Amir Hever is the CEO and co-founder of UVeye, a deep learning computer vision startup that’s setting the worldwide standard for vehicle inspection with fast and accurate anomaly detection to discover issues or threats facing the automotive and security industries. UVeye is Hever’s third enterprise. He previously held the position of VP R&D at Visualead which was acquired by Alibaba.
Could you share the genesis story of the way you Co-Founded UVEye together with your brother?
UVeye was founded in 2016 after my brother, Ohad, and I drove right into a sensitive facility in Israel and watched a security guard inspect our vehicle with a mirror. We each understood there should be a greater technique to scan for bombs and other security threats that is likely to be hiding under vehicles. It took us just a few months to place together an underbody scanner that vehicles drive over and – using computer vision and deep learning algorithms – could detect any modification to the undercarriage and flag anything that shouldn’t be under a automobile.
What are different machine learning and computer vision technologies which are used?
We utilize a bespoke combination of proprietary algorithms, cloud architecture, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sensor-fusion technologies. Our algorithms work on semantic segmentation, learning different visual patterns akin to rust, leaks, differences in texture, color, or size, and alert on possible anomalies. Take dents on the body panel for instance; To be able to provide the algorithms with one of the best 3D images, we want to create stereo vision of a certain damage picked up by several cameras. The identical goes for tires and other exterior areas of the automobile.
What were a number of the first instances of this product getting used and why was it a superior option?
We began by installing our solution at high-security facilities akin to airports, seaports, banks, military bases, checkpoints, customs and more all around the globe. The demand was immediate because the advantages were amazing. Now not would a guard need to reveal themselves to danger and the weather attempting to manually find bombs, weapons or drugs – now they might sit in a protected area with only a screen with the barriers and gates closing mechanically if there was an anomaly or potential threat detected. Our technology stood out because we’re the just one with automatic detection features that don’t need to match a reference image or have ever seen that model automobile before. We were also the one company creating a singular fingerprint for each vehicle driving through and we could flag a automobile as suspicious in line with different parameters within the undercarriage – meaning even when the license plate was modified we could discover it.
Could you share some insight as to if you each realized that the undercarriage vehicle inspection system can be ideal for inspecting cars for safety and defects?
Two things happened in parallel. The primary was that we began getting false positive alerts which were mechanical issues akin to oil leaks. We realized that along with detecting plastic bags, IEDs and guns, we were actually finding other anomalies. The second thing that happened around that point was that three European automobile manufacturers approached us at concerning the same time. That’s once we understood that we could use the identical technology and approach to finish a 360-degree automobile inspection, finding safety and mechanical issues. At first, the principal use case was on the assembly line and manufacturing plants for quality assurance. From there we began so as to add more cameras and scanning devices to go searching a vehicle and scan its tires using computer vision and high-resolution imagery, which really improves the shopper experience and transparency.
What sorts of issues were initially detected with the undercarriage system?
Broken or missing parts in any area, oil or other fluid leaks, exhaust issues, rust trends, severe rust areas, and broken shields. We now also search for broken EV battery cases.
A tire inspection system was released in 2019, an outer body inspection was released in 2022, and in June 2023 an interior scanning system was released. How powerful are all of those systems in conjunction at identifying issues?
Today UVeye provides a full suite for exterior and interior scanning of any kind of vehicle. We are able to aid with each damage detection and evidence & merchandising. Following the discharge of our tire system (Artemis) and our variations of body scanners (Atlas and Atlas Lite) we most recently added an interior camera called Apollo. Together they comprise the primary AI-based diagnostic tool providing a full automatic vehicle condition report. Lots of of those systems are already arrange at dealerships, auctions and fleet stations all across the USA and around the globe. Inside seconds of driving through the scanner, we are going to send an alert of any issues to a screen, tablet, computer or phone. Worn or expired tires, expired tires, alignment issues indicated by uneven wear, broken parts, severe rust patterns, scratches, dents, broken mirror housings and more. As a substitute of being told by a service advisor what’s mistaken, consumers are shown in high-definition in the identical way a health care provider shows you your X-ray or MRI scan. Who doesn’t trust their doctor? We completely modified the sport.
Are you able to discuss how the system compares every automobile that’s scanned, and the way that data is used?
We only compare for historical purposes. The algorithm isn’t based on a catalog and works from the very first time it sees a latest automobile, irrespective of the make, model, or sub-model. Even buses and trucks are scanned by our tire and underbody scanners each day. The comparison becomes interesting when you must see a trend over time or when you must buy or sell a vehicle and see the whole history of scans and issues for that automobile.
With UVeye having successfully raised a Series D round in May 2023, what’s next for the corporate?
I’m very happy with what we achieved and the recent round of funding will help us scale on the speed and quality that the industry demands. We’re installing our system at tons of of locations, mainly in america, and dealing with a few of one of the best automobile manufacturers on the planet, like General Motors and Volvo, with many more client announcements in quite a lot of verticals to return soon. This yr we announced our cooperation with Carmax – who’re also a part of our investor team – revealing how we standardize the automobile auction world. It’s great to learn from our dealership clients and their customers – every bit of feedback helps us improve our technology, customer experience and value. Our team is approaching 200 employees and we’ll shortly announce our first North American assembly plants enabling us to create and install systems on the pace we want.
What’s your vision for the longer term of each diagnostics and repairs of vehicles?
Our vision is to standardize the best way vehicles are inspected; if you end up buying a latest automobile from the dealership you’ll have the option to see a report of your vehicle because it got here out of the box from the manufacturing plant, ensuring the logistical carrier didn’t damage it along the best way. You may scan your automobile on the local gas station, automobile wash, or Starbucks and get a fast evaluation of your tires with a reduction coupon popping up in your automobile display, encouraging you to get them fixed before the winter. When buying or selling a automobile through a dealer, there will probably be complete transparency and healthy education concerning the real situation of your vehicle. Fleet vehicles akin to taxis, buses, and trucks will probably be commonly scanned, avoiding preventable issues that keep them off the road. While you charge your vehicle’s battery, you can even have the option to get an image of the automobile’s health through different sensors we’re developing and ensure there aren’t any cracks or holes exposing the battery cells. There are a whole lot of technical challenges we’ll need to unravel but I’m truly thrilled about how our innovation is impacting automobile owners, manufacturers and dealers.