Atsugi, Japan — Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (SSS) announced that it has introduced and begun operating an edge AI-driven vision detection solution at 500 convenience store locations in Japan to improve the benefits of in-store advertising.

SSS has been providing 7-Eleven and other retail outlets in Japan with vision-based technology to improve the implementation of digital signage systems and in-store advertising at their brick-and-mortar locations as part of their retail media*1 strategy. To help ensure that effective content is shown for brands and stores, this solution gives partners sophisticated tools to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising on their customers.

As part of this effort, SSS has recently introduced a solution that uses edge devices with on-sensor AI processing to automatically detect when customers see digital signage, count how many people paused to view it, and measure the percentage of viewers. The AI capabilities of the sensor collects data points such as the number of shoppers who enter the detection area, whether they saw the signage, the number who stopped to view the signage, and how long they watched for. The system does not output image data capable of identifying individuals, making it possible to provide insightful measurements while helping to preserve privacy.

Solution features:

IMX500 intelligent vision sensor delivers optimal data collection, while helping to preserve privacy.

SSS’s IMX500 intelligent vision sensor with AI-processing capabilities automatically detects the number of customers who enter the detection area, the number who stopped to view the signage, and how long they viewed it. The acquired metadata (semantic information) is then sent to a back-end system where it’s combined with content streaming information and purchasing data to conduct a sophisticated analysis of advertising effectiveness. Because the system does not output image data that could be used to identify individuals, it helps to preserve customer privacy.

Edge devices equipped with the IMX500 save space in store.

The IMX500 is made using SSS’s proprietary structure with the pixel chip and logic chip stacked, enabling the entire process, from imaging to AI inference, to be done on a single sensor. Compact, IMX500-equipped edge devices (approx. 55 x 40 x 35 mm) are unobtrusive in shops, and compared to other solutions that require an AI box or other additional devices for AI inference, can be installed more flexibly in convenience stores and shops with limited space.

The AITRIOS™ platform contributes to operational stability and system expandability.

Only light metadata is output from IMX500 edge devices, minimizing the amount of data transmitted to the cloud. This helps lessen network load, even when adding more devices in multiple stores, compared to solutions that send full image data to the cloud. This curtails communication, cloud storage, and computing costs.

The IMX500 also handles AI computing, eliminating the need for other devices such as an AI box, resulting in a simple device configuration, streamlining device maintenance and reducing costs of installation.

AITRIOS*2, SSS’s edge AI sensing platform, which is used to build and operate the in-store solution, delivers a complete service without the need for third-party tools, enabling simple, sustainable operations.

This solution was developed with Console Enterprise Edition, one of the services offered by AITRIOS, and is installed on the partner’s Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure. It not only connects easily and compatibly with their existing systems, but also offers system customizability and security benefits, since there is no need to output various data outside the company.

(Source: Sony)

*1    A new form of advertising media that provides advertising space for retailers and e-commerce sites using their own platforms

*2    AITRIOS is an AI sensing platform for streamlined device management, AI development, and operation. It offers the development environment, tools, features, etc., which are necessary for deploying AI-driven solutions, and it contributes to shorter roll-out times when launching operations, while ensuring privacy, reducing introductory cost, and minimizing complications. For more information on AITRIOS, visit: https://www.aitrios.sony-semicon.com/en