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True story...
One New Year a long time ago, my wife asked one of her friends and her husband (an older couple) to come and house-sit while we went off to a New Year's Hooley.
In our home it had become a tradition to buy one huge firework each New Year – always a rocket - and launch it on the stroke of midnight (ish). That year's rocket was the biggest ever. So when our City Living, Countryside Loving house sitters arrived, the first thing I did was take the old man (and his walking stick) out into the garden and point him at the rocket's launch pad. This was a long steel tube hammered into the frozen earth, pointing skyward.
Now this rocket was completely different from the tiddlers I'd set off as a boy – you know, the ones you could launch from a milk bottle. Fizz, bang – and it was all over. These modern-day things were more akin to full-blown ordnance. This particular item stood as tall as I did; the girth of the business end could just be encircled using both hands; and even its wooden 'tail' was a serious length of timber.
Well, my friendly pensioner had never seen the like. So I talked and walked him through the simple but strict launch instructions: locate then lower the rocket into steel tube; remove orange plastic fuse cover; light dangling blue string; and - RUN (or hobble) - away!
He smiled and nodded he was happy. I smiled and nodded I was happy. Ten minutes later, off to the big city we went, leaving our two OAPs to settle in.
When we returned four days later, all was well. However, that evening at the dinner table we got into the real details of how spectacular the giant rocket had been. Apparently it had reached an incredible height. Every time the two oldies thought it must surely explode, it just kept heading, “further into the stars!” Eventually there was an incredible flash, a huge boom and a gigantic eruption of crackling silver then red stars.
My wife's friend then laughed, shouting to her husband, “Tell them how it fell over first time!”
Instantly, she had my attention. What did she mean: “fell over,”? How could it fall over? It was launched from a steel tube hammered into the ground and the tube was still out there, rock solid.
I turned to the old guy and thumbed towards the window, “What about the...?” He was forking at his plate, trying to spear a brussel sprout with a roast potato. I raised my voice, “The tube! Didn't you use the tube?”
The old guy stuffed the roastie into his mouth, looked up, and shook his head. “Oh,” he munched, “that was too difficult in the dark. I just stuck it against the wall nearest the door. Then..,” he laughed, “...the stupid thing fell over.”
cont...
Now I'm having a mental moment. How could any normal person think a keg of explosives-on-a-stick could be safely launched by propping it against a pile of stones? This thing shared the same gene pool as a rocket-launched grenade!
Eventually I opened my eyes, raised them to the heavens and gave silent thanks that the silly old git hadn't first lit the thing! That's when he laughed again, saying, “It was really fizzing by the time I'd stood it up again!”
I eyed him, dead pan, trying to process what he was actually telling me. Surely... surely he hadn't...
Well apparently, with the fuse now glowing 'Ominous Orange', the rocket had at first tipped slightly sideways, then, like a falling tree, it toppled to the ground. So this is when - with first stage ignition near complete - my house-sitter decides to hobble over to it, grab it by the stick and place it upright again against the wall. But now second stage ignition has kicked in and it's hissing like a six-foot king cobra.
That's when his wife chimed in, “Oh, and he just got it done in time. Because one second later – it was off!”
Our two visitors rocked back in their chairs. What a hoot their New Year's firework night had been!
You see, these two lovely old codgers had never seen anything like this rocket before. To them it was just a firework: a bigger version of those tiny milk bottle wizz-bangs. The fact it was built to entertain had disguised its potential as an extremely effective incendiary bomb. They never considered that if it launched anywhere near ground level, whatever it hit...
So, what's all this got to do with Seeing Machines? Well, not a lot. But my pair of ageing house-sitters do remind me of my own over-enthusiasm for Seeing Machines, and how I was blinded to its potential for disaster. Over the years the company turned into a serial disappointment. But each time it fell over, I picked it up again. You see, although management were a constant concern, the potential upside of the technology was hypnotic. Remember the Caterpillar deal? Remember the 'nearly' sale of Fovio? Remember what fuelled the 2018 price rise? Each instance was a nod in the direction of what could be. And then along came EU legislation; the NCAP 5 star ratings; and then – those all important licensing deals.
Now, having spent years swapping hope for disappointment and huge promise for yet another dodgy RNS, could our latest technology be about to show us exactly what my two old house-sitters saw: incredible New Year fireworks?
P.S. Our Potential? Pick a Number!
Steve,
I understand you don't need my advice, but it's here more as a general comment.
The best way to deal with unprovoked abuse online - is to ignore it. Remove the fuel and the fire goes out.
