Yehuda Holtzman serves because the CEO of Cipia. The corporate focuses on picture processing and AI, with intensive experience in analysis, implementation, and optimization of algorithms for embedded platforms and the in-car automotive trade. Cipia is headquartered in Israel, with international workplaces in america and China.
Yehuda brings over 25 years of enterprise, technological and managerial expertise as a CEO of know-how and communications corporations to steer Cipia. In his most up-to-date position, Holtzman served as CEO of On Monitor Improvements Ltd. (OTI), a world supplier of close to subject communication (NFC) and cashless cost 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 via 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 completely autonomous vehicles. Particularly, progresses via three predominant levels:
First, we’re targeted on lowering accidents by monitoring the motive force and elevating the alarm if they’re drained or distracted. Subsequent, we’ll transfer to semi-autonomous automobiles, the place our methods change into much more essential as drivers might have to shortly take again management of the car. Lastly, in absolutely autonomous automobiles, we’ll shift to enhancing the in-car expertise via know-how that acknowledges the automobile’s occupants and remembers their preferences.
How has your earlier expertise at OTI and different tech corporations ready you to your position at Cipia, and what are the most important challenges you’ve confronted since turning into CEO of Cipia?
My expertise managing a number of progress corporations has well-prepared me to steer Cipia, particularly throughout this vital part within the firm’s lifecycle. I’m notably acquainted with the challenges and alternatives that include this stage. The twin give attention to each increasing the corporate and establishing a sustainable progress technique is important. As an example, since I joined Cipia, we now have elevated our gross margin whereas greater than doubling the variety of automotive producers amongst our clients. Our aim – and our largest problem – is to be the chief in our subject, and one among our key benefits on this technology-driven market is Cipia’s intensive expertise with pc imaginative and prescient and AI. The chance to use my experience in a market section targeted on saving lives makes my work particularly significant.
How does Cipia’s know-how differentiate itself from different driver and occupancy monitoring methods available on the market?
Cipia’s pc imaginative and prescient AI is constructed on intensive expertise with edge processing, which has lean {hardware} necessities as a constraint from the design part. This implies our algorithms are optimized to require fewer {hardware} assets, enabling deployment in methods that finally price much less to our clients and allow wider deployment.
Are you able to clarify the 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} assets are required. Second, it brings extra capabilities to the sting, which means that extra processing can occur regionally, making certain no connectivity is required, and the info doesn’t need to be transmitted elsewhere for processing. On this planet of automotive security methods, it is a onerous requirement. It allows low latency, security, and safety.
With distracted driving being a number one reason for accidents, how efficient are Cipia’s options in lowering such incidents?
Very.
To provide only one instance of the info we’ve seen, in keeping with the director of transportation at a significant beverage firm, earlier than utilizing Cipia, an amazing 86% of their accidents had been attributed to human error. This firm carried out Cipia’s resolution 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 most recent 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 normal necessities. Amassing the required information in keeping with the varied protocols takes time and assets, however that’s a part of the profit a long-time supplier of driver monitoring methods gives. We’re additionally a member of the Euro NCAP tier 2 DMS suppliers workgroup and are very pleased with our contribution to security via this essential work.
Past security, what are some potential functions of Cipia’s AI know-how that might improve the driving expertise?
Cipia’s underlying software program allows personalized experiences for drivers and passengers. A few of the options automobile producers can implement with Cipia embrace mouth monitoring for voice instructions, making certain the car responds completely to the motive force. Infotainment interplay detection, which tailors car controls based mostly on which person is interacting.
Driver’s gaze detection would forestall distractions by pausing video content material when the motive force is peeking on the display. These are only a few of the handfuls of options enabled by pc imaginative and prescient AI that might improve the driving expertise.
How does Cipia make sure the privateness and safety of the info 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 photos are saved, recorded, or despatched from the system. 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. Underneath each circumstances, Cipia doesn’t obtain or retailer video information of any type.
What developments do you foresee within the automotive AI and pc imaginative and prescient trade over the subsequent decade?
Wanting ahead, I imagine the trade will proceed to give attention to security, however we’ll additionally see a shift in direction of enhancing the general in-car expertise. This might embrace monitoring very important indicators, detecting if a driver is below the affect (even when they are not actively driving), and enhancing baby security options like detecting if a baby has been left within the automobile.
We’re additionally prone to see extra personalization, with AI methods studying particular person behaviors and preferences to create an optimum setting for every person. Nevertheless, it is essential to notice that the trade continues to be exploring these prospects, and nobody is aware of precisely what’s going to work greatest.
A significant pattern we’re seeing is a shift in automobile producers’ enterprise fashions. They’re shifting away from merely promoting a car to promoting a set of options and providers on a recurring foundation. That is much like how the cell phone trade developed from promoting units for making calls to promoting platforms for apps and providers. 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.
