Sony publicly debuted its REA-C1000 AI-based video analytics device
The REA-C1000, also known as the edge analytics application uses AI-based video analysis technology to analyse input received from connected cameras, automatically extracting objects in focus to combine with other images in real time on a graphics processor unit (GPU).
Motion/face detection is used to track movement, as well as recognising specific colours and shapes.
Sony showcased two features that will be available with the REA-C1000 – handwriting extraction and chroma key-less CG overlay.
With handwriting extraction, a static camera is used to provide a video feed of a whiteboard or blackboard to the REA-C1000, with the output being fed to monitors.
As the camera ‘looks’ at the live video feed, content written on the board is digitised, with the REA-C1000 identifying individual shapes and colours, enhancing the contrast and clarity of the handwritten content in real time.
Garry Cox, product specialist for Sony’s presentation & communications group said: “When you’re writing on the board, your body’s typically blocking your writing or drawing, so for a student body or audience, it’s very difficult for them to actually understand and follow the flow.”
“Because of the digitisation, we can see the processing in real time and the audience can constantly keep track as to what the teaching or the training is.”
“The camera on the handwriting extraction is just seeing the changed data within the frame and it’s then able to pick up different colours, enriching that colour, giving more clarity to the information and providing that as a digital semi-transparent overlay on top of the live video.
Sony also demonstrated its chroma key-less feature, a form of motion-detecting that detects and extracts the human shape and overlays it onto a computer-generated background without the need for a dedicated backscreen or additional training.
Additional features will be available including PTZ auto-tracking for the tracking of presenters, focus area cropping for one camera to simultaneously be shown as two different output images and close-up by Gesture, allowing the REA-C1000 to auto-zoom on individual people.
Software for the REA-C1000 will initially be free of charge during a 60 day trial period, with each feature available for permanent activation through separate licenses.