Good luck to you and everyone else whose strategy differs from my own.
Sandy.
Garry,
Professor Lenne is a company employee, granted. But I would imagine a professor in Human Factors, which in the instance of DMS is safety critical, would probably only deal in facts. He's also held in such high regard that he was invited to speak on the BMW stand at CES 2020.
Ross Jantou, on the other hand, is someone not related to Seeing Machines. However he is someone at the centre of the industry, hence why he was interviewed by EE Times. So here is someone with no agenda, who works with most suppliers in the industry, and who will not wish to offend any one of his customers. So if, unprovoked, he states Seeing Machines have around 50% of the market, it might be difficult to find another independent, unbiased source who is better qualified to comment.
P.S. Our Potential Isn't What It Used To Be!
I had another look at Professor Mike Lenne's Proactive interview from April 2019 (to those new to Seeing Machines, the Prof is our Human Factors ace – see link below. Psst! By-the-way, BMW also think he's good at what he does). I know the article's far from new – but hidden in there might be a clue as to why we're turning the heads of semiconductor majors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJA88Z2NR34
Near the end of the video (10:30 mins), the Prof states: “...what we've added (to our DMS) is really what we need to service the market... the ability to... assess if someone's tired or distracted, or overworked, or (here's that clue) zoning out.”
So 'zoning out' got my attention because, some time ago, Missy Cummings mentioned the same phrase in a video (I can't find it again. Can anyone help?). She said one of the problems with a Driver Monitoring System was how that system would recognise the difference between a driver who was looking straight ahead, appeared alert, but was actually zoning out. So from what Prof Mike was saying, for quite some time now our technology has been able to detect that subtle difference.
So here the Prof is telling us that for a long time that level of Driver 'State' Monitoring has been a major goal for us, “... it took a fair bit of effort...” and accomplishing it to such a fine degree has moved our technology to a different level (he didn't say that last bit – I did). This level of sophistication (along with our 3 pillars strategy) might also give us a clue as to why we now have two (and counting) licensing deals (newbies, check out those RNSs).
But for me, this just flags up the same old question: how much of the DMS market has Seeing Machines actually captured? Well, have a look at another (not so old) video:
https://auto-sens.com/interview-with-ross-jatou-of-on-semiconductor-and-junko-yoshida-of-ee-times/
In that video, dated Oct 9th 2020 (from 24:30 mins), Ross Jatou, Vice President and General Manager of On Semiconductor (Intelligent Sensing Group) is asked who will become the Mobileye of DMS? Well, Ross says he doesn't know, but he does tell us that his company works with most of the players in the sector. He then reels off these DMS companies by geographic region. However there's only one company he mentions by name. And, according to Mr Jatou, it's the one company that's already captured around HALF THE DMS MARKET: Seeing Machines! And that, dear fellow (and potential) investors, was before Omnivision clutched us to their heart.
But Mr Jatou has even more to tell us, and it's about some new developments in this sector. He goes on to say, “... I do know that with more processing capabilities, it kind of opens the door of putting those (DMS) algorithms on existing processors...”
In that statement, is Mr Jatou alluding to the next advance in DMS technology? Could he be drawing attention to how handy it would be to have a programmable 'chip' that could ride piggy-back on a customer's pre-existing processor?
Well, if I'm correct (TLS?), this brings us neatly to our RNS of 2nd September 2020: Seeing Machines' Occula Neural Processing Unit.
Our potential? Just Join The Dots!
Apologies to all. I saw the date at the top of the article which was today's. Further down, under the subheading, it shows the 4th January.
Fonzoo, I saw the information you refer to which was posted by TLS (Linkedin?) and am in the process of writing something on that very same subject. That's how I made today's schoolboy error. I goggled Omnivision to check something (pity I didn't also check ALL the dates) and up the article popped.
Sorry folks, but if Omnivision's latest offering is the hottest thing out there, why do they need to license Seeing Machines' tech? Now, there's interesting...
It's coming!
Urban,
My understanding is that, depending on the OEM's requirements, Occula can be configured from very basic all the way up to Bells-and-Whistles mode - and all Over- the-Air.
OmniVision announces world’s first dedicated driver monitoring system ASIC with integrated AI neural processing unit, image signal processor and DDR3 memory.
DMS by... read it... and buy more Seeing Machines' shares!
https://www.automotiveworld.com/news-releases/omnivision-announces-worlds-first-dedicated-driver-monitoring-system-asic-with-integrated-ai-neural-processing-unit-image-signal-processor-and-ddr3-memory/
Baxter, I'm glad to hear you're still with us - and that you've made money.
