Seeing Machines Regulatory News (SEE)

Seeing Machines Launches Fleet Product

New Lifesaving Technology Combats Distracted Driving and Fatigue

27 April 2015

CINCINNATI (NPTC ANNUAL CONFERENCE) - Seeing Machines (AIM: SEE), the AIM-listed company with a focus on operator monitoring and intervention sensing technologies and services, is pleased to announce the U.S. launch of Seeing Machines Fleet, an incident avoidance solution that helps drivers and fleet operators better manage fatigue and distraction events in real time.

Unlike today's common, in-cab video-based event recorders, Seeing Machines Fleet technology helps professional drivers avoid accidents and reduce the risk of governmental fines through an advanced set of distraction and fatigue detection technologies. Seeing Machines Fleet uses the company's proven computer-vision DSS™ technology to track driver eye and facial movement to provide fleet operators an objective way of detecting and preventing driver fatigue and distraction events in real time. The moment a threat is detected, the system alerts the driver and the monitoring staff through in-vehicle alarms and seat vibrations while sending an informative data package to the central monitoring team for further analysis and action.

"Unlike competitors' passive recording technology that is used for post-event analysis and driver coaching, our technology assists operators and truck drivers in avoiding accidents in the first place. This has helped our customers reduce fatigue and distraction related incidents - helping keep people, cargo and equipment safe as well as increasing efficiency, productivity and profitability." said Ken Kroeger, CEO, Seeing Machines.

The research and development supporting Seeing Machines Fleet spans more than eight years of testing, field studies and industry usage in mining, transportation and automotive sectors where the organisation works closely with its alliance partners Caterpillar and Takata. The technology is currently being used by mining, road transport and bus customers in Europe, Australia and South Africa and is expected to appear in private passenger cars as early as 2016. Seeing Machines has shipped more than 4,000 units of its driver safety system worldwide, with all clients reporting, at minimum, a 71 percent reduction in fatigue and distraction related driving events.

The data shows an overwhelming need for increased safety on the roads. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a high number of people are killed each year due to fatigue and distraction while driving. In 2012 alone, large trucks were involved in traffic accidents that injured 104,000 people in the U.S. According to Fleetistics, the average cost of a wrongful death verdict for trucking companies is US$6.7 million. Seeing Machines' solution enables operators to take direct action to reduce the number of accidents on the road.

"Driver fatigue and distraction are clearly major contributing factors in vehicle accidents. Drivers who are tired or who have microsleeps, or who are distracted by activities including texting, drift in and out of lanes or off the road, vary their speed unnecessarily and are fundamentally unable to react in time to other drivers and other potential hazards on the road." said Dr. Mike Lenné, GM Human Factors, Seeing Machines. "Seeing Machines has created an industry-leading portfolio of image processing capability related specifically to head, eye, and gaze tracking. This core technology is crucial in detecting these behaviours in real time and therefore in helping companies and drivers to better understand their safety issues and to support changes to address these known risks."

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About Seeing Machines

Seeing Machines, (AIM: SEE) is focused on operator monitoring and intervention sensing technologies and services. With more than 15 years of experience, Seeing Machines uses advanced detection and prevention safety assistance technologies to track eye and facial movement in order to monitor fatigue, drowsiness and distraction events, like microsleeps, texting and cell phone use as they occur, while providing for a real-time intervention strategy, which improves operator, driver and environmental safety, preserves assets, and reduces risk. Seeing Machines' technology is used worldwide across the automotive, mining, transport and aviation industries; as well as many of the leading academic research groups and transportation authorities. Seeing Machines is headquartered in Australia and has offices in Tucson, Arizona, Mountain View, California and Santiago, Chile. The Company has strategic alliances with Caterpillar, TK Holdings and Eye Tracking Inc and counts companies such as BHP Billiton, Freeport McMoran, Toll Holdings and Boeing amongst its customers.