Member Info for TheLongestShot

Steve, there is no intention of completing the Australian Patents because SEE don't have domestic competition.

But they are a quick, cheap and easy way of establishing the initial stake in the ground.

European and other jurisdictions will take the initial Aussie date when establishing the initial claim date for their patents

Is this Gen 3 in the wild?

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dr-marcel-frank-265580161_wasserstoff-technologie-wrightbus-activity-7283120482864758784-sIN8?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

Https://www.media.stellantis.com/em-en/jeep/press/introducing-the-all-new-all-electric-2024-jeep-wagoneer-s-jeep-brand-s-first-global-battery-electric-suv

The 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S delivers a combination of more than 170 standard safety and security features that help make instrumentation easier to see and aid in collision avoidance with advanced driver-assist technology. Features on the Launch Edition include Active Driving Assist, Intersection Collision Assist, *Drowsy Driver Detection*, Traffic Sign Recognition and Surround View camera

TLS:

https://www.lse.co.uk/rns/SEE/seeing-machines-awarded-additional-oem-program-fjifwa1ymf0evbm.html

This should be in production now. Probably Stelantis. Likely Jeep

appointed by an existing global automotive Tier-1 customer to deliver its FOVIO Driver Monitoring System (DMS) for a large global automotive group (OEM).

This program, to be delivered via Seeing Machines' embedded Driver Monitoring Engine (FOVIO e-DME software library), is led out of North America and covers a broad array of vehicle models with certain minimum volume guarantees, a start of production scheduled from mid-2024, and an initial lifetime value of A$23 million.

Representing a broad generational expansion of the Company's FOVIO DMS technology deployment with an existing OEM customer, the program will target safe level 2-3 semi-autonomous driving and anticipated regulatory requirements.

Led out of North America - but hints at wider sales.

So if it starts with Jeep, but can appear in Fiat, Maserati, Opel, etc.

Broad generational expansion. With those words it explains why we don't need many RNS

Didn't see this reported at the time. Mitsubishi Electric and AISIN have created a JV for mobility. Which includes their respective DMS systems.

Now Aisin were first to market with DMS in the Lexus and most recently are in Toyota bz4x. They are particularly owned by Toyota but they have just cut their stake to 20%.

But Aisin have hardly been setting the world on fire despite their head start.

Mitsubishi Electric's DMS appears in Subaru Outlander and in the Mitsubishi Triton. Neither have been praised as great implementations in fact the Triton was urgently updated because the reviews were so bad.

https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/company/news/driver-monitoring-system-enhancements-for-all-new-triton.html

Now the JV is also about Electric vehicles, but a great face saving way for the two companies to marry off their unloved offspring.

https://www.mitsubishielectric-mobility.com/en/news/

So why did Valeo "give away" Asaphus Vision as a going concern and not just shut it down and sack everyone?

Well it is because, they were too successful!

Most young start ups in this field don't get past a demo and a cheesy news story about being the future of automotive; they burn through their cash then fizzle away. Asaphus Vision and Gestion before them were fed cash and supported by a Tier 1 to get 3 contracts. They showed a slim profit last year from their NRE and are I presume waiting for SoP and the cash flow that generates.

But the problem was they weren't winning enough and there was the risk that they might not sustain themselves. Compounded with Valeo getting into bed with Seeing Machines, now Valeo have two DMS partners products to sell.

So why not wind them up?

Well this is the pain of being a Tier 1, they have to support their products and support needs a team of developers who are there to keep the code running. You have to worry about if the developers will stay, so you need to keep them happy, not just lock them in the cupboard. But at the same time, do you want to keep fighting to sell new software when you are potentially sabotaging a sale with higher margins with Seeing Machines?

So 'give' the business to See, they can absorb the talent and keep supporting the old product while making use of the new team. There will be synergies, as you can combine back end systems like HR and Payroll.

SEE do get a fresh set of test data and a validation team. They bring some new techniques and IP. When it comes to paying the balance in 5 years this can be met out of the returns from the 3 contracts.

Now remember the slim profit, that means that they are covering the operating costs so it won't affect us reaching breakeven. 

It also clears up the uncertainty about Valeo Safety 360, if we weren't in it before, we are now. 

So Smart 3 is now one of our models. 

Acquihire is what just happens when you buy a company for the team of engineers, we were given them for half price with very easy payment terms to get Valeo out of a support hole. 

Well done Paul! Another great deal.

This sounds familiar, then you realise that they are stopping or reducing the attention the car is paying to areas of the scene that the driver is looking at.

So a couple of points, is the driver really paying attention or just glancing around while thinking of something else?

Secondly - why bother either the processor is under resourced because they scrimped, or they are trying to save a watt or two which is a fraction or a percentage of the power driving the vehicle. Too much of a risk!

Configurator time

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JC, thanks for sharing the "posture nanny cam", of course it is not just about keeping a good posture in the car, the real reason isn't long term back or neck strain, it is a cunning way of making the airbag safer!

