Embedding AI in Smart Sensors

Intempco Inc.是一家加拿大公司，位于魁北克省蒙特利尔，专门设计和制造用于工业和环境应用的高性能传感器。这些产品的特点是精度高，在物理极端情况下坚固耐用，并采用便于集成到数据采集系统中的集成电子产品。然而，随着所谓的智能环境的到来，对传感器的需求越来越大，这些传感器可以直接与云环境联合，并通过嵌入式人工智能(AI)提供更高级别的信息。该项目的重点是确定机器学习(ML)，特别是卷积神经网络(CNN)的当前技术水平是否能够为Intempco的产品线提供特定的附加值，而不会产生过高的成本和复杂性。在这里，附加值对应于解释数据的含义，而不是简单地解释其值，例如确定警报原因的接近检测器。为了回答这个问题，我们将针对一个特定的案例，使用现成的低成本摄像机阵列进行点目标检测。这个问题是一系列具有挑战性的口译任务中的典型问题，将为Intempco提供对嵌入式人工智能可以为其产品线提供什么的现实评估。

Intempco Inc. is a Canadian corporation located in Montreal, Québec specializing in the design and fabrication of high performance sensors for use in industrial and environmental applications. These products are distinguished by high accuracy, robustness under physical extremes, and incorporation of integrated electronics facilitating integration into data acquisition systems. However, with the advent of so-called "smart" environments, there is increasing demand for sensors that can federate directly with the cloud environment and render higher level information by virtue of embedded artificial intelligence (AI).The focus of this project is to determine whether the current state of the art in machine learning (ML), particularly in convolutional neural networks (CNN), can provide specific added value to Intempco's product line without undue cost and complexity. Here added value corresponds to interpreting the meaning of data rather than simply its value, for example a proximity detector determining the cause of an alarm. To answer this question we will target a specific case in point - object detection using off-the-shelf, low cost camera arrays. This problem is typical of a wide range of challenging interpretation tasks and will provide Intempco a realistic assessment of what embedded AI can offer to their product line.