HELLA Aglaia has aquired start-up company Pyramics
Pyramics technology enables demographic customer and visitor counting
Berlin technology firm HELLA Aglaia Mobile Vision GmbH, one of the leading developers of intelligent visual sensor systems, has acquired the start-up company Pyramics. The addition of Pyramics will enhance the software specialist’s leadership in people counting and extend its portfolio with deep learning technologies.
Pyramics is the developer of an optical sensor designed to detect age, gender and behavior of people in shops or at events. Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), the mono camera system allows for precise image evaluation in an anonymized form. The gathered information can be fed into an analysis platform also developed by Pyramics.
Through its People Sensing division, HELLA Aglaia has been producing and distributing high-precision people counting devices for public transport and retail for more than ten years. So far, the business unit successfully relied on the use of stereo camera systems. Two cameras can detect surface geometries and compensate for light disturbances, resulting in a highly accurate coverage and analysis of their field of vision. However, not every people counting use case requires this level of detail. Moreover, the intelligent deep learning algorithms of the mono camera system are capable of reliably evaluating even low-resolution image material.
In deep learning image analysis, a software learns to detect people and objects and how to differentiate them from their surroundings using sample images. By training a neural network, the detection algorithms deliver fast and precise results, and even compensate for optical deviations and improper image quality.
With the acquisition of the Pyramics technology, HELLA Aglaia is well-positioned for the future: "We are pleased to be able to diversify the application options of our products from now on. With the new analysis platform, our customers will also benefit from a bespoke solution package for people flow analysis, making us a one-stop-shop for both hardware and software," says Matthias Nerling, Head of People Sensing at HELLA Aglaia.
The new technology is already in use at HELLA Aglaia and was first applied in a project on the intelligent detection of seat occupancies in public transport, which successfully launched in September.
HELLA Aglaia Mobile Vision GmbH is a full subsidiary of HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA and is one of the leading global developers of intelligent visual sensor systems. The result of many years of experience, our expertise in mono and stereocamera systems, image processing and software programming makes possible the development of innovative industrial solutions and highly effective products for driverassistance systems, electromobility and people counting. Many of our products set international standards and open completely new application possibilities and future opportunities.
Contact:
Antje Geyer
Head of Marketing & Kommunikation
HELLA Aglaia Mobile Vision GmbH
Ullsteinstraße 140
12109 Berlin
+49 (0) 2000 429-0
antje.geyer(at)hella.com