"Join our campaign to save lives". This is how Seeing Machines, an expert firm in accident prevention strategies for the mining, passenger and cargo transportation sectors, presents itself, applying the latest technology in algorithms in alliance with M2M DataGlobal.
With its Guardian solution, the company monitors the drowsiness and distraction of transport vehicle operators throughout Latin America. The key to these objectives is to have connectivity solutions throughout the region, such as those provided by M2M DataGlobal.
The advanced technology translates into computer vision algorithms, artificial intelligence and a constant process of automatic learning. The instrument, which detects situations of drowsiness, micro dreams and distractions in real time, issues an alarm in the driver's cabin.
In this regard, Seeing Machines' CEO for Latin America, Jorge Morales Guzmán, explains how this technology, developed in Australia, has been perfected over the 25 years of experience in which it has become a world leader in the development of computer vision technology.
How did you come to work with M2M DataGlobal?
We arrived by luck or chance, since we started a search for internet communication service providers because we had had many problems with those services contracted directly from telecommunications companies. That is how we came to M2M DataGlobal. We were previously wary of the communications service, because our requirement is not very typical, and we needed quite robust and stable communication plans. Our system captures not only data, but also images and it is required to be seen in real time, so what happened with M2M DataGlobal is that we had a very good service experience from the very first moment. I think the most important thing was the flexibility they had. They understood our business perfectly. In addition, if at some point they do not have the solutions, they do not stay there, but they look for the keys to the business with the same communications companies, therefore, I would say that although we arrived by chance, it was a super good and instantaneous experience, especially for the level of service they provide and the concern for delivering solutions.
How does M2M Data Global support Seeing Machines to make its services more reliable?
The main thing is that it provides us with the appropriate data plans for the needs we have with each client and also with the flexibility that they give us. I mean that not all geographical areas in Chile are the same, not all the coverage of communications companies are uniform throughout the country. The amount of data that we require to transmit is not the same from one client to another, so with all these variables what we have achieved is to provide a very good service that manages to understand our needs very well, which gives us enough stability in the communications service and I mean that we have a counterpart in which if there is a communications problem in particular we do not have to make this typical triangulation with the telephone company that always takes time and delays us. With M2M DataGlobal we have a much more powerful muscle to be able to solve problems. On the other hand, it also gives us a view in terms of the data that we require to be able to manage everything related to the data plans that are related to who we have a platform, where we can consult the consumption or the status of a SIM card. If there is a phrase to say how M2M DataGlobal helps us, it is that they understand our business very well, how critical communications are and the flexibility that they permanently provide.
How does the Seeing Machines Guardian product operate?
It is a product that has to do with the algorithm with a fairly advanced technology in the world. Guardian has a level of testing in the field of algorithms that is still quite new, which implies certain levels of low false negative and false positive rates. Here there is a super important issue of the algorithm that we have been responsible for transmitting to customers, because many today give solutions that come with super low prices, but we are a higher market, but we have the largest market share in Chile and also in Latin America.
What do the Guardian system sensors detect and how does it work in the cockpit?
We are the only company in Chile -and I would say in Latin America- that is exclusively dedicated to this system. The other solutions are under the wing of fleet management telemetry companies, which are companies that offer a different and less effective product. We are dedicated exclusively to this, to the trucking industry with a concrete tool for the care of drivers on the roads, which requires a permanent and very focused work. We have super structured protocols, with high standard technology, where we explain to the client what it is about, what it does, what it does not do and once the client is convinced we take care of explaining to the driver about it.
How do operators of trucks and other transport vehicles react to the system?
We have a protocol with certain guidelines that must be followed. For example, a project kick-off in which the parameters are configured, but there is also a process of socialization and change management with the operators, to whom we explain what the system does, what it does not do and we leave them alone with all the questions they have, because at the end of the day they face a camera and in the end it is an eye with a sensor, it is not a television camera that records permanently, it is not a closed circuit television. It is a sensor that allows the algorithm to be able to census and capture the behavior of the eyes and the face in case of an abnormal change of attitude in front of the steering wheel. We provide a 24/7 monitoring service to all the fleets we have implemented throughout Latin America, with an alert system in the event of drowsiness, emitting a vibrating alarm in the cab, which also indicates to the operator that he has to rest for 15 minutes and then continue.
How do you work the strategy with drivers to familiarize them with the new technology?
The strategy has been mainly to work together with a change of behavior of the operators through all the data that we provide to the customer so that they have a much safer operation. Also to show the drivers themselves and their families that today their husbands and children are working with Seeing Machine systems, which allow them to arrive home safe and sound.
Is there any precedent, study or statistic that indicates that this system has reduced the number of accidents?
Thanks to our system there have been fewer accidents, although I must clarify that customers have rest protocols, so it would be quite unrealistic to say that thanks to the Guardian system we have lowered the accident rate. But there is super objective information that we permanently deliver to the client as statistics and indicators where they can see the number of events of drowsiness and distraction. What does exist are some studies on traffic accidents of 50% that are associated with drowsiness events and between 30% and 40% due to distractions in general.