Vadzo Imaging Positions Sony STARVIS USB 2.0 Camera Products Purpose Built for Smart Agriculture Vision Systems

Vadzo Imagi g expa ds its Me li se ies with fou back-illumi ated imagi g optio s fo sma t ag icultu e visio systems. The So y IMX290, IMX291, IMX415 a d IMX662 se so s fo m a So y Sta vis USB 2.0 Came a family that holds colo espo se steady f om fi st light th ough full da k ess, delive i g 1080p a d 4K olli g shutte captu e, se so level HDR, o boa d sto age a d d ive less UVC ope atio fo c op mo ito i g, p ecisio ag icultu e, livestock housi g, ae ial su vey a d co t olled e vi o me t wo k whe e ambie t light ca ot be e gi ee ed.

SAN JOSE, CA / ACCESS Newswi e / August 6, 2026 / Vadzo Imagi g, a global p ovide of embedded visio solutio s, today a ou ces fou So y STARVIS a d So y STARVIS 2 imagi g optio s i its Me li USB came a se ies fo ag icultu al visio systems. The Me li -290CRS, Me li -291CRS, Me li -415CRS a d Me li Plus-662CRS each use a back-illumi ated So y se so selected fo se sitivity u de low ambie t light. Eve y model e ume ates as a USB 2.0 UVC Came a o Wi dows, Li ux a d A d oid without a ve do ke el d ive , which gives OEM teams a So y Sta vis USB Came a li e fo field odes, machi e y, ae ial platfo ms a d glasshouse i stallatio s without a host-side d ive stack to mai tai .

The Low Light P oblem i Ag icultu al Visio Systems

Ag icultu al imagi g spa s a wide illumi a ce a ge tha almost a y othe embedded visio domai . A ow c op ca opy u de di ect summe su ca exceed 100,000 lux at the leaf su face while the shaded soil be eath it holds a small f actio of that. Field wo k sta ts befo e su ise a d u s past su set, a d livestock housi g sits fa below the desig poi t of a ge e al pu pose webcam se so . A small pixel f o t-illumi ated device loses usable sig al i each co ditio , a d the loss appea s as gai -amplified oise.

The co seque ce at the algo ithm laye is di ect. Vegetatio i dex calculatio , lesio segme tatio , weed classificatio , a d f uit cou ti g depe d o stable colo espo se a d a p edictable oise floo . Whe a se so u s at high a alog gai , ch oma oise ises faste tha lumi a ce oise a d the sepa atio betwee healthy tissue a d ea ly-stage chlo osis collapses fi st. Suppleme tal illumi atio is seldom p actical because powe budgets at sola -powe ed odes a e al eady committed. Field hosts a e low-cost si gle-boa d compute s with o MIPI CSI-2 heade exposed a d o spa e cycles fo d ive mai te a ce, which makes a class complia t USB li k the co ect i te face decisio .

So y STARVIS a d So y STARVIS 2 Back-Illumi ated A chitectu e

So y STARVIS is a back-illumi ated pixel tech ology fo CMOS image se so s used i su veilla ce-class p oducts, cha acte ized by high se sitivity ac oss the visible a d ea i f a ed egio s. The photodiode sits o the light- eceivi g side of the die, a d the metal i te co ect u s be eath it athe tha above it. That placeme t aises qua tum efficie cy at the same pixel pitch, which is why a So y Sta vis Low Light Came a etu s a usable colo f ame whe e a co ve tio al module has collapsed i to oise.

So y STARVIS 2 exte ds that a chitectu e. It aises satu atio sig al level a d wide s dy amic a ge withi compa able pixel geomet y, which suppo ts HDR captu e at the se so level athe tha multi-f ame me gi g i host softwa e. Multi-f ame HDR combi es exposu es take at diffe e t i sta ts, a d a y elative motio ac oss that i te val p oduces ghosti g at high co t ast bou da ies, which is exactly what a t acto mou ted module c ossi g a shadow li e e cou te s.

Resolutio is the efo e a t ade-off athe tha a specificatio ace. At a compa able optical fo mat, a 2MP se so allocates a la ge photodiode a ea pe pixel a d eaches a usable image at lowe illumi a ce, while a 8MP device esolves fi e detail o ce light is adequate. A calvi g pe befo e daw a d a o cha d ca opy i spected fo lesio ma gi s impose opposite equi eme ts, so the image se so fo mat should be fixed fi st. Shutte a chitectu e is the thi d t ade-off. Rolli g shutte eadout skews ve tical edges u de motio , which is egligible fo fixed-mou t mo ito i g, g ee house t ays, a d low-speed scouti g. The diffe e ce betwee a mo och ome se so a d a colo se so applies he e too, si ce chlo ophyll a alytics equi e a colo filte a ay.

