Online advertisers and operators of online sales platforms enjoy numerous ways to analyze the composition and behavior of the customer base. In contrast, brick-andmortar retailers and digital signage operators usually have much less information about their customers. With the development of the AVARD system, Fraunhofer IIS aims to help the retail industry acquire this missing information. At the heart of the system is SHORE™, a software solution that can anonymously analyze the facial expressions of a person or group of people to estimate their age and gender in real time. Fraunhofer IIS will be premiering an integrated AVARD solution in the form of a compact intelligent sensor at the 2015 MWC. The solution eliminates the need to transmit the video data and analyze it on a computer. Because AVARD merely transmits metadata or statistics, the public's private sphere is completely protected. Wolfgang Thieme, head of the Digital Camera Systems group at Fraunhofer IIS says: “With AVARD, Fraunhofer IIS is providing an advanced tool for anonymous video analysis. Retailers benefit from improved customer analyses while ensuring that the customer's private sphere is protected.”

Crowdsense

Together with the Center for Digital Technology & Management (CDTM), a joint effort between the Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich and the Technical University Munich, a concrete application scenario and business model was created based on the Fraunhofer IIS technology, including the acquisition of customer feedback. The result was Crowdsense, a business concept that illustrates the potential and practical application of this technology and how it ties to the needs of the market.

Additional information: http://vimeo.com/101956038.

Benefits for the retail industry

Understanding customers, knowing how they tick and what they like; the AVARD video analysis tool supplies this and other information. What is the age group of the customers in the store at the moment and how many are there? Are there more women or men? Do they appear to be under stress or are they relaxed? This information allows the retailer to satisfy the needs of the customer in a more targeted fashion. Placing advertising signage and products in line with the customers increases not only sales, but also customer loyalty. Another benefit is that the system does not require an additional processor, which reduces the time and effort for setting up the necessary infrastructure. The system is currently undergoing certification to ensure compliance with German privacy protection laws.

Interested visitors can get a first-hand look at the features and capabilities of the system through a live demo at two upcoming trade fairs: from March 2–5, 2015, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain (hall 7, exhibit booth 7G31) and from March 16–20, 2015, at the CeBIT in Hannover, Germany (hall 9, exhibit booth E40).

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