The Sony Group (Sony G) has launched a new strategy in the image sensor business. Output analysis data that matches the purpose instead of image data, and expand the market to general social infrastructure. Establish a recurring (recurring billing) model by continuously evolving the analysis algorithm.

The new strategy is the "IMX500," which combines an image sensor that acquires images and a logic chip that processes data. Unlike conventional image sensors that only obtain image data, it analyzes data on the spot and outputs only results such as the presence or absence of objects and classification. So-called "AI (artificial intelligence) camera" can be realized.

The Sony Group (Sony G) has launched a new strategy in the image sensor business. Output analysis data that matches the purpose instead of image data, and expand the market to general social infrastructure. Establish a recurring (recurring billing) model by continuously evolving the analysis algorithm.

The new strategy is the "IMX500," which combines an image sensor that acquires images and a logic chip that processes data. Unlike conventional image sensors that only obtain image data, it analyzes data on the spot and outputs only results such as the presence or absence of objects and classification. So-called "AI (artificial intelligence) camera" can be realized.



Detecting parking spaces with the IMX500 installed on a streetlight in Rome (Source: Sony G)



The feature of the demonstration in Rome is that it not only reduces the amount of communication by not transmitting images, but also considers the privacy of citizens. The city of Rome has long had problems with a lack of parking spaces, traffic jams and overcrowded buses. The use of ordinary cameras could improve transportation infrastructure, but in Europe, where personal information protection regulations are strict, there was the problem of not being able to adopt methods that could infringe on the privacy of citizens. By using the IMX500, it is possible to output only the necessary information such as the presence and number of cars and people, solving the problem of privacy.

It is also expected to improve the efficiency of the retail industry. EBILAB (Ebi Labo, Ise City, Mie Prefecture), which develops cloud services for restaurants, has built a system that uses the IMX500 to automatically check for product shortages and manage inventory. When a product on the shelf is out of stock, the staff will be automatically notified on the wearable terminal, allowing the staff to concentrate on their work such as customer service. The age, gender, and weather information of customers visiting the store can be used to expand store sales and improve customer satisfaction.



Managing the inventory of products lined up on shelves (source: Sony G)


In addition, in the United States, the function of counting people is used for air conditioning control in office buildings. Since a lot of information can be obtained from images, the IMX500 can be used for various purposes as an IoT (Internet of Things) device instead of multiple sensors. If we increase the types of services, we can expect that "we can introduce it to all kinds of social infrastructure" (Sony G).