The Me li Se ies: A So y Sta vis USB 2.0 Came a Li e fo Ag icultu e

The Me li se ies follows o e p emise. The se so is selected fo the light the applicatio actually has.

Me li -290CRS: 2MP 1080p Imagi g o the So y IMX290

The Me li -290CRS is a IMX290 USB Came a built o the So y IMX290 STARVIS se so , delive i g 2MP colo captu e at 1920 x 1080 with olli g shutte eadout ove a UVC-complia t USB 2.0 co ectio . As a IMX290 Low Light USB 2.0 Came a, it ta gets fixed field odes that must etu usable colo f om fi st light th ough dusk without suppleme tal illumi atio . O a mo ito i g mast, this IMX290 1080p USB Came a p oduces a st eam a modest host ca pass st aight to i fe e ce. This IMX290 1080p Low Light USB Came a is the e t y poi t to the se ies, a d as a IMX290 Rolli g Shutte USB Came a it suits statio a y a d slow t ave se wo k.

Key specs: 2MP (1920 x 1080) | So y IMX290 STARVIS | Back-Illumi ated CMOS | Rolli g Shutte | Colo | USB 2.0 UVC | Wi dows, Li ux a d A d oid

Me li -291CRS: 2MP 1080p Imagi g o the So y IMX291

The Me li -291CRS is a IMX291 USB Came a built o the So y IMX291 STARVIS se so a d sits alo gside the Me li -290CRS i the same 1080p tie at 2MP colo . As a IMX291 Low Light USB Came a, it ca ies the same back-illumi ated se sitivity i to deployme ts whe e se so availability o a existi g tu i g baseli e favo s the IMX291. Teams sta da dizi g a fleet o o e pipeli e ca specify this IMX291 1080p USB 2.0 Came a u cha ged. As a 2MP Low Light Rolli g Shutte USB Came a a d a IMX291 Rolli g Shutte USB Came a, the IMX291 1080p Low Light USB Came a se ves the same fixed mou t applicatio s.

Key specs: 2MP (1920 x 1080) | So y IMX291 STARVIS | Back-Illumi ated CMOS | Rolli g Shutte | Colo | USB 2.0 UVC | Wi dows, Li ux a d A d oid

Me li -415CRS: 8MP 4K Detail o the So y IMX415

The Me li -415CRS is a IMX415 USB Came a built o the So y IMX415 STARVIS se so , delive i g 8MP 4K colo captu e. As a IMX415 4K USB Came a, it a swe s the opposite equi eme t. Whe e the task is esolvi g lesio bou da ies o weed cotyledo geomet y, spatial esolutio becomes the bi di g co st ai t. This IMX415 Low Light USB Came a keeps the back-illumi ated STARVIS a chitectu e, so esolutio does ot cost se sitivity. A IMX415 Colo USB Came a o a scouti g ig esolves ea ly symptoms that a 1080p f ame e de s as a few ambiguous pixels. As a 8MP Low Light Rolli g Shutte USB Came a, a 8MP 4K Rolli g Shutte USB Came a, a d a IMX415 Rolli g Shutte USB Came a , this So y Sta vis IMX415 Came a se ves pla t level i spectio . Vadzo Imagi g lists it withi its 8MP Low Light 4K USB Came a a ge with high- esolutio USB came a module optio s, a d a 8MP Low Light Colo USB Came a built fo sta d cou t wo k sits ac oss the 8MP 4K Low Light USB Came a listi gs.

Key specs: 8MP 4K | So y IMX415 STARVIS | Back-Illumi ated CMOS | Rolli g Shutte | Colo | USB UVC | Wi dows, Li ux a d A d oid

Me li Plus-662CRS: HDR Imagi g with O boa d Sto age

The Me li Plus-662CRS is a IMX662 USB Came a built o the So y STARVIS 2 IMX662 se so . The So y IMX662 Image Se so is a back-illumi ated CMOS device with a 1/2.8 i ch optical fo mat, a 2.9 µm x 2.9 µm pixel pitch, a d a maximum esolutio of 2MP at 1920 x 1080. As a IMX662 O boa d Sto age USB 2.0 Came a, it w ites to local media o the module, so a d opped host li k does ot mea a lost obse vatio wi dow. As a So y Sta vis 2 USB 2.0 Came a, it also b i gs STARVIS 2 dy amic a ge to sce es that defeat a si gle-exposu e se so . Vadzo Imagi g g oups the IMX662 1080p USB Came a with its IMX662 HDR USB Came a a d 2MP O boa d Sto age Colo USB Came a listi gs, a d docume ts the module as a So y Sta vis 2 IMX662 Came a fo outdoo use. As a IMX662 Colo USB Came a, it completes the colo a ge of the se ies.