I added a wee (tongue-in-cheek) story not so long ago about the potential of this company, and believe yesterday was the first hint as to how that potential will play out. I know you've also seen the predictions on this board of where our share price will be this time next year. I think Seeing 2020 was the highest at £1. Well, here's a prediction (not so tongue-in-cheek): even Seeing 2020 is too low.
To some, the above statement will sound like the ravings of a fool. So be it. But, for anyone new looking in on this board (welcome Mr/Mrs/Ms Potential Investor), take time to examine (and research) the companies who are now licensing Seeing Machines' Occula technology. After you've done so, you might ask yourself: why did they choose Seeing Machines? Answers to that question – not on a postcard – should bring a smile to the face of each and every investor.
These software giants (who now count Seeing Machines as a partner) are taking our technology and embedding it into their own – licensing it. Now ask yourself if you've ever heard of any other software company in the past (who started small but then grew really quite substantially) who have used a similar licensing model?
Something else you should factor into your research is the reach of these licensing deals. Remember, we're now not only dealing in world wide markets where anything that has wings or four wheels - or more - is a potential customer, but, due to our new(ish) partners, we can now add another whopper to that list: World Wide Consumer Electronics (me too, Beef). So, without stretching imaginations too far, these partnerships have the potential to take us far beyond the horizons most are focused on today.
However, Mr/Mrs/Ms Potential Investor, make no mistake, holding stock in Seeing Machines has, at times (most times) been grim. For all its potential, over the years it's been a company that could, would, and did, reduce many an avid follower to hair-tearing and tears. My excuse for sticking with it? It was growing tomorrow's technology in a market that refused to look passed today. But that was back then, and it's a story too long.
So, right now, someone who's looking to invest might be asking what's Seeing Machines' potential today? Well, interpret this any way you care to...
Qualcomm (licensing partner)
OmniVision (licensing partner)
(Psst! The next one's not far behind)
P.S. Oh, and what's the potential of Seeing Machines? Well, it used to be okay, but now it's...Definitely Not What It Used To Be.
Which reminds me of something I read earlier...
... because we'll be paying no heed. We'll be gasping at a share price we never dreamed possible. And then - right then - just when we thought our whizz-bang share price must surely go pop and start to fizzle, that's when the Apple icar RNS slams home - and up we go again!
Terry,
Sometimes it's hard for the layman (me) to grasp the complexities of this technology. So if I may add another couple of paragraphs from the same EETimes article - seems to sum things up nicely...
'Among all DMS suppliers, Seeing Machines appears to be in a league of its own. In September, pushing its DMS deeper into the market, Seeing Machines announced a new-generation AI engine called Occula. With this, it officially stepped into an IP play.'
'Available in both software and Xilinx’ Fovio Chip form, the Occula neural processing unit enables next-generation Driver and Interior Occupant monitoring systems, according to the company. Seeing Machines is making Occula available for license in ASIC form to chip suppliers. It wants Occula to “fit efficiently into semiconductor companies’ own automotive compute platform.'
https://www.eetimes.com/cost-looms-large-in-dms-race/#
Which reminds me of something I read not so long ago...
“...You see, every now-and-then AIM does this thing that's quite peculiar. It will take a lowly penny share and - for fair reason or foul – will propel it into the stratosphere...”
Tick-tock...
I'm seeing predictions on this board of where our share price might be this time next year. Well, in for a penny...
We're listed on AIM and on AIM strange things can - and do - happen. We could bob along, still under the radar, hopefully nudging gently upwards every now and then (of course, still complaining), or something else, quite radical, could happen. My hunch is that that Something Else will be happening sooner than some believe - because the companies we're now working with (for instance, the Qualcomms of this world) are clearly sign-posting what lies ahead.
You see, every now-and-then AIM does this thing that's quite peculiar. It will take a lowly penny share and - for fair reason or foul - will propel it into the stratosphere. You've all seen this sort of thing, especially in 2020. And that's what will happen to Seeing Machines. Here's why...
You see, if you start thinking about companies like Qualcomm, or smart phones - then even smarter phones; or game consuls; or an 'intelligent' car that actually knows the human at its wheel is an idiot; or a famous company (a household name) starts building cars and needs Seeing Machines tech just to add the cherry on top, then the day is fast approaching when thousands of heads will simultaneously turn in our direction. This will be a sign we've finally got the full attention of Mr Market. At last Mr M has spotted what we all spotted years ago; at last he's coming to grips with the sheer enormity of our markets, and; at last, he's twigged our truly staggering potential.
