www.seeingmachines.com
Seeing Machines is an award winning technology company with a focus on vision based human machine interfaces. Seeing Machines technology platform is based on world-leading computer vision processing technologies that allow machines to see and track human faces and certain facial features. These technologies enable the development of new cutting edge products and applications, ranging from devices that improve road safety & save lives, to those that help manage eye disease and prevent loss of eyesight.
The company’s focus is on deploying its computer vision technologies, worldwide, in:
- Driver/operator safety products for transport markets through the DSS product range;
- The TrueField Analyzer® (TFA) product for vision testing devices for healthcare markets;
- New products in a range of markets including sports, entertainment, robotics and security through our faceAPI product; and
- Human performance measurement through our faceLAB® product.
Seeing Machines wins first DSS deal under under Freeport-McMoRan framework
Seeing Machines (AIM: SEE) has been awarded its first contract under its major framework agreement with Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (NYSE: FCX) announced in February. Under the contract, Seeing Machines will supply its DSS driver monitoring equipment to Freeport’s Grasberg mine in Indonesia. Grasberg is the world’s largest gold mine and the third largest copper mine.
On London’s AIM market, Seeing Machines shares climbed almost 5% following the news.
"This major DSS installation is the first contract within the framework of the new Master Purchasing Agreement signed with Freeport-McMoRan last month”, Seeing Machines chief executive Nick Cerneaz commented. “We believe this new contract provides a strong platform for continued growth of our DSS business across the entire mining industry".
DSS driver monitoring equipment will be installed in haul trucks operating at the mine, and it is also being considered for the mine’s other logistics equipment. The DSS directly monitors a vehicle’s driver for distraction and fatigue events and provides a series of interventions aimed at managing these events and averting potential disasters.
According to Seeing Machines, this initial deployment is designed to address the practical and logistical issues of a remote site, and it will integrate the DSS within site operations ahead of wider deployments which are anticipated in the future.
The Master Purchasing Agreement was signed between the parties in February 2010, following a successful pilot of the DSS technology at one of Freeport’s American copper mines. It is anticipated that the DSS deployment will be undertaken on a mine-by-mine basis.
With a remote sensor on the dashboard, the vision-based system measures the eyelid opening of the driver and based on this data derives the drowsiness state. The DSS also monitors the driver's head movements and positioning, when the driver has not been focused on the roadway ahead for a period, the DSS-IVS detects this event and generates instant alarms including audio alerts and seat vibration feedback.
The DSS product suite also includes options to link the alerts with dispatchers and controllers located in central control rooms. Furthermore the integrated data management, analysis and reporting system that gives fleet managers the information they need to manage their vehicles and drivers effectively, Seeing Machines said.
Following the announcement of the Freeport framework agreement, London-based stockbroker Daniel Stewart said the significant deal evidences the viability of DSS, and as such it has positive implications in terms of demand from other fleet and resources-related operators.
The broker highlighted the product's potential for resource companies, where sleep-related vehicle accidents (SRVA) have implications both commercially and in terms of health and safety. Daniel Stewart noted for example that, Freeport’s Morenci facility in Arizona uses 145 trucks weighing approximately 235-tons and valued at more than US$1m each.
The company owns a number of other applications for its motion tracking technology, including the TrueField Analyzer (TFA) ophthalmic testing devise, the FaceLab research tool and the FaceAPI developer platform.
