This focus issue offers a glimpse into the breadth and depth of research in optics and image processing at the Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation (abbreviated Fraunhofer IOSB). The institute belongs to the Fraunhofer Society, which is Europe's largest organization for applied research. The society comprises 72 institutes spread throughout Germany as well as subsidiaries in several European countries, and the USA, UK, Chile and Singapore, each focusing on different fields of applied science. It is named after the Bavarian physicist Joseph von Fraunhofer (1787-1826), the inventor of the spectrometer, optical lens manufacturer and an entrepreneur, who exemplified the goals of the society, i.e.: a focus on research excellence, innovation, and commitment to market and customer-oriented research.