Bosch Rexroth and evopro systems engineering AG, a subsidiary of Bertrandt AG, have entered a ctrlX OS OEM collaboration that integrates evopro's Software-Defined Camera technology into Bosch Rexroth's open automation ecosystem. Evopro's VISIONWEBx platform will also be offered through the ctrlX World partner network. It gives users a development and runtime environment for machine vision applications built on ctrlX OS.

The camera at the center is evopro's evoVIU VIUx. Unlike conventional smart cameras, it separates hardware from software, so users extend and customize applications through software and apps. Machine vision, AI, automation, and control functions run on the one system. Vision, edge computing, AI analytics, and PLC functions, which have traditionally been separate, can sit on a single platform.

Steffen Winkler, Head of Sales for the Automation & Electrification Solutions Business Unit at Bosch Rexroth, said VISIONWEBx and ctrlX OS span Software-Defined Cameras, edge controllers, IPCs, and servers. Users pick the hardware that suits them and "develop their vision application only once," he said.

For quality engineers, the listed use cases matter most: quality inspection and AI-based defect detection. Robotics, pick-and-place, smart factory, and edge AI applications are also named. The companies say consolidating functions cuts the number of hardware components and reduces cabling and commissioning work. Depending on the application, they say, installation space and total system cost can drop substantially.

Bosch Rexroth and Bertrandt describe the result as a base for Physical AI, meaning systems that perceive their surroundings visually, interpret what they see, and act on it. The offering targets OEMs, machine and plant builders, manufacturers, and automation and system integrators. Bertrandt and Bosch Rexroth will also expand their wider engineering collaboration.

Stefan Kraus, Head of Product Development at evopro, said the pairing enables applications that "previously required significantly greater integration effort."