VisLab is a high-tech firm in Parma that specialises in machine learning, deep neural networks (DNNs), stereovision, robotics, sensor fusion, planning, system calibration, and more for ADAS and autonomous driving, from the ground-up in environmental perception to product and deployment. 

VisLab began in the late 1990s as a research facility within the University of Parma and quickly became a leader in autonomous vehicles before breaking away in 2009. Since then, creator Alberto Broggi has overseen VisLab's continuous groundbreaking research, which has resulted in several industry firsts in autonomous driving.

In 1990, VisLab's founding members began contributing to the Eureka PROMETHEUS Project. The research team has been concentrating on automotive uses since. Under Alberto Broggi's leadership, VisLab investigates theoretical and practical problems, such as using cameras and sensor fusion to improve the human perception of the world around moving vehicles. Artificial vision, image processing, machine learning, neural networks, robotics, and sensor fusion are just some of the areas that have benefited from the work of its experts. 

Furthermore, eleven scientists from VisLab founded a subsidiary firm in 2009 called VisLab srl to develop and market their discoveries. The University of Parma held 5%. About thirty researchers applied to work at VisLab's new Parma headquarters after Silicon Valley firm Ambarella Inc. acquired the company in 2015.

Automotive

The concept of using vision-based technology for environmental perception was pioneered at VisLab and has had a lasting impact on the development of autonomous vehicles. A thorough grasp of the fundamental concerns of deployment—including calibration, lighting, noise, temperature, power consumption, cost, and installation constraints—is essential for successfully implementing vision systems onboard vehicles. With over 20 years of experience, VisLab has become well-known for its ability to create robotic systems that excel in laboratory and field settings while using very inexpensive vision-based gear.

Robotics

As a result of its success in the automobile industry, VisLab has expanded into other fields, such as producing autonomous robots for use in factories and creating unique solutions for automated storage. VisLab's robotics systems, much like its automotive solutions, rely heavily on vision technology, complemented by other technologies like laser scanners and radar.

ARGO 

ARGO was a passenger vehicle that could sense its environment with the help of micro cameras, assess its context, plot a course, and drive itself on regular streets. In 1998, they put it to the test on a tour of almost 2,000 kilometres in Italy called MilleMiglia in Automatico. More than 94% of the time, throughout this test, the car drove itself. It was the first test conducted in regular traffic, environmental, and weather circumstances using commercially available and inexpensive equipment (a Pentium 200 MHz PC and two low-cost video phone cameras).

Activities

VisLab provides Ambarella with advanced technological analysis in cutting-edge sectors, including autonomous driving, robotics, and deep learning. VisLab is the first company permitted by the Italian Ministry of Transportation to conduct road tests of autonomous vehicles. VisLab has permission to conduct independent testing in Nevada and California in addition to Italy.

VisLab's headquarters at the University of Parma means that the organisation maintains strong relationships with the academic community by offering courses and internships to deserving graduate and doctoral students at the University of Parma and other nearby institutions.