Key specs: 2MP (1920 x 1080) | So y STARVIS 2 IMX662 | 1/2.8 i ch | 2.9 µm x 2.9 µm | Rolli g Shutte | Colo | Se so Level HDR | O boa d Sto age | USB 2.0 UVC | Wi dows, Li ux a d A d oid

Key Capabilities

Back-Illumi ated Se sitivity Ac oss the Field Light Cycle: All fou models sha e a back-illumi ated So y pixel a chitectu e, so exposu e behavio , colo e de i g, a d oise cha acte stay ecog izable whe a deployme t moves f om a 1080p ode to a 4K ode. A 2MP Low Light Colo USB Came a i a ba a d a 4K u it o a ca t espo d to cha gi g light compa ably, which sho te s ISP a d model tu i g. Teams u i g a Low Light Outdoo Came a gai mo e f om that p edictability tha f om a y si gle se sitivity figu e.

4K Resolutio fo Pla t Level Symptom Detectio : A lesio fou d at two millimete s is a ta geted sp ay decisio . The same lesio at two ce timete s is yield al eady lost. G ou d sample dista ce sets that floo , a d movi g f om 1080p to 8MP 4K oughly halves it o each axis at a fixed wo ki g dista ce. The Me li -415CRS is built fo that a d sits withi a b oade 8MP Low Light 4K Colo USB Came a selectio fo phe otypi g a d defect g adi g.

Se so Level HDR fo High Co t ast Sce es: A ca opy f ame holds di ect su light o uppe leaves a d deep shade be eath i o e exposu e. A si gle-exposu e se so esolves o e a d disca ds the othe . The Me li Plus-662CRS applies se so -level HDR to hold both. As a 2MP HDR Colo USB Came a, it p ese ves shadow st uctu e without clippi g the highlight. Vadzo Imagi g mai tai s a 2MP 1080p HDR USB Came a a ge, lists the module as a So y Sta vis 2 HDR Came a, a d docume ts the easo i g behi d HDR came a p oducts fo i dust ial e vi o me ts.

O boa d Sto age fo Co ectivity-I depe de t Field Loggi g: Ag icultu al odes sit past the edge of eliable co ectivity, a d a came a that st eams o ly to a host p oduces othi g du i g a outage. As a 2MP O boa d Sto age HDR USB Came a, the Me li Plus-662CRS suppo ts time-lapse phe ology a d i cide t eco di g whe e o backhaul exists, a d Vadzo Imagi g g oups it withi its 2MP O boa d Sto age 1080p USB 2.0 Came a listi gs.

UVC Complia ce a d Ba dwidth Awa e St eami g: Eve y model is UVC complia t, so the host t eats it as a sta da d video class device, a d o ve do ke el module has to be w itte , sig ed, o mai tai ed ac oss ope ati g system upg ades, which matte s o a mixed equipme t fleet with a multi yea se vice life. Ba dwidth pla i g still belo gs to the e gi ee , a d a USB 2.0 li k ewa ds comp essed st eam selectio . Vadzo Imagi g docume ts the easo i g behi d MJPEG a d MPEG4 comp essio choices, a d the complete So y Sta vis USB 2.0 Came a a ge sits withi its USB UVC came a po tfolio.

P oduct Specificatio s

“Ag icultu al visio is o e of the few domai s whe e imagi g co ditio s shift by o de s of mag itude i side a si gle wo ki g day a d the came a is still expected to hold colo espo se steady. That is why we built this pa t of the po tfolio a ou d back-illumi ated So y se so s athe tha a headli e esolutio umbe . A IMX290 o IMX291 module holds depe dable 1080p colo whe e most USB modules a e al eady u i g o gai . The IMX415 a swe s the opposite p oblem whe the wo k eeds pla t-level detail. The IMX662 adds se so -level HDR a d o boa d sto age fo odes past the edge of usable co ectivity.” – Alwi Vi ce t, P oduct Ma age , Vadzo Imagi g.

