


                                  EXHIBIT 99.1

                ADVANCED MACHINE VISION CORPORATION PRESS RELEASE
                            ISSUED FEBRUARY 15, 2000


                                                                   PRESS RELEASE
                                                                   -------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS: Alan Steel, Chief Financial Officer                       541-776-7700
          Philip Bourdillon/Eugene Heller, Silverman Heller Asso.   310-208-2550


                       ADVANCED MACHINE VISION CORPORATION
                      ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO BE ACQUIRED BY
                              KEY TECHNOLOGY, INC.


     MEDFORD, Oregon (February 15,  2000)...Advanced  Machine Vision Corporation
(Nasdaq-AMVC) announced today that it had signed a definitive Agreement and Plan
of  Merger  with Key  Technology,  Inc.  (Nasdaq-KTEC).  Under  the terms of the
Agreement, each share of AMV common stock would receive:

   * $1.00 per share in cash, plus

   * Key convertible preferred stock,  redeemable for $1.00 in cash for each AMV
     common share any time after two years,  or convertible at any time into 2/3
     of a share of Key  common  stock  for each ten (10)  shares  of AMV  common
     stock, plus

   * A warrant to purchase Key common stock,  redeemable at any time for $.25 in
     cash for each AMV common share,  or which can be exercised to purchase .025
     shares of Key common  stock per AMV common  share at an  exercise  price of
     $15.00 per share of Key common stock.

     The  Agreement  is subject to approval by the holders of Key's common stock
and AMV's common and preferred  stock,  which will be solicited at stockholders'
meetings  expected  to be held in May of this year.  As part of the  acquisition
process,  AMV's Board of Directors will support a possible  public tender by Key
for AMV common stock.

     William J. Young,  the Company's  Chairman,  President and Chief  Executive
Officer,  stated:  "The  combination  of AMV and Key will combine  complimentary
technologies  and  customers  and  provide  an  opportunity  to better  meet our
customers'  needs." Mr. Young  indicated that the entities had combined sales of
approximately $92 million in 1999. For its fiscal year ended September 30, 1999,
Key reported  sales of $68 million and net income of $3.5  million,  or $.75 per
share.

     Mr. Young also said: "The  transaction  will provide a significant  premium
over AMV's recent stock price.  In addition,  the economies of scale of a merged
AMV/Key,  stronger  market  presence,  broader product lines and planned process
control  product  introductions  should provide AMV  shareholders  with a better
upside potential than if AMV remained a separate business."

     Advanced  Machine Vision  Corporation is a worldwide  leader in the design,
manufacture and sale of standard and CE-compliant vision systems used to control
manufacturing  processes through high-speed product inspection,  and to identify
and remove defects,  resulting in production and quality yield rates superior to
other  process  and control  methods.  AMV's  operations  are  comprised  of two
wholly-owned  subsidiaries,  SRC VISION,  Inc. and Ventek,  Inc., both utilizing
proprietary image processing technologies.

     Key Technology,  an ISO-9000 certified  company,  is a leading designer and
manufacturer of process  automation  systems,  primarily for the food processing
industry, which integrates electro-optical  inspection and sorting,  specialized
conveying and product  preparation  equipment.  Key systems allow  processors to
improve  quality,  increase  yield and reduce  cost.  With  worldwide  sales and
service,  the  company  maintains  manufacturing  facilities  and  demonstration
laboratories in Beusichem, The Netherlands and Walla Walla, Washington.

     Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities  Litigation Act of 1995:
Statements in this news release that are forward-looking  statements are subject
to various risks and uncertainties,  such as the successful  completion of Key's
acquisition  of AMV, the Company's  ability to sustain  adequate  customer order
levels,  the impact of economic  conditions  on our markets,  the ability of the
Company to successfully  introduce new products, the possible negative impact of
competitive products and/or pricing, the Company's ability to sustain a positive
cash flow,  the impact of the  strengthening  of U. S. currency on the Company's
ability to compete  effectively  in the foreign  markets and the effect of these
and other factors on the market price of the Company's  Common Stock.  Investors
are encouraged to review a more comprehensive  listing of cautionary  statements
and risk factors contained in the Company's Forms 10-K and 10-Q SEC filings.


                      Visit our web site at www.amvcorp.com


