The RegiStar Machine: from conception to installation

The authors have developed a machine to perform the task of automatic registration of color separation films, a process manually performed by skilled professionals in the graphics arts printing industry. The development of such a machine requires overcoming significant challenges: designing a sound computer vision methodology while respecting hard timing constraints, transferring software across platforms and languages, validating the software, building the actual machine around the algorithms, testing the conformity to tolerances, educating operators on the use of such a machine, and having a system robust enough to operate around the clock with no technical supervision. The authors present a brief overview of the problem, followed by the answers they provided to the challenges above.<>