Some analytics cameras can tell you if a person is jumping a fence, or loitering in a secure area, but none of them can tell you if the person looks good while doing it. Now, Amazon is tackling that problem.
The online retail giant is getting into the camera business, launching a smart camera that incorporates features from its Echo/Alexa service with an indoor camera. Though Amazon is not targeting home security applications with this camera, aspects of it have the potential to impact the security industry.
Inside this report we analyze Amazon's Echo Look Camera.
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Amazon clearly sees this as a product for women. There's roughly a dozen people in their video / commercial; only one is a man and he gets 3 blink of an eye appearances.
It will be interesting to see. Amazon may have hit an underserved market with this.
For integrators, it may not be as appealing: "Hey Alexa, should I go with the Carhatt and Red Wings or the Dickie's and Timberlands?"
This strikes me as the evolution of the selfie. I find it odd that Amazon, who has no brick and mortar stores, would enter this niche. My guess is that their Echo Look "experts" will be paid to interactively send users to an Amazon page where they can buy something that looks better. In the "experts'" judgement, of course.
They actually have a couple of physical locations now. One should be opening in my local mall this summer.
I heard yesterday that billionaire mall magnate, Rick Caruso, is in talks with Amazon to open stores in his malls. Also said that the proliferation of online shopping has helped malls and some online stores have already inked deals to open at his properties.
One other interesting this camera has, a depth sensor. Notice how the photo is blurred except for the foreground:
It can artificially (as opposed to shallow depth of field lens effect), blur the foreground by using the info from the sensor. I haven't seen this on any camera before.
Security-wise, maybe it could use the blurring for privacy in some cases, or use the sensor directly for analytical purposes.
I don't think it has a depth sensor. That blur could have easily been applied in software based on the area where the person is detected, i.e. it's a by-product of the algorithm or process used to estimate how fashionable the person is.
I don't think it has a depth sensor. That blur could have easily been applied in software based on the area where the person is detected...
Well, the blur *is* applied in software, however I believe it uses a depth sensor to aid in detecting the person and applying the blur, for three reasons:
1. Tech Crunch says "The camera has a built-in depth sensor to blur out everything in the photo."
2. Amazon says "The built-in LED lighting and depth-sensing camera let you blur the background..."
3. The amount and area of blurring in the photo is consistent with something being blurred based on distance, not merely the shape of the person detected.
It *could be* that Amazon means video analytics style "depth-sensing", and that tech crunch mistakenly assumed it was a "sensor", and that the picture is purposely blurred by distance, not by body outline, for aesthetics.
But given the recent cheapness of these sensors, and the possible benefits to judging a person in 3 dimensions, I'm thinking its got one.
Apparently the underlying technology is the Intel Realsense SR300 module:
I'm probably saying this from a male POV but I already hate this cam as it will make people get even more engaged with how they look...
I think the "always getting smarter" line is a little creepy.. here comeso sky net.
The live view and easy recording as you twirl, combined with the look book is very unique. Something no one is doing. Now that they have the platform, to turn this in to having security features and being able to see a record of who was seen, etc would be a simple firmware upgrade.
It also provides an added feature to those who don't want the traditional echo taking up so much space, making it more worththan of real estate out in the open.
Some analytics cameras can tell you if a person is jumping a fence, or loitering in a secure area, but none of them can tell you if the person looks good while doing it.
Specificity is law enforcement's best friend:
Alert: All units should be on the lookout for a male, in his thirties, wearing a mauve cashmere sweater and scarf ensemble with matching Fine Egyptian wool slacks, a teal goatskin cap and black beaverhide loafers. Suspect is considered armed and extremely stylish.
Wow, that's overkill. I think it has the possibility of making the person too critical of themselves. I don't need a camera/software program to tell me if I look okay or not. And even if my attire is a bit off, so what! If its what I feel like wearing, then I'm wearing it. My two amazon cents, for whatever its worth.
Hey Alexa, do this pants make my ass look fat?
Hey Alexa do this pants make my ass look fat?
"Hmmm. The appearance of steatopygia can often be reduced thru the use of compressive undergarments. Should I order a pair of black Spanx now, only $23 on Amazon Prime with free 15 min. drone delivery?"
That is one of the funniest comments I have ever read on this site. Thank you UD1.
Thank you amazon.
ACTi posted a video for a 'Smart Shopping Assistance' that is roughly related, though it centers around age and gender detection:
Waiting for the posters at ISC West, with a Knightscope robot standing in front of the camera, caption is "do I look fat?"
We just ordered one (our invite was finally approved), expect a test report in the next 2 weeks.
It looks like those who anticipated an Amazon security camera within the next 12 months were correct.
Amazon Cloud Cam Indoor Security Camera
