Yehuda Holtzman serves because the CEO of Cipia. The corporate makes a speciality of picture processing and AI, with in depth experience in analysis, implementation, and optimization of algorithms for embedded platforms and the in-car automotive business. Cipia is headquartered in Israel, with international places of work in the US and China.
Yehuda brings over 25 years of enterprise, technological and managerial expertise as a CEO of know-how and communications corporations to guide Cipia. In his most up-to-date position, Holtzman served as CEO of On Observe Improvements Ltd. (OTI), a world supplier of close to discipline communication (NFC) and cashless fee options. In prior years he served as CEO of Mobilogy, overseeing its sale to the American ESW Capital fund. Yehuda was additionally a co-founder of the software program firm ExploreGate, the place he served as CEO from 2012 to 2016, in addition to co-founder of MobileAccess, the place he served as President of the corporate by way of its acquisition by Corning Included In 2011. Yehuda has a grasp’s diploma in administration from Ben-Gurion College and a bachelor’s diploma in electronics engineering from the College of Brighton in England.
Are you able to elaborate on Cipia’s imaginative and prescient for the way forward for in-cabin sensing options and the way you intend to realize it?
Cipia’s long-term imaginative and prescient leverages the alternatives and enterprise fashions created by every step on the way in which to totally autonomous automobiles. Specifically, progresses by way of three important phases:
First, we’re targeted on decreasing accidents by monitoring the driving force and elevating the alarm if they’re drained or distracted. Subsequent, we’ll transfer to semi-autonomous autos, the place our methods turn into much more essential as drivers might must shortly take again management of the car. Lastly, in absolutely autonomous autos, we’ll shift to enhancing the in-car expertise by way of know-how that acknowledges the automotive’s occupants and remembers their preferences.
How has your earlier expertise at OTI and different tech corporations ready you on your position at Cipia, and what are the largest challenges you’ve confronted since turning into CEO of Cipia?
My expertise managing a number of development corporations has well-prepared me to guide Cipia, particularly throughout this essential section within the firm’s lifecycle. I’m significantly acquainted with the challenges and alternatives that include this stage. The twin concentrate on each increasing the corporate and establishing a sustainable development technique is important. For example, since I joined Cipia, we’ve elevated our gross margin whereas greater than doubling the variety of automotive producers amongst our clients. Our objective – and our largest problem – is to be the chief in our discipline, and certainly one of our key benefits on this technology-driven market is Cipia’s in depth expertise with laptop imaginative and prescient and AI. The chance to use my experience in a market phase targeted on saving lives makes my work particularly significant.
How does Cipia’s know-how differentiate itself from different driver and occupancy monitoring methods in the marketplace?
Cipia’s laptop imaginative and prescient AI is constructed on in depth expertise with edge processing, which has lean {hardware} necessities as a constraint from the design section. This implies our algorithms are optimized to require fewer {hardware} sources, enabling deployment in methods that in the end value much less to our clients and allow wider deployment.
Are you able to clarify some great benefits of lean edge processing in Cipia’s options?
The benefit of lean edge processing is twofold. First, it facilitates decrease system prices since fewer {hardware} sources are required. Second, it brings extra capabilities to the sting, which means that extra processing can occur domestically, guaranteeing no connectivity is required, and the information doesn’t should be transmitted elsewhere for processing. On this planet of automotive security methods, it is a laborious requirement. It allows low latency, security, and safety.
With distracted driving being a number one explanation for accidents, how efficient are Cipia’s options in decreasing such incidents?
Very.
To present only one instance of the information we’ve seen, in line with the director of transportation at a serious beverage firm, earlier than utilizing Cipia, an awesome 86% of their accidents have been attributed to human error. This firm carried out Cipia’s answer designed for fleets and noticed a 90% discount in cellphone use whereas driving and a 70% lower in accidents.
How does Cipia guarantee its applied sciences adjust to the newest GSR and Euro NCAP necessities?
Cipia employs complete validation strategies, together with on-track and on-road testing of its choices, to make sure full compliance with regulatory and security customary necessities. Amassing the required knowledge in line with the varied protocols takes time and sources, however that’s a part of the profit a long-time supplier of driver monitoring methods affords. We’re additionally a member of the Euro NCAP tier 2 DMS suppliers workgroup and are very pleased with our contribution to security by way of this vital work.
Past security, what are some potential functions of Cipia’s AI know-how that would improve the driving expertise?
Cipia’s underlying software program allows personalized experiences for drivers and passengers. Among the options automotive producers can implement with Cipia embrace mouth monitoring for voice instructions, guaranteeing the car responds solely to the driving force. Infotainment interplay detection, which tailors car controls based mostly on which consumer is interacting.
Driver’s gaze detection would forestall distractions by pausing video content material when the driving force is peeking on the display screen. These are just some of the handfuls of options enabled by laptop imaginative and prescient AI that may improve the driving expertise.
How does Cipia make sure the privateness and safety of the information processed by its in-cabin sensing options?
Cipia’s embedded options are absolutely personal and safe. Our options analyze the video stream in real-time, translating it to metadata. No pictures are saved, recorded, or despatched from the gadget. For TSPs and Fleets, the client might select whether or not to obtain text-based alerts solely or embrace video snippets earlier than and after an occasion. Beneath each instances, Cipia doesn’t obtain or retailer video knowledge of any form.
What traits do you foresee within the automotive AI and laptop imaginative and prescient business over the following decade?
Trying ahead, I imagine the business will proceed to concentrate on security, however we’ll additionally see a shift in the direction of enhancing the general in-car expertise. This might embrace monitoring very important indicators, detecting if a driver is underneath the affect (even when they don’t seem to be actively driving), and bettering youngster security options like detecting if a baby has been left within the automotive.
We’re additionally prone to see extra personalization, with AI methods studying particular person behaviors and preferences to create an optimum surroundings for every consumer. Nonetheless, it is vital to notice that the business continues to be exploring these prospects, and nobody is aware of precisely what’s going to work finest.
A serious pattern we’re seeing is a shift in automotive producers’ enterprise fashions. They’re transferring away from merely promoting a car to promoting a set of options and companies on a recurring foundation. That is just like how the cell phone business developed from promoting gadgets for making calls to promoting platforms for apps and companies. This shift presents new alternatives and challenges for corporations like Cipia as we work to offer worth on this altering panorama.
Thanks for the good interview, readers who want to be taught extra ought to go to Cipia.
