Omron 2009 Annual Report Download - page 30

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Important to Create Ongoing Relationships to
Identify and Resolve New Issues
—— The Electronic Components Business (ECB) is
also developing products from its OKAO Vision
face recognition technology. What are your
thoughts on that?
Mr. Ohashi ECB is integrating its OKAO vision face
recognition technology with precision processing tech-
nology into components for camera-equipped mobile
phones and other devices. The objectives are slightly
different, as ECB is developing products for consumer
electronics, such as household electronics, while SSB
is advancing its face recognition technology for its
social systems solutions business. Maintaining ongo-
ing and constructive relationships with client
companies involved with social systems will be impor-
tant so we can work together to develop solutions to
new issues that arise during the operation and main-
tenance of the products.
It will be necessary to expand the sensor capabil-
ities to products that go beyond simply “seeing” to
“observing” and “diagnosing.” Our first step in that
direction was the release in summer 2008 of “seg-
ment sensor” products capable of estimating a
person’s sex and age based on facial features.
Segment sensors analyze a face based on feature cor-
relations. For example, a child’s face differs from an
adult’s face because the eyes are bigger and higher,
the space between the eyes and eyebrows is wider,
and the nose and mouth are smaller.
Segment sensors can be placed at entryways or
aisles in train stations, department stores, or super-
markets to identify the movement activities of men
and women and people of different ages, or to
assess whether product lineups match the target
customer. This data could contribute enormously to
a store’s marketing effectiveness and support con-
tinuous improvement in store management. Segment
sensors are uniquely effective solution devices.
Seeing the Unseeable
—— Is Omron’s high-level consulting know-how
also needed for effective solutions?
Mr. Ogawa The technology we have developed for
our railway infrastructure and traffic control systems
is very highly specialized, and I believe it provides a
platform for us to be the industry leader in solutions
development for public facilities. We have accumulat-
ed extensive know-how from our experience in
developing, installing, and operating loyalty-based dis-
count systems for commercial facilities during which
we had to examine such issues as how increasing loy-
alty points affects consumer patterns and sales. Our
face recognition technology is a leading-edge technol-
ogy that basically makes it possible to “see” data that
was previously invisible. Determining how that data
can be used and even what would be useful once it
becomes visible are emerging issues. Working close-
ly with the device users, that is, our customers, will be
essential, and we will bring the full depth of our expe-
rience to play as we seek to realize the vast potential
benefits of the new technology.
—— Will Smile Scan also be used to develop
Omron’s solutions business?
Mr. Sogo In the future, store operators could utilize
smile measurement data as an indicator of cheerful-
ness within the store or other elements that are now
considered intangible yet could become functional
data for maintaining and improving business. It’s even
said that crime occurs less often in cheerful and pleas-
ant environments, so this data could also contribute
to safety and security.
As Mr. Ogawa said, Smile Scan is fundamentally an
elemental entry product to initiate and invite new busi-
ness. I would like to see Smile Scan used as a
component of a proposal-based business that leads to
real business solutions created by listening to the opin-
ions and needs of users, primarily at commercial facilities,
to maximize the sensor ability to gauge a person’s attrib-
utes and monitor the activities and flow of visitors.
Feature 2 From the Front Line