Why entrust human staff with repetitive and often tedious tasks? To answer that question, ViDi Systems developed artificial intelligence software that mimics the functioning of the human eye, making it possible to automate inspection processes that are beyond the power of conventional machine vision. The ViDI suite is an image analysis software solution that consists of three different tools. “The first can sort products into categories”, explains Olivier Despont, Head of Business Development at ViDi Systems, part of the CPA Group. For example, a machine can learn to recognize the contents of a crate, just like the human eye would. The second detects anomalies: “One of our watchmaking customers, for example, uses our system to perform quality control on its watch and clock dials. Where once 60 people were involved in this process, five machines now carry out this work. This frees the human workforce to focus their efforts on more rewarding activities.” The third tool, the only one of its kind in the world, can locate and identify objects in an image, such as a certain type of vehicle in traffic.

Multiple prospects and uses

“Our software can be used in a whole variety of applications”, declares Olivier Despont, Head of Business Development at ViDi Systems. Having built a solid customer base primarily among machine manufacturers, the company is now setting its sights on other industries, starting with the healthcare sector. “We recently worked on a malaria detection project. Thanks to our technology, machines are now able to distinguish, from an image, these parasites among billions of red blood cells.” The ViDi Suite could enhance video surveillance solutions, too: “For example, our suite could raise the alarm if it detects a person loitering around an ATM or if it picks up an unusual crowd activity.” Another field of application is the dissection and in-depth analysis of sporting events and training sessions.

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