When that happens - when a company is perceived to have evolved from an unloved ugly duckling into a sure-fire, money making golden goose - the AIM stampede will begin. It's then our share price will start to move. Then, one Monday morning, that 'first' RNS will arrive. This one's a bit odd - it has a huge number attached. Tuesday, the next one pings into your inbox and – Bingo! It's that second semi-conductor announcement.
Suddenly, all bets are off. AIM starts doing its thing, so reality retreats to the dug-out and the game kicks-off.
We all clasp our hands, praying that this time - This Time, Please! - it's actually happening, and we watch as our share price does something crazy - like increase by a whole one-and-a-half pence in the last half hour of trading! But then, holly-tamolly, first thing next morning - it just keeps going. Upward it shoots. Like a fizzing firework it streaks skyward, then another RNS strikes home and the price vectors even steeper and further up the Pinch Me I Think I'm Dreaming graph. The price has now shot way past what even the most bullish had predicted - and still it keeps climbing!
You see, when the feeding frenzy begins and the day traders, the momentum traders and the yahoo let's-have-a-go-anyway traders jump aboard and ride the story for all it's worth, that's when common sense and caution disappear straight out the logic window. This board will also be swamped with names we've never seen before, but that won't matter, because we'll be paying no heed. We'll be gasping at a share price we never dreamed possible. And then - right then - just when we thought our whizz-bang share price must surely go pop and start to fizzle, that's when the Apple icar RNS slams home - and up we streak again!
So my share price prediction is this: after an historic rise (the like of which has never been witnessed on any UK market), our value will eventually peak. Our heart rates will begin to slow and our collective blood pressures will no longer register red-zone critical. That fabulous (but obviously unsustainable) price will at last stall then begin to fall. By this time the day traders have vanished and the have-a-go merchants have run for cover. It's then comments will appear on this board such as: “Wish I'd sold earlier. Should've got out at the top. Spiked!” Because now our share price is falling into the orbit of harsh reality, and we, like club supporters at a post match wake, are the only stragglers left here to discus what went wrong.
And what of that spectacular share price graph? Well, that beautiful graph - once the sole focus of every minute of every day - has finally lost its charm. Because now, after all our hopes; after all our dreams, all that graph has to show is the price of heartbreak.
Some will rage; some will weep; some will sit quietly and stare. How can we be back here – YET AGAIN - at Three-Miserable-Bloody-Quid!
A Christmas Wish to All,
Sandy.
An interesting buy slipped in to today's trading from 16:19 yesterday. NICE!
With regard to Seeing Machines' placing on the 23rd October, there are two types of these things: a placing that causes a share price to fall; and a (much rarer) placing that causes a share price to rise.
A placing which causes a share price to fall (normally a discounted placing) indicates The Market does not like it, does not value it, and does not see anything positive therein.
A placing which causes a share price to rise indicates The Market does like it, does value it, and does see it as a positive indicator. Such a placing - especially a strategic acquisition by an institutional investor – sends a very clear message as to the prospects of that particular company.
So, with the above information in mind (and to remove any doubt regarding which type of placing took place here on the 23rd October), ask yourself this: did Seeing Machines' share price rise or fall after the placing?
Seeing-2020,
French toast costs a lot less if you call it eggy-bread. Our eggy-bread is courtesy of three recently rescued ex-battery hens.
Interestingly - for me - at three eggs a day, recouping the cost of the coop (see what I did there?) and the fox/badger-proof run - which, admittedly, was a wee bit over-designed then also over-engineered (always work up to a standard - never down to a price), will take the same time to reach break-even as Seeing Machines will/have/did (RNS dependant).
But! Happy days! From 2040 on – cheep eggs! (see what I did there?). By then, of course, I'll have been a Seeing Machines multi-millionaire for just over nineteen years, and will look back fondly on the days when I used to call my French Toast eggy-bread!
John C,
Please point out if I'm one – or maybe more than one - bolt loose... but in that EETimes article you posted, Wayne Lyons, the Xilinx automotive director, is saying that with Xilinx now partnering with Veoneer (Veoneer's only supplier of DMS is Seeing Machines) that we (Seeing Machines) are now in Subaru's Eyesight ADAS... or should I go stand in the corner?
https://www.eetimes.com/subaru-replaces-asics-with-xilinx-fpga-for-latest-vision-based-adas/
S-2020
I also was up early this morning (about one hour earlier than I thought I was) and noticed you grafting... even before you'd had your porridge!
P.S. Nice!