industrially hardened NEMA-12 enclosure. Autovision IV, similar to AV II, but with a patented frame grabber using dual 68000s. Then-new Sony -inch floppy drives replaced DECtape. AV 5, same electronics as the AV IV, but in a rack mount package. AI 90, 1987, vision system based on an Apple Macintosh II repackaged in a rack mount industrial enclosure, with RAIL ported to Mac OS (MacRAIL). It was announced at the MacWorld Expo in Boston in 1987. Autovision 90, a rack mount Apple Quadra 950. Image Analyst, a software package for Macintosh computers, based on MacRAIL. The Automatix AI-32 robot controller used the same processor, bus and RAIL language as the AV II, IV and 5, allowing frame grabber and processing boards to be added for integrated machine vision. Evolution and corporate merger Automatix raised large amounts of venture capital, and went public in 1983, but was not profitable until the early 1990s. In 1994, Automatix merged with another machine vision company, Itran Corp., to form Acuity Imaging, Inc. Acuity was acquired by Robotics Vision Systems Inc. (RVSI) in September 1995. As of 2004, RVSI supported the evolved Automatix machine vision package under the PowerVision brand. In August 2005 RVSI itself was acquired by Siemens Energy and Automation who by mid-2008 are marketing the RVSI Visionscape and Hawkeye products alongside their own SIMATIC brand, some of which are re-branded DVT/Cognex smart cameras. In September 2008, Microscan Systems, Inc., of Renton, Washington, acquired Siemens' Machine Vision business, including Visionscape and Hawkeye. As of August 2016, the Powervision system developed by Automatix was still available from RPC Machine Vision Systems, a value added reseller of Microscan. However, in December 2017, Microscan was purchased by Omron Corporation, and its product lines, including MicroHawk and Visionscape, are sold through Omron's distribution network. References Bibliography Computervision vs. Automatix (A) & (B), Harvard Business School case studies 384-142 & 384-143 : Symmetry calibration method for multi-configuration robots : Encoder interface with error detection and method therefor : Vision system : Arc welding system with vision : Method and apparatus for image acquisition utilizing a hollow shaft motor and a concave, cylindrical reflector : Method and apparatus for image acquisition utilizing a concave, cylindrical reflector Autovision I at Computer History Museum Autovision II CPU board CP32 at Computer History Museum Industrial robotics Commercial computer vision systems Companies based in Billerica, Massachusetts Computer companies established in 1980 Manufacturing companies