The Sentinel® is WIDE Automation's SIL3-certified 3D safety stereo vision system — the first product to bring stereoscopic machine vision into the field of industrial safety guarding. Headquartered in San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy, WIDE Automation has spent over 30 years developing safety systems for automated machinery, and the Sentinel® represents a fundamental departure from traditional light curtains and laser scanners: it sees in three dimensions.

How does stereo vision safety differ from laser scanners and light curtains?

Conventional safety devices detect intrusion on a single plane — a light curtain breaks, or a scanner sees an object cross a 2D boundary. The Sentinel® uses stereoscopic cameras to reconstruct a 3D depth map of the monitored volume in real time, distinguishing between a person entering a hazard zone and normal machine motion. This volumetric awareness enables fenceless or reduced-footprint guarding layouts that planar sensors cannot support, while maintaining full SIL3 compliance under IEC 61508.

What monitoring zones can the Sentinel® manage?

The system supports flexible zone configuration: up to three static areas plus one dynamic area tied to the machine head position, or two static plus two dynamic areas. All zone sizes, shapes, and activation rules are freely user-definable — a robot cell might use a wide static warning zone, a tight static stop zone, and a dynamic zone that follows the end-effector during rapid moves.

Decision Parameters

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Sentinel® replace a safety PLC?

No. The Sentinel® is a safety-rated sensing device — it provides the SIL3 detection input to the safety chain but does not replace the safety controller or safety relays. It integrates with existing safety PLCs as a detection element, analogous to how a safety light curtain or laser scanner would interface.

What lighting conditions does it require?

Unlike many industrial vision systems, the Sentinel® uses its own structured illumination and stereoscopic depth calculation — it does not depend on ambient lighting. It can operate in both bright and dim factory environments, though extreme direct light aimed into the stereo baseline may require shielding (as with any camera-based system).