News

Omron improves image sensing/human condition recognition software

October 24, 2016

Omron Corp., a sensing technology provider based in Kyoto City, Japan, has introduced a human condition recognition unit dubbed a "Human Vision Components" (HVC) system, with a maximum recognition speed 10 times greater than previous models, according to a press release. An illustration on the company’s website shows application for the human condition sensing technology to both kiosks and vending machines.

The new unit, HCV-P2, is an image-sensing unit incorporating proprietary technology for recognizing human facial expression, gender and age, into a camera module. The HVC-P2 boasts a maximum recognition speed 10 times faster than a model introduced in March 2014, making it possible to detect a human body four times per second within a detection area. Recognition data includes the number of detections, angles, age, facial expressions and gender.

Ten types of image-sensing functions are available for recognizing human conditions: 1) face detection, 2) human body detection, 3) hand detection 4) face direction estimation, 5) gaze estimation, 6) blink estimation, 7) age estimation, 8) gender estimation, 9) expression estimation (five facial expressions: neutral, happiness, surprise, anger and sadness), and 10) face recognition.

The HVC-P2 consists of a camera and a separate main board, connected via a flexible flat cable, allowing it to be installed on the edge of a flat display unit, which was difficult with previously available all-in-one units.

Customers can choose from two camera heads, a long-distance detection type and a wide-angle detection type, depending on their specific application purpose. A piece of equipment embedded with the HVC-P2 can detect attributes and conditions of a user entering its vicinity. The user is generally unaware of the camera.

The technology can optimize products for sale from machines.

A wide-angle is capable of covering an area 100 cm (40 inches) by 75 cm (30 inches) from a distance of 50 cm (20 inches).

Embedding the proprietary image-sensing technology capable of recognizing human conditions, now available in the form of the HVC-P2, contributes to the realization of an IoT society.