Inspection Automation Challenge
Challenge · Hosted by Helios Manufacturing. Inspection is the last station on every line and the only one still done by eye, so it sets the pace upstream.
About this open call
What this event is about
End-of-line inspection is still done by eye at three plants, and it is the station that sets the pace of every line feeding it. We want vision systems that catch surface defects on machined parts inside the cycle time the line already runs at.
What we are looking for
Machine-vision teams with a working inspection system that trains on a few dozen defect images and runs on the cameras already mounted at the station.
Problem statements
Verdicts that vary by shift
Surface scoring, chatter marks and plating flaws are called one way by one inspector and another way by the next, and differently again at the second and third plant. The same part has to get the same verdict wherever and whenever it is checked.
Inside the cycle time
Inspection is the slowest station, so parts buffer in front of it and the line runs to its pace. A verdict has to land inside the machining cycle, on hardware that fits the cell as it is built today.
A new variant every few weeks
Low-volume variants reach the line with a few dozen defect examples and nothing more. A system that needs thousands of labelled images per part never catches up with the variant list.
Evaluation criteria
100% weighted total
Timeline
- Jun 22, 2026
Brief published
The six defect classes, the cycle-time budget and a set of sample part images went out with the brief.
- Jul 6, 2026
Entries open
Entries are read as they arrive, and questions on the sample images are answered the same week.
- Nov 2, 2026
Bench test on sealed parts
Shortlisted systems are run against a sealed set of good and defective parts that no entrant has seen.
- Nov 23, 2026
Pilot decision
One entry goes onto a live line for the paid pilot, starting with a single component family.
Sponsors & partners
Helios Manufacturing
Host
ETH Zürich
Technical partner
FAQs
Do we need to bring our own cameras?
No. The stations carry area-scan cameras and fixed lighting already, and the drawings for both come with the sample images. A method that needs a different sensor is allowed, but say so and cost it — it counts against fitting the existing cell.
How many defect images do we get to work from?
Around forty per class across six classes, which is deliberately what a low-volume variant really has. If your approach needs thousands per part, say how you would get there.
What happens to a part the system rejects?
It goes to a manual re-check bench, so a false reject costs an inspector's time rather than a scrapped part. The verdict and the image behind it still have to be stored against the part number for customer audits.
Take part
Submit your entry before the deadline. Every entry is scored against the criteria above.