Source: dpa
Speed and data protection – With its new camera sensors, Sony is bringing artificial intelligence for image analysis directly on the chip for the first time.
Sony has presented the world’s first image sensors, in which artificial intelligence for image analysis and image processing is integrated directly into the logic chip.
This enables AI analysis of camera images directly on the chip, the Japanese company said in Tokyo on Thursday. This speeds up processing considerably, since it would not first have to transfer all data to the cloud. Sensitive content is also particularly protected and remains on the sensor.
The innovative image sensors are to be used in retail, for example, to be able to analyze customer movements in a shop. If the camera was installed in the entrance area, customers could be counted. If it is attached to a shelf, it can be recognized where goods are missing. If the camera is installed on the ceiling, it can be used to create thermal images in order to recognize areas with many shop visitors.
No recognition of individual faces
Sony emphasized that the system could be used to localize a face in an image (“face detection”), but not to recognize specific faces (“face recognition”). Therefore, it is a very privacy-friendly concept.
Sony has been hit hard as a manufacturer of televisions and other consumer electronics. The new development should boost business at least in the medium and long term. A spokesman said the company is expecting significant new business from the novel image sensors.
With the new sensors, you can also recognize barcodes in logistics or check in work areas whether employees are wearing protective helmets or breathing masks as prescribed. An application scenario in which the image sensor independently detects a dangerous situation is also conceivable.
AI directly on the sensor
The sensors consist of a pixel chip and a logic chip. The signal that the pixel chip detects is processed by the artificial intelligence on the sensor, so that no high-performance processors or external memory are required, Sony promises.
This enables the development of so-called edge AI systems, where the computing power is provided on the outside edge of the network (edge) and data does not first have to be transferred to a data center or the cloud. This also reduces the response time (latency). In addition, the waiver of data transfers across the network is privacy-friendly.
This turns the smartphone into a webcam
This turns the smartphone into a webcam
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Video chats have become much more popular in these times. But what if you don’t have a (good) webcam? The smartphone can help.
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In order to use its camera as a webcam, the EpocCam app is available for iOS and Android.
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In addition to the smartphone apps, the appropriate drivers must also be installed on the computer so that EpocCam can send the image from the smartphone to the PC.
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However, the installation only takes a few seconds.
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Then the smartphone camera and PC are connected via WLAN, so the two devices must be in the same network.
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The smartphone app shows the image that is being transferred to the PC.
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To be able to use this image for video chats, the image source must be changed in the settings of the video chat app used (here, for example, zoom) so that it does not continue to use the laptop’s integrated webcam.
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