Sony Launches AI Camera Sensors
Weeks after exiting the branded video surveillance business, Sony is making a splash announcing "the first image sensors in the world to be equipped with AI processing functionality".
Inside this note, we examine:
- What the Sony AI sensors do and, more importantly, do not
- How the Sony AI sensor compares to Ambarella, Hisilicon, Intel, Qualcomm, etc.
- What Sony AI sensors strongest structural strength is
- What challenges or opportunities the Sony AI sensor has for video surveillance
- How this impacts the competitive contest over where AI is processed
Do **, ******** *** ****** - **** ** *******
****'* ***** **************** *** ******* **:
********* ** ********** ************* ** *** image ****** ****** ******* ****-***** **** AI ********** *** ********** ** **** the ********* ****, *****, **** ***** cloud ********, ******* **** ************ *******, minimizes *** ******* ********, *** ******* power *********** *** ************* *****.
** ****'* ********* ***** ***** ***** how *** ****** *** ****** ******** and ****** **** *** ********** **** video ********:
**** ***** *** ******** ******* ** running * ****** ***** **** ********* V1 ** */***** ** * ******:
*** *** ****** ******** **** **** perform *** ********** *** ****-***** ** processing (*.* ************ ********** *** ********* V1**) ** *** ***** ****, ********** the ****** ******* ** * ****** video *****.
** *** **** ****, **** ******** limitations ** *** ** ** ****** analytics **** *********** ** *** *****:
***** ***, **** [****'*] ******, *** image ****** *** **** **** **** pretty “*****” **********. **** ***** **** more ************* *** ****** *****, **** driving ** ********** ***, **** ********* require ********* ** ******** *** *** foreseeable ******. *******, ***** ** *** IMX500 ** * ******, ******-*********** ******.
Don't ** ***** ********* - **** ** *******
* ***** ********** ** ****'* ** sensors ****** ****** *****, ******* ** metadata *** ***** ******. *** ***** who **** * ********* ***** ****** (e.g., *.***, *.***, ***** ******, ***.), an ******* / ****** ** * Chip (***) ** ***** *********.
*** ********* **** ***** **** ***** SoC ********* **** ********* ** / video ********* ******** **** ******* **** Sony's ** *******.
Comparison ** *********, *********, *****, ********, ***.
** ******* ************ *** **, **** before ****'* ************, ********* ******* **** (like ********* ** ****** / ********* than ******* ** *** ********) ** from ********* ** ******* (**** ***** Movidius ******). *** ****** ** *** to ** ** *** *** ******, via *** ***, ** *** ********* AI ******.
**** ********* ***** *****, *.*., ** the *****, ******:
** **********, **** ******, ***********’ *****, such ** ***** **** ** *** Intel-owned ******** (***** *** **** ** Google’s***** ************’* ******* * *****) *** **** ******** ** ************ — **** ******* — ** *******.
** *** *******, **** ** ******. Movidius ***** *** ******* **, **** as ********* **, ** '****-****'. *** problem, *******, ** *** **** ** such ********* *****. ** ****, ** concur **** **** ***** **** *** question *** *************** ****** ****.
Structural ******** - ***-***** *******
*******, *** ******* **** ** *** want ** **** ** ****** *****, Sony's ** ******* **** * ********** advantage *** ******* ** ** ********* nor *******. *** *******, * **** can ** **** **** "** *** device ***** ***/*** ** **** ******* to ****** *** ** ******** *** smaller, ***** *****, *******. ***** ***** is ** ***** ****** ******* *** chip, **’* **** **** ******, *.*., hard ** **** **** *******."
****'* ********* **** ******* **** ** people ********, **** *******, **********, ***., as ***** *****:
Video ************ *************
**** ***** ************, *******, *** ***** will ***** **** ** ** *******. The ******** **** ******* ** ** better ** **** ********* ** *** a **** ** ****** **** * lower **** *** **** *********, *********, etc. ** ** *** * ******** Sony ****** **** * ****** **** AI-enabled *** **** ***** *********. ** do *** **** *** **** ********** will **.
Competition ** **********
*******, *** ***** ** *****, ****'* move ******* ********* *** ******** ** run ** ** *** ****, ** the ******. ******* ********* *** ********* to *** **, *** *** ******* price **** ** ******, ** *** edge, ********, ******, ** *****, ** we ******* ***** ***** ************ *** ************ ****.
******* *** *** *********, *** ** chip **********, *** *** ****'* ** sensor, ******* *** ******** *** ******* AI ** *** **** ** **********.
** *** ****** ********* **** *** majority ** ***** ************ ** ********** in *** **** * ***** **** be *** ** *** ****, ** the ******, ******* ** ***** ******* options.
Cloud **********
*******, **** ******* ******* ***** ** processing ** *** *****, **** **:
*** ********** ****** ** *********** ******* in *** ***** ***** ******* ********: increased **** ************ ******* ********* ****-**** information **********; ******** ******** **** ***** associated **** ******* ********** ************ **** in *** *****; *** ***** ****** such ** *** ********* ***** *********** and ************* ***** ***** ******** ******.
** **** ** ******* ********* *****:
*******, ** ** *** ******* *** cloud ** * ****** ****-**** ********** for ** **** ****** ********** *******, beyond *** ******* **** *****, **** are *** ***** ********** *** ****.
*******
*** ****, ****** ** ***** ***** since *** *********** ******** *** '*******' has ***** **** ********* ******* ***** quality (***** *** **** *** **** dimension *** *** **** * *******) to ********** ***** *********. ** *** extent **** **** *** ******* ** processing ********, **** ********** *** ******** over *** **** ******. *** **** Sony **** **** *** ** ******* vs **** ******* ** ** ****.
Vote / ****
******: **** *** *** ********* **** Microsoft *** ***** *******, **** ******* point** *** ************:
***** *** *** ***** **** *** is **** **** ** *********** ** see. *****, ***** ***** ******** **** out ** ** ***** *** ******* impact *** ** **** ***.