By getting the driver to sit straight, and with their back against the chair, with arms on the wheel at 10-2, 9-3 or even 8-4, then the airbag deployment can be optimal, but sit off to one side, curve your back and move your head and chest towards the wheel, the the airbag will have to deploy more gently, which means that it won't absorb the full impact of your momentum, which can mean that you still hit the steering wheel, or your hands may end up striking your body or face, but that would make it sound like your airbag was at fault! OEMs may prefer to talk about helping your posture.

Of course to nag you, they need to know your posture, which means there is a really good algorithm working out where your skeleton is!!

It is a patent that is easy to understand, then kick yourself as you realise what you now can't do when developing a DMS system. This is one of the many improvements that gives Seeing Machines an edge. Control over illumination improves contrast, which makes seeing glints easier (this is for dark eye illumination, hence >3.2° off the camera axis.

This is safer by design as the brightness would be controlled if the image was too bright.

Thanks Seize,

National Express are still happily rolling out Gen 2 to new buses.

Here is the shot with the Gen2 hiding with the sun blinds

https://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3150987-scaled.jpg

https://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3150987-scaled.jpg

Colin's most recent post got me thinking.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/activity:7174377183614771200

Why is he telling/reminding us that BMW is separate DMS and OMS?

Could it be related to Valeo’s recent announcement?

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/activity:7174377183614771200

"#valeo has been awarded ! 🏆

The 1.5 MPix Driver Monitoring System camera, delivering Infrared images compliant with GSRV2 and NCAP, will equip all the car lines of our customer, produced from 2026.

We are proud of this achievement!"

My first thoughts were if SEE are using 2Mpx or 5Mpx cameras now, then this must be for the lower end. But, for pure DMS 1.5 Megapixel is the sweet spot.

The higher pixel counts are required to achieve accurate DMS when the wide angle lens is picking up the passenger too (and the kids in the back), but there are tradeoffs on OMS, the lenses and camera will cost more and need to be flawless at a far wider range, the power of the LEDs must be higher. The volume of data increases with the extra pixels, so the cost of the chips increases and more power means more heat.

Now this is a trade off. The ultimate driving machine has taken the cost and processing of two separate systems which will give the ultimate DMS.

Now I wonder who Valeo will be supplying with their DMS to *all the car lines of our customer*

I woke up at 5am excited for the RNS, that is "the power of dreams"

Thanks JC.

Nice patent, use eye gaze etc to keep track on how regularly you are checking the phone wherever is is in the car

I wonder why Seeing Machines suddenly need a new monitoring centre?

.., you would almost think there is demand for Guardian, and not just in English speaking areas!

I think there is a new Guardian monitoring centre starting in Mexico City. Seen several posts, not much individually but together they add up.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/activity:7167955054170238976

Then I found this

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/activity:7136038510418919424

In the past, there were a series of "unintended acceleration" issues that resulted in recalls and court cases for Toyota. Often this was the driver accidentally hitting the accelerator rather than the brake, then pressing the "not brake pedal" even harder compounding the problem.

So this is a natural extension, if the vehicle is steering itself, and the wheel moves - a simple way to see if it was intentional is to see what the drivers eyes were doing at the time

Thanks JC,

Of course the key parts of this patent are tying in the video conferencing with the DMS , so the display cuts out at a speed threshold and the DMS and safety are linked in to controlling the use of the application so that the when required the drivers attention is protected

Thanks JC, I have been waiting a long time for this one to appear, it has been listed in the Australian IP list for some time.

Seize, this isn't necessarily about Magna - remember, it will stop Gentex or others from using this approach - if they want to pay to license it they can - but that would not be connected to Seeing Machine's DMS or OMS in a mirror, since that is still exclusive to Magna.

Current approaches have a light sensor facing the cabin and a sensor facing the windscreen, that causes constraints on the space between the mirror and the outside view - that is why the top centre of the windshield that is behind the mirror is clear or partially shaded - but it has to be consistent. Break your windscreen and change that area and your auto dimming mirror no longer has the correct thresholds. Same problem if the sensor is directly attached to the windscreen inside the mirror mount - you need to add a new clear window area to the screen print on the windscreen, and you need to add another set of wires through the movable mirror joint.

Automakers love to add features, but to retain a handle on costs as features moved down through through the range, they need to centralise where they can - so if your OMS camera replaces a load sensor in the seats to know whether or not to warn that the the seat belt sensor says it is unplugged - now you can remove 2 sensors and add value by estimating the size, weight and position as well as whether the seat belt is worn correctly. Removing a few sensors in the mirror, directly saves on a the cost and space of the sensors, plus the basic ECU that decoded the thresholds and drove the opacity control - now these can be added to the DMS/OMS processor as a tiny background task - no additional wiring to connect to seat sensors and seat belts, the windscreen has been simplified and that makes the whole supply chain more efficient

Seize,

Google "fdm1ccm1e" make sure to keep the quotes as you need exact match

You will find a presentation from Xylinx's Chinese website from Seeing Machines in Jan 2021

You will see a nice picture of the Fovio chip.

You will also find a page on Marclines that is a teardown of the Ford F-150. I didn't bother to pay, but if Google has seen past the paywall I believe that is a good match.