NEWS

2020.4.8

[Press Release] Hokkaido University-based AWL, Chowa Giken and TIL Collaborate to Develop nCovid-19 Solutions

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Press release

Hokkaido University-based AWL, Chowa Giken and TIL Collaborate to Develop nCovid-19 Solutions
〜Hokkaido University Business Spring-based Startups AWL, Chowa Giken and TIL to start development of nCovid-19 Solutions.〜

The AI camera solution focused AWL (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO Muneharu Kitade, hereinafter referred to as “The Company”), Chowa Giken (Head Office: Sapporo City, Hokkaido, President Takuya Nakamura, hereinafter referred to as “Chowa Giken”), which is focused on AI algorithm development and TIL (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO Kei Fujinami, hereinafter referred to as “TIL”), which is developing technology for an AI voice recorder, are working around the clock to develop new countermeasures against the nCovid-19 pandemic, with solutions focused on developing technology to secure the safety of people onsite for retail stores.

【The Catalyst for the Initiative】

With the announcement of the State of Emergency within Japan by Prime Minister Abe, the nCovid-19 pandemic is poised to freeze Japanese society in its tracks. Even within this turmoil, retail stores are attempting to secure measures to combat the epidemic and continue business so that society can function. However, they are faced with huge hurdles in individually implementing sustainable safety measures in the mid-to-long term that would help to prevent an outbreak and a subsequent lockdown.
Against this looming threat, the three AI ventures are involved in AI camera development, algorithm development, and an AI voice recorder solution, and are cooperating to rapidly develop solutions that will keep society moving forward despite the oncoming tide of nCovid-19.

【List of Functions in Development】

The following technologies are currently in development by the three startups:

・Solutions to prevent customer harassment and other problems during sales of hygiene products
Through camera audio and video analysis, measures are enacted to protect employees from “Customer Harassment” such as requests and claims originating from disputes over masks, disinfectants, etc. Employees, store managers, and the head office, are alerted when trouble is detected, and authorities are alerted in extreme cases of malicious behavior.

・Congestion detection and warning system for cash registers
Through camera audio and video analysis, when a predetermined amount of congestion near the cash register or trouble between customers is detected, employees, store managers, head office, etc., are notified to support an appropriate response.

・Distance detection between customers
Camera video analysis measures body temperature at the employee entrances to detect those suspected of having a fever. Employees, store managers, head office, etc. are alerted in real time facilitating appropriate responses.

・Automated mask detection and announcement function
Camera video analysis automatically detects customers who are not wearing face masks, and the number of people as well as percentages is displayed on a dashboard for each store, alerting employees, store managers, head office, etc. in real time as needed to support an appropriate response.

・Customer-to-customer distance detection
Camera video analysis automatically detects the number and percentage of customers in a situation where the distance between customers is closer than a predetermined value, displaying the number and percentage of each store on a dashboard, alerting employees, store managers, head office, etc. in real time as needed.

・Track number of contacts between staff and customers
Camera video analysis determines the presence or absence of contact between a clerk and a customer. The density of people within a given store is automatically detected, and if the number of close contacts exceeds a predetermined amount, the data is fed to a dashboard, while simultaneously alerting employees, store managers, head office, etc. in real time.

・In-store population density measurement
Camera video analysis measures the size of the store, the number of visitors, and the amount of time each visitor is in a store. When the population density of the store is exceeded, the number and percentage of people in each store is fed to a dashboard, alerting employees, store managers, head office, etc. in real time if necessary.

・Alcohol disinfection detection
Camera video analysis automatically detects whether employees or customers have followed alcohol disinfection protocols, and data on the number of people and percentages for each store is fed to a dashboard, alerting employees, store managers, head office, etc. in real time if necessary.

In addition, solutions that utilize image and speech recognition are in development for rapid deployment across retail shops.

【AWL Service Features】

Our AI camera solution features an image processing terminal (Edge AI) dubbed the “AWL BOX”. By storing video from security cameras already installed in the store in the “AWL BOX”, in addition to the Video Management System that allows users to view the video in the store in a safe and real-time manner even from outside the store, in-store activities such as customers stopping in front of shelves, product customer contact, as well as customer attributes can be analyzed, supporting employees and reducing their on-site work load.
Anonymized data that does not include any image data is sent to the cloud, which can lead to new marketing strategies, as well as improvement of retail store operations, product planning and customer analysis.

【 Awarded the Title of「 “Hokkaido University Venture”】

In March 2020, AWL was awarded under the “Hokkaido University Venture Certification System”, which was launched at Hokkaido University in April 2016. We continue to contribute to the national and regional economies by accelerating the commercialization of research seeds, while pushing forward with Hokkaido University and other companies in order to further enhance research and education.