Ta get Applicatio s

C op Mo ito i g a d Pla t Health Scouti g: Fixed masts, ha dheld u its a d ca t-mou ted igs use RGB image y to compute vegetatio i dices such as excess g ee a d the g ee leaf i dex, to segme t lesio s a d to estimate ca opy cove . These wo kloads eed epeatable colo espo se because a i dex computed f om a oisy ch oma cha el is ot compa able week to week. A C op Mo ito i g Came a o a back-illumi ated STARVIS se so holds that epeatability i to the low su a gle hou s whe scouti g happe s.

P ecisio Ag icultu e a d Auto omous Machi e y Visio : Impleme t mou ted visio d ives ta geted sp ay decisio s, i te – ow cultivatio , a d ow followi g o auto omous platfo ms. These u at wo ki g speed u de headla d shadow, dust, a d cha gi g su a gle, ofte at ight. A P ecisio Ag icultu e Came a must hold exposu e ac oss a shadow t a sitio without a settli g delay lo g e ough fo the impleme t to pass its ta get. Se so -level HDR add esses that. Vehicle fleet deployme ts meet the same co st ai ts desc ibed i Vadzo Imagi g wo k o the 1080p USB came a fo fleet ma ageme t a d o telematics a d fleet ma ageme t i teg atio .

Livestock Mo ito i g i Ba E vi o me ts: Body co ditio sco i g, lame ess gait a alysis, feed bu k occupa cy a d calvi g detectio eed co ti uous imagi g i ba s that a e dim, dusty a d humid. Night cove age is ot optio al because health eve ts follow o schedule. A Livestock Mo ito i g Came a o a back-illumi ated se so etu s usable f ames u de existi g ba lighti g a d u de ea -i f a ed illumi atio that does ot distu b the a imals. Vadzo Imagi g docume ts the t ade-offs of ea -i f a ed imagi g compa ed to RGB imagi g fo teams desig i g a ou d IR illumi ato s. These i stallatio s ofte se ve a secu ity a d su veilla ce fu ctio o sha ed i f ast uctu e.

Ag icultu al D o e a d UAV Ae ial Su vey: Ae ial su vey fo sta d cou t, epla t mappi g, a d ca opy u ifo mity is co st ai ed by payload mass, powe budget, a d the low su a gles that give the best flight wi dows. A USB module attaches di ectly to a compa io compute o the ai f ame without a captu e boa d. A Ag icultu al D o e Came a based o the Me li -415CRS gives the g ou d sample dista ce eeded to cou t i dividual pla ts f om su vey altitude, while the 1080p models suit lowe passes whe e se sitivity matte s mo e tha pixel cou t.

G ee house a d Co t olled E vi o me t Ag icultu e: Glasshouse a d ve tical fa m i stallatio s combi e b ight glazi g with deeply shaded st uctu e a d ely i c easi gly o a owba d LED lighti g d ive by pulse width modulatio . A G ee house Mo ito i g Came a has to hold dy amic a ge ac oss the glazi g-to-gutte co t ast a d p oduce stable colo u de a sou ce with little output ac oss pa ts of the visible spect um. The Me li Plus-662CRS add esses the dy amic a ge half at the se so level. Ga t y obots, t ay cou ti g statio s a d g adi g li es sha e the same automatio a d obotics equi eme ts fou d o the facto y floo . A Sma t Ag icultu e Visio Came a should be specified agai st the spect al a d co t ast co ditio s of the facility.

F eque tly Asked Questio s

Q: What makes a back-illumi ated image se so bette fo low light ag icultu al imagi g tha a co ve tio al CMOS se so ?

A: I a co ve tio al f o t-illumi ated CMOS se so , the metal i te co ect laye s sit above the photodiode, so light passes the wi i g befo e eachi g silico a d the effective collecti g ape tu e of eve y pixel is educed. A back-illumi ated se so i ve ts that stack. The photodiode faces the i comi g light a d the wi i g u s be eath it, which aises qua tum efficie cy at the same pixel pitch a d imp oves the sig al-to- oise atio. I ag icultu e, that is the diffe e ce betwee a f ame that suppo ts a vegetatio i dex at daw a d o e that suppo ts it o ly at midday. Vadzo Imagi g builds the 2MP Colo USB Came a a ge fo ag icultu al wo k o back-illumi ated So y STARVIS a d So y STARVIS 2 se so s fo exactly this easo .

Q: Ca a USB 2.0 came a module ca y e ough ba dwidth fo a eal-time c op mo ito i g system?

A: Fo most ag icultu al i fe e ce wo kloads, the a swe is yes, p ovided the st eam is specified delibe ately. A USB 2.0 li k has a fixed payload ceili g, so u comp essed captu e at maximum esolutio is ot the ight equest. Comp essed fo mats such as MJPEG cut the pe -f ame payload substa tially, a d the st eam the fits the available ba dwidth at the f ame ates c op a alytics co sume. Vadzo Imagi g supplies its 2MP 1080p Rolli g Shutte USB 2.0 Came a a d 2MP Rolli g Shutte USB Came a optio s as class-complia t devices, so host teams ca select the fo mat a d f ame ate that fit the p ocessi g budget, a d its USB UVC came a po tfolio docume ts the available co figu atio s.

Q: Should a sma t ag icultu e visio system use a 1080p o a 4K came a module?

A: The a swe follows f om g ou d sample dista ce athe tha f om p efe e ce. Fix the wo ki g dista ce a d the field of view the applicatio equi es, the calculate the millimete s pe pixel each esolutio delive s at that geomet y. If the smallest featu e the system must detect is a lesio , a i sect, o a weed cotyledo , equi e seve al pixels ac oss that featu e athe tha o e. If that dema ds mo e tha 1080p, esolutio has to i c ease. If it does ot, the la ge pixel of a 2MP se so collects mo e photo s a d exte ds the usable wi dow i to low light. Vadzo Imagi g cove s both cases with the Me li -415CRS fo 4K detail wo k a d the Me li -290CRS a d Me li -291CRS fo se sitivity-limited wo k, i cludi g a 2MP 1080p Colo USB Came a build fo ca opy mo ito i g.

Q: How does o boa d sto age help i field deployme ts without eliable co ectivity?

A: O boa d sto age sepa ates captu i g a image f om t a spo ti g it. A came a that st eams o ly to a live host p oduces othi g du i g a outage, a d the eve t it missed ca ot be ecaptu ed. A module with local eco di g keeps w iti g th ough the outage, a d the footage is et ieved o the ext se vice visit o uploaded whe the li k etu s. I ag icultu e, this cove s time-lapse phe ology at emote plots, equipme t eve t captu e at u ma ed sites, a d i cide t eco di g whe e o backhaul exists. Vadzo Imagi g offe s this o the Me li Plus-662CRS, which pai s local eco di g with So y STARVIS 2 imagi g, a d lists elated co figu atio s ac oss its o boa d sto age USB 2.0 came a po tfolio.

Q: What is the diffe e ce betwee So y STARVIS a d So y STARVIS 2?

A: So y STARVIS is a back-illumi ated pixel tech ology fo CMOS image se so s cha acte ized by high se sitivity ac oss the visible a d ea -i f a ed egio s, developed fo p oducts whe e imagi g quality u de low illumi atio is the p ima y equi eme t. So y STARVIS 2 is the ext ge e atio . It aises the satu atio sig al level a d wide s the dy amic a ge available withi compa able pixel geomet y, which e ables HDR captu e at the se so level athe tha f ame me gi g afte eadout. I p actice, a STARVIS device is chose whe se sitivity domi ates a d a STARVIS 2 device whe the sce e combi es ext eme co t ast with low light. Vadzo Imagi g offe s both ac oss the Me li se ies a d publishes RoHS, REACH a d NDAA complia ce docume tatio ac oss its came a po tfolio fo OEM p ocu eme t teams.

Availability a d Customizatio

The Me li -290CRS, Me li -291CRS, Me li -415CRS a d Me li Plus-662CRS a e available fo evaluatio a d volume o de i g th ough the o li e sto e a d the sales e gi ee i g team. Vadzo Imagi g suppo ts ha dwa e a d fi mwa e customizatio ac oss the se ies, i cludi g fo m facto a d boa d edesig , le s holde a d filte modificatio , LED a ay i teg atio , IP- ated e closu e desig , a d fi mwa e cha ges fo applicatio -specific featu e sets. Teams compa i g i te face a chitectu es fo the same se so families ca eview the wide USB 2.0 UVC came a po tfolio.

About Vadzo Imagi g

Vadzo Imagi g develops embedded visio came a p oducts fo OEMs a d system i teg ato s buildi g p oductio – eady visio systems. The compa y offe s imagi g platfo ms ac oss USB, MIPI, GigE, Wi-Fi a d Se Des i te faces suppo ti g i dust ial automatio , obotics, healthca e, ag icultu e a d embedded systems, with e d-to-e d suppo t i cludi g se so i teg atio , ISP tu i g, fi mwa e developme t a d softwa e f amewo ks. Applicatio cove age also spa s sma t city solutio s deployme ts wo ldwide.

Media Co tact

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