Through COMAC acceptance, Camsense technology and application scenarios have been upgraded
Recently, the reporter learned that the Camsense® S high-precision positioning system completely independently developed by Camsense has passed the acceptance of COMAC. The main equipment of this system is a large mobile high-precision optical positioning camera. The whole system is equipped with high-performance CCD optical sensors and high-sensitivity positioners, combined with the multi-sensor fusion technology independently developed by Camsense. The positioning system can track the six-degree-of-freedom state of the end of the robotic arm in real time in a large space, and achieve sub-millimeter-level precise positioning.
After listening to this description, some people may still disagree with this system. Camsense founder and CEO Christopher told reporters: With the continuous enhancement of machine computing power, it is not a problem for the accuracy of machine vision to reach the sub-millimeter level, but this technology is generally used in machines such as internal detection of the human body and medical surgery. In scenarios with limited movement space. When the moving range of the machine is small, it is difficult to improve the detection accuracy, but it can be overcome after all. But Camsense's breakthrough lies in sub-millimeter-level detection and positioning in large spaces. When someone in China made the positioning accuracy less than 1mm, Camsense has achieved the positioning accuracy less than 0.2mm, Camsense has improved the detection accuracy to 0.2mm, Camsense has improved the detection accuracy to 0.2mm, plus the large space application scenario The challenges brought by it are enough to prove the technical strength of Camsense to a certain extent.
As we all know, in the process of aviation manufacturing, the production and processing process of parts is very delicate, and high-precision visual positioning technology is required. However, due to the large size of the aircraft itself, large robotic arms are used for production and processing. How to make these large robotic arms also complete the refined production in the aviation manufacturing process has always been a problem that the industry hopes to solve.
Christopher told reporters that the high-precision visual positioning/detection system used in the domestic aviation manufacturing industry has always been occupied by foreign manufacturers. It is not only expensive, but also lacks convenience in installation and subsequent maintenance. It is no exaggeration to say that the aviation manufacturing industry is to a certain extent "choked by the throat" of foreign suppliers.
In order to solve this pain point, the civil aircraft designer and manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) (hereinafter referred to as "Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China"), in conjunction with Shanghai University, has launched an open tender for artificial intelligence companies that provide machine vision technology across the country, hoping to develop independent alternatives. A high-precision measurement system, and Camsense was awarded the project with its own strong technical capabilities. After more than a year of hard research and development, Camsense has recently passed the acceptance of COMAC.
This successful acceptance not only means that Camsense's technical capabilities have once again broken through itself and reached a new height, but also shows that Camsense's core technical capabilities have opened up a new application scenario, and it also indicates that my country's aviation manufacturing industry is away from "domestic substitution". One step closer.
Doing technology pays attention to accumulation, and the investment of time and money is essential
About Christopher's personal experience, there are actually many rumors on the Internet. He graduated from Tsinghua University in 2003 and has been deeply involved in visual positioning technology for decades. After the establishment of Camsense in 2014, it has repeatedly won the favor of leading companies in the industry due to its own technical strength, from winning orders from almost all TV companies, to "counterattacking" the lidar market as a latecomer, and now developing robotics, medical , the new three-pronged pattern in the industrial field, every step Christopher has taken in the past five years has been solidly centered on technological breakthroughs.
Little is known to the public that Christopher is also a serial entrepreneur. Before the establishment of Camsense, Christopher also had a technology company that also focused on machine vision technology, but the research direction at that time was more inclined to binocular vision. Christopher told reporters that in fact, it was found that the application scenarios of binocular vision were limited, and with the advancement of technology, many problems that originally required binocular vision can be solved with monocular vision, and the cost is relatively higher. Low. This is the opportunity for the establishment of Camsense.
But what remains the same is that Christopher has never left the machine vision industry. Taking the C-end entertainment consumer market with low precision requirements but huge market demand as the entry point, it has won almost all TV companies step by step and become their somatosensory vision technology suppliers.
With the deepening and iteration of monocular spatial positioning technology, and the continuous innovation and breakthrough in accuracy, the scenes it can be applied to have gradually increased, and Christopher has gradually begun to try more spatial positioning applications in more scenarios. In July last year, Camsense's technology was transferred to the sweeping robot. The company's cost-effective and stable lidar sensor was quickly recognized by customers, and its market share has risen repeatedly.
With the technological breakthrough of sub-millimeter positioning accuracy, Camsense has deeply researched a set of professional-grade industrial inspection equipment, which can carry out inspection solutions including route planning, calibration and other functions for mobile robot products, and has attracted such as It is favored by professional leading companies such as China Test Group. According to Christopher, this set of equipment has been used in the detection of mobile robots such as sweepers, drones, and service robots. The development of these business scenarios has also allowed Camsense to further develop and precipitate its technical capabilities.
By combing through the development process of Camsense, it is not difficult to find that they have actually been "fighting" in the Red Sea. Whether it is smart TV, VR, or later robotics, medical and industrial fields, Camsense has always been cutting into the market with very clear application scenarios.
Christopher told reporters that compared to the blue ocean where the technical landing scenarios are not very clear and need to be constantly explored, both myself and the team are more willing to compete with others in the red ocean. Because compared with the blue ocean market where business models, technology implementation methods, and market shares are uncertain, the red ocean market is highly competitive, but its technical capabilities are controllable. Christopher believes that as long as the team's own algorithms and solutions are strong enough, there is no need to worry about the "intense battle situation" in the Red Sea. This is enough to show Christopher's confidence in himself and the strength of his team.
It is reported that more than 85% of Camsense's team is currently R&D personnel. Nowadays, many artificial intelligence companies have high valuations and low revenue, but Christopher has not worried about the company's revenue. In 2018, the revenue has reached 10 million, and in 2019, it will increase exponentially. In his view, the characteristics of technology-based enterprises are that they need to follow the law of technology implementation, the initial investment in technology is large, and the R&D and implementation cycle is long, but this investment in time and money is essential, and everyone will experience it. the process of. "I am full of confidence in the upcoming 2019, because a lot of the early investment has come to the harvest season."
Looking ahead to 2019, starting with the changing role of CES
In this interview, the reporter learned that Camsense will also participate in the upcoming CES (International Consumer Electronics Show). As the world's largest and most influential consumer electronics technology annual exhibition, it is also the world's largest consumer technology industry event. The CES exhibitions over the years have gathered the best traditional consumer electronics manufacturers and IT core manufacturers. The most advanced technical concepts and products have attracted many high-tech equipment enthusiasts, users and industry audiences
In recent years, the development of high-tech and artificial intelligence in China has been accelerating, and more and more Chinese technology companies have appeared at CES. Camsense has also become one of them this year. But it is worth mentioning that the exhibition area of Camsense is quite special. A company can only enter this exhibition area once in its lifetime. This start-up area, called Eureka Park, brings together the latest and most interesting technology products from all over the world. There are real cutting-edge technologies and micro-innovations based on existing technologies. Christopher said that few Chinese start-ups have been seen in this exhibition area in the past. This time Camsense has passed the qualification review for several months, which is actually an affirmation of itself.
Of course, as a tech practitioner and enthusiast, this isn't Christopher's first time at CES, but it's his first as an exhibitor. When the reporter asked whether this change of identity would cause inner fluctuations, Christopher believed that in fact, he felt that he and the company were recognized. But as long as you keep going in this direction, it will pay off.
