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【2021 Solutions】 Utilizing AI Image Recognition, Choice Technology Saves E-commerce 90% Time

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, the first step in this transformation is to create beautiful product designs and quickly list products online. Using AI image recognition technology, Choice Technology has identified 'explosive' e-commerce designs, creating an AI workstation for retail e-commerce that features automatic object detection, background removal, and beautification. For small e-commerce businesses with about 500-800 product items, this can save approximately 90% of the time. It is an excellent tool for small and medium-sized retailers making the transition from offline (physical channels) to online (virtual channels) sales.

The meaning behind 'Choice' is 'Choosing the best tech experience for our clients.' Liu Yi-Han, the founder and CEO of Choice Technology, hopes to leverage his expertise in image engineering to help SMEs with technology barriers achieve their dream of easily listing products on e-commerce platforms without needing to learn a multitude of tech tools.

Using AI image recognition technology, photos can be automatically background removed, saving time in photo enhancement.

▲Using AI image recognition technology, photos can be automatically background removed, saving time in photo enhancement.

E-commerce AI Workstation, from material design to e-commerce listing, get it done with one 'click,' fast and convenient.

▲E-commerce AI Workstation, from material design to e-commerce listing, get it done with one 'click,' fast and convenient.

Machine learning automatically generates 50 types of product recommendations for direct listing on e-commerce platforms with one click.

Since its foundation in May 2018, Choice Technology has used machine learning algorithms to collect millions of product designs on social media platforms like Instagram and the largest handmade marketplace Etsy, automatically generating 500,000 design recommendations. Clients simply need to upload their product photos, and the AI tools at the e-commerce workstation perform background removal, background addition, and other image editing tasks. Unlike the traditional method where retailers had to hire professional photographers and designers to prepare products for e-commerce, this approach saves time, money, and effort.

According to statistics, the average cost for photographing a product, arranging its layout, and designing it varies from 2,000 to 3,000 RMB per item. For a product range of 1,000 items, the cost in money and time can be overwhelming for small and medium-sized e-commerce businesses. Choice Technology draws product types from the sales rankings of major e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Shopify, selecting categories such as fashion apparel, catering food, home accessories, fresh fruits and vegetables, sports equipment, and nutrition & health fashion, among others, with the largest category being fashion apparel, which accounts for up to 56% of sales on the Choice platform.

Furthermore, during the pandemic, consumers mostly opted for takeout or delivery services such as UberEats and Foodpanda, which has led to a surge in catering food, also becoming an important design recommendation on the platform. With over 500,000 photos used to train the AI model, the strongest recognition capabilities are in home and apparel categories.

Choice Technology team, photo (second from the right) shows founder and CEO Liu Yi-Han

▲Choice Technology team, photo (second from the right) shows founder and CEO Liu Yi-Han.

Liu Yi-Han pointed out that after the pandemic, WFH (Work From Home) has triggered another wave of sales for delivery meals and home accessories. In the future, the database will be adjusted dynamically based on the sales ranking movement of e-commerce platforms in terms of product images and attractive background scenarios.

Helping SMEs transform into e-commerce by offering the first month of rapid listing services for free

The operating model of Choice Technology is based on a SaaS B2B model, charging based on the number of photo uploads, billed monthly, and catering to individual retailers, small to medium-sized customers, and corporate clients. Since the pandemic, offline retail opportunities have been keen to transition to online sales. The Ministry of Economic Affairs Industrial Bureau offers digital transformation schemes for SMEs by providing subsidies to help retailers transform. Currently, Choice Technology provides the first month free of rapid listing services to small and medium-sized retailers using online tools like Google Forms for group orders, eventually integrating with e-commerce platforms such as Shopee and Shopify to save listing time, allowing retailers to focus on product quality, beautification, and marketing channel work.

Regarding the distribution of customers, Liu Yi-Han analyzed that Choice's clientele is divided into two types. The first type are physical retail businesses new to e-commerce, who primarily need fast background removal and automatic lighting adjustments for their product photos, often preferring pure white or simple backgrounds. The second type is medium to large enterprise brands, who require high-quality product photos with personalized designs suited for different festivals, such as pink items for Valentine's Day, which realistically enhance the shelf presentation and indeed have the potential to become 'explosive products.'

'The technology for optimizing product photos is not the issue; the challenge is creating suitable and high-conversion scenario photos.' Liu Yi-Han stated that data collection and training are automated processes, and AI technology is quite mature. The difficulty lies in efficiently collecting data with attractive, high-conversion scenarios for machine learning, requiring continuous dynamic extraction from the sales rankings of major e-commerce platforms.

Regarding the future business layout of Choice, Liu Yi-Han explained that the short-term goal is to assist physical stores with digital transformation, since many SMEs were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and moving sales online can help reduce the impact of the pandemic. As for the mid to long-term goals, affected by the severe pandemic situation in overseas markets, Choice will first serve Taiwan customers well. After the pandemic eases further, they will expand into the US and Southeast Asia markets.

Liu Yi-Han attended the 2020 MarTech Marketing Forum for a panel discussion

▲Liu Yi-Han attended the 2020 MarTech Marketing Forum for a panel discussion.

「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only. Translation date:2024-05-19」

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【解決方案】2秒鐘完成結帳動作 Viscovery AI影像辨識助攻智慧零售
Complete checkout in 1 second, Viscovery AI image recognition assists smart retail

Artificial intelligence AI has gradually changed the way various industries operate in recent years However, most of the work is still done by humans, with AI playing a supporting role This has led to emergence of the term "AI Copilot," which stands for "AI-driven tools or assistants" that aim to assist users in completing various tasks and improve productivity and efficiency The concept of AI Copilot comes from the role of "co-pilot" During flight, the co-pilot assists the main pilot in completing various tasks to ensure flight safety and efficiency In fact, there have been signs of various "machines" beginning to play the role of "copilot" in different fields since the Industrial Revolution, assisting humans in completing heavy physical and repetitive tasks, greatly improving factory production efficiency, and driving rapid economic development Following the advancement of computing equipment and breakthroughs in machine learning, deep learning, and image recognition technologies, the concept of AI Copilot has gradually taken shape The development of AI Copilot marks the transition from "machine-assisted to AI-assisted" Early robots could only complete preset repetitive tasks, but today's AI copilot can learn and adapt to new environments and tasks, and continuously optimize its performance in practical applications This transformation not only changes human-machine interactions, but also has a profound impact on various industries The application scope of AI copilot covers various industries, including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, education, retail, etc, and are everywhere to be seen Application of AI copilot in the retail industry AI image recognition checkout In the retail industry, the application of AI copilot has begun to show concrete results Take Viscovery's AI image recognition checkout system as an example This system is a type of AI copilot model that helps store clerks speed up checkout or assists consumers in simplifying the self-service checkout process The store clerk needs to scan the product barcodes one by one in the regular checkout method If a product does not have a barcode, such as bread and meals, the clerk needs to first visually confirm the items, and then input them into the POS checkout system one by one Based on actual measurements at a chain bakery, it takes 22 seconds for an experienced clerk from "visual recognition" to "entering product information of a plate of 6 items into the checkout system" New clerks may need even more time In addition, according to a Japanese bakery operator, it takes 1 to 2 months to train employees to become familiar with products Now with AI image recognition technology, store clerks let AI handle the "product recognition" step, and AI will play the role of copilot, quickly identifying items within 1 second, speeding up checkout to save 50 of checkout time, and optimizing customers'shopping experience The time cost of training employees to identify bread can also be effectively shortened Even for products with barcodes, AI can quickly identify multiple items in one second, which is more efficient than scanning barcodes one by one The self-checkout system "assisted" by AI image recognition allows consumers to successfully complete shopping without the help of store clerks, eliminating the trouble of swiping barcodes or searching for items on the screen, which improves the shopping experience In a time when store clerks are hard to hire due to labor shortage, this also helps stores reduce operating costs AI quickly identifies multiple checkout items in just one second Source of image Viscovery Recently, startups dedicated to developing AI image recognition checkout solutions have emerged in various countries The most lightweight solution currently known is in Taiwan It can be immediately used by installing a Viscovery lens and a tablet installed with Viscovery AI image recognition software at the checkout counter to connect to the store's existing POS checkout system There are various integration methods, including plug-and-play and API solutions integrated with the store's POS system Viscovery AI image recognition system can be painlessly integrated with the store's existing POS system Source of image Viscovery Example of AI image recognition checkout Currently, the Viscovery AI image recognition system is being used in bakery chains in Taiwan, Chinese noodle shops in Singapore, micromarkets in department stores in Sendai, Japan, and Japanese bakeries and cake shops Over 7 million transactions were completed through this AI system, which identified more than 40 million items These use cases demonstrate the extensive application of the Viscovery AI image recognition system in the retail industry In the future, the company will continue to explore the various possibilities of using Vision AI in retail and catering nbsp The Viscovery AI image recognition system is already being used in bakeries, cake shops, restaurants, and convenience stores in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan Source of image Viscovery

【解決方案】讓硬碟裡的音樂重生 愛飛媒平運用AI為影像找到最佳拍檔
Rebirth the music on the hard drive. Aifei Matchmaking uses AI to find the best partner for the image.

A young girl, alone in Los Angeles, USA, is looking for a dream, a dream that allows the music creator to find her soulmate again with the music she buried deep in the hard drive Li Zihui, the founder of iFeiMedia, has a background in science and engineering, but she has a strong gene for musicians In order to help global musicians create music and find the "best partner" who can successfully match them, she founded iFeiMedia Ping Company provides a one-stop AI video and music matching platform AV Mapping to help video creators quickly find copyrighted original music One-stop AI image music matching solution to find innovative business opportunities for music creators Generally speaking, in the past, video creators had to work on video music, including composing lyrics, music, and finding copyrights It usually took two weeks Through the AV Mapping video and music matching platform, it can be instantly matched to a suitable video in 10 seconds Music, musicians can also remarket their creations to gain profit sharing, creating a win-win situation This new, decentralized operating model is also favored by the descendants of the late Taiwanese music master Li Taixiang On the platform, you can relive a time when music creation was free to fly Li Zihui has practiced piano since she was a child, participated in choirs and wind bands, and composed her own music Although she studied science and engineering in college - the Department of Surveying and Spatial Information at Cheng Kung University, she joined the imaging team to work on soundtracks from her junior year , and went to the Applied Music Department of Nanyit University to audit After graduating from college, Li Zihui decided to obey the voice in her heart and become a music dreamer Aifei Matching provides a one-stop AI image and music matching solution Aifei Matching provides a one-stop AI image and music matching solution, which mainly uses artificial intelligence image recognition and music analysis Image creators can search and match suitable music by themselves on the platform, and use the system to It can shorten the duration of the soundtrack from 8 hours to a few seconds, a significant reduction of nearly 2,000 times Li Zihui said that in addition to creating suitable soundtracks, traditional video scoring projects also require a lot of time and cost in communication and search, including subsequent post-production processing such as arrangement and recording, and music licensing, which are even more time-consuming and labor-intensive With the assistance of AI, creators can focus all their efforts on creation without worrying about finding suitable music or having their music copyright stolen Integrated virtual and real marketing, from transaction to contract signing with one click At present, AifeiMeiping's music database has a total of 60,000 tracks in more than 60 categories, covering music from Europe, America, Asia and other parts of the world, including pop, EDM, rock, Irish music, etc The original decentralized concept of iFlyMediaPing further protects the rights and interests of musicians Musicians on the platform can set their own prices and track the transaction process, achieving open, transparent and decentralized features There are currently more than 7,000 video and music creators on the platform Music creators who successfully trade on the platform can share profits of more than 40, up to 50 The two parties transact and complete the contract on the platform, and the procedure is very simple AVMapping has a total of 14 AI models, making it easy to find speed dating music Li Zihui said that the AI image music matching solution has a total of 14 AI models The method is to disassemble all elements, conduct music analysis through image recognition and text recognition, and then use machine learning algorithms to train extensively The characteristics of images and music are listed, which can quickly match the soundtrack that suits the image situation, atmosphere, and rhