Guardian Optical Technologies develops an in-car platform that pairs specially designed sensors capturing high-resolution video and three-dimensional depth maps with computer vision algorithms to monitor passengers and objects. The system detects when riders board, can identify the door used, estimate physical dimensions for tasks like child monitoring and adaptive airbag deployment, and can classify people and objects without direct line of sight. Engineering efforts prioritized cost reduction—Guardian says the processor is the most expensive component but that the solution is cost-effective versus comparable options and could save the auto industry $200 million a year by eliminating some special sensors. The company is actively prototyping the platform and intends to expand deployments into buses, trains, and other commercial and public transportation to provide real-time occupancy maps and flag behaviors such as vandalism and violence. Founded in 2015 and based in Tel Aviv, the startup will use recent funding to hire staff, better support ongoing customer projects, and increase its development pace. The article notes limited direct competition in the in-cabin computer vision space, citing products like Owl and Nauto that target different monitoring use cases. Guardian Optical builds a camera sensor that records high-resolution video and three-dimensional depth maps simultaneously and can detect motion as faint as a micrometer. Its machine-learning algorithms estimate passenger size to enable use cases such as adjusting airbag deployment force and monitoring young children in backseats. The sensor can detect when riders board, pinpoint the door they used, and classify people and objects inside the cabin without direct line of sight, which the company says is useful for passenger-aware and self-driving vehicles. Guardian Optical emphasizes cost-effectiveness, saying the processor is the most expensive component and projecting the solution could save the auto industry about $200 million a year by replacing other special sensors. The company plans to expand into buses, trains, and other commercial and public transportation for real-time occupancy maps and behavior flagging. Founded in 2015 and based in Tel Aviv, it previously raised $5.1 million in December 2017 and has announced a new $3.1 million funding round. Guardian Optical Technologies has developed a stand-alone automotive sensor that combines 2D video image recognition, 3D depth-mapping, and micro- to macro-motion detection to monitor an entire vehicle cabin with a single device. The system can detect heartbeat-level micro vibrations, locate and size occupants, distinguish people from objects, and identify objects even without direct line of sight. Built from low-cost, automotive-grade, off-the-shelf components, the company says the solution reduces the number of in-vehicle sensors and can lower costs by an estimated $20 per car (a potential $200 million annual saving for some manufacturers). Guardian's platform uses machine learning and real-time "big data" and image analysis and is designed to integrate with seatbelts, airbags, and other safety systems. The company positions the technology as forward-looking for autonomous vehicles and plans to use new funding to accelerate and expand technological development. Guardian is based in Tel Aviv, was founded in 2014, has patents pending and has won accelerator competitions sponsored by EcoMotion and Microsoft; it recently raised a $5.1M Series A.

Total raised

$11M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Nov 2018