Sony Launches AI Camera Sensors

By John Honovich, Published May 18, 2020, 07:52am EDT (Info+)

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".

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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 ********:

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**** ***** *** ******** ******* ** 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 ***** *****:

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Video ************ *************

**** ***** ************, *******, *** ***** will ***** **** ** ** *******. The ******** **** ******* ** ** better ** **** ********* ** *** a **** ** ****** **** * lower **** *** **** *********, *********, etc. ** ** *** * ******** Sony ****** **** * ****** **** AI-enabled *** **** ***** *********. ** do *** **** *** **** ********** will **.

Competition ** **********

*******, *** ***** ** *****, ****'* move ******* ********* *** ******** ** run ** ** *** ****, ** the ******. ******* ********* *** ********* to *** **, *** *** ******* price **** ** ******, ** *** edge, ********, ******, ** *****, ** we ******* ***** ***** ************ *** ************ ****.

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******* *** *** *********, *** ** 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 / ****

Comments (1)

John Honovich

IPVM | 05/20/20 12:18am

Update: Sony has now partnered with Microsoft for these sensors, most notable point in the announcement:

Sony will also create a smart camera managed app powered by Azure IoT and Cognitive Services that complements the IMX500 sensor and expands the range and capability of video analytics opportunities for enterprise customers. The combination of these two solutions will bring together Sony’s cutting-edge imaging & sensing technologies, including the unique functionality of high-speed edge AI processing, with Microsoft’s cloud expertise and AI platform to uncover new video analytics opportunities for customers and partners across a variety of industries.

Where and how often this app is used will be interesting to see. Often, these press releases turn out to be fluff and minimal impact but we will see.

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