiled from our many years of direct and successful closing of sales for high-speed video equipment and may be of some use to you. If your prospective purchaser: a company, a research lab, individual researcher, a university professor, etc, has been pre-qualified and has a real need as well as budget and you have identified who has the authority to sign the order you should have a very high probability of closing the sale. In some instances there may be problems with a lack of budget or a competitive issue that will hold up the sale. The TroubleShooter’s price/performance vs. the competition should give you the advantage in almost every competed sale situation. Where you may have some trouble is when a prospect is well funded and a competitor convinces them that they need performance we don’t have like 20,000 frames per second or the ability for the camera to operate in a severe shock and vibration environment. In almost all cases the TroubleShooter will still be a better choice. Please contact us if you encounter any of these types of situations. In rare cases Fastec will consider discounting to close an order or sell multiple cameras. We will ask you to share some of the decreased margin in the form of smaller distributor discount – this will be decided on a case-by-case basis. In any case please contact John Foley or Steve Ferrell if you have questions relating to closing a difficult sale.


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10.0 Conclusion In this report we hope to have presented information in a logical sequence that will allow the reader to fully appreciate the market opportunity for Fastec TroubleShooter cameras. In Section 1, “Fastec Imaging Background”, we have given enough background to establish our knowledge and credibility in the high-speed market. Our many years of experience in the high-speed business have given us a good insight into the current market situation. In Section 2, “Questions & Answers on High-Speed Video”, we have given you some basics on the technology, with an intent to make sure that it is understood that no single company has any technological advantage. We have further established that Fastec has access to the latest technology in the most important component for high-speed cameras – the image sensors. In Section 3, “High-Speed Digital Imaging Technology Overview”, we describe, based on our combined 40 years in the business, the performance parameters that are the key to making successful products. As in many industries, companies will advertise features that do not help customers achieve the goals they desired when they purchased the equipment. The TroubleShooter meets all of the key performance parameters. In Section 4, “Key Competitive Metrics for High-Speed Video”, we have done a review of the competitors in the worldwide high-speed video market. Much of what is important about their products, and therefore position in the market, is contained in Section 6. It is important to note that Redlake MASD, Photron, NAC and Vision Research all have large manufacturing operations with many employees, and build products that have high overhead cost. They also use traditional distribution methods that will limit their ability to compete with the aggressive pricing of Fastec. Section 5, “Current High-Speed Companies Active Worldwide”, describes the technology and packaging of the TroubleShooter cameras. It is important to note that the TroubleShooter is a hand-held device that looks much like larger traditional consumer digital cameras but packs into it all or more of the features of eight of the best selling high-speed video cameras now in the market. These competitive cameras are all much larger, with the exception of the limited performance MotionMeter, and composed of multiple components with complicated inter-connects. We have been told many times that ease of use is essential for widespread adoption in the factory troubleshooting market. Section 6, “TroubleShooter Technology & Packaging”, clearly describes the Troubleshooter and the TroubleShooter II as creating a new market segment which we will own, as well as positioning the cameras as viable competitive products with all but the very highest resolution, highest speed, ruggedized specialized cameras in the

10.0 Conclusion 67

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10.0 Conclusion 68

market. Further analysis of some of the specifications of these “high-end” products, Phantom V4.2 at its highest speed, shows some serious limitations making TroubleShooter and even more compelling product. In section 7, “TroubleShooter Competitive Position vs. All Competition”, we give the reader some historical background of the users of high-speed video, based on our direct experience, and show how this installed base can be leveraged into a much larger market than the current “low-end” volumes would indicate. With the right distribution strategy, growth into the existing and proven market of approximately 400,000 sites worldwide could be significant. A 10% penetration over 3 years with an average selling price of $5,000 could yield sales of 40,000 cameras and revenues of $200 million. In Section 8, “Fastec Marketing Strategy/Opportunity”, we give some advice on how to begin selling into the high-speed market. We understand that customer relationships are key in any sales situation and we know you will use those to your advantage. We have focused our comments to lead generating activities, demo techniques, and “closing pitches” that have worked most successfully for our previous businesses. We recognize that different countries have nuances in vendor/customer interaction that we may not be aware of so our comments are only for the purpose of generating ideas. In conclusion we believe the TroubleShooter presents an excellent opportunity for distribution companies that are calling on the factory troubleshooting market as well as the laboratory and university markets to grow a profitable franchise. Fastec’s principals have grown HSV companies successfully in the past and will use their many years of experience to take advantage of a very favorable combination of technology and market trends to do so again.

Competitive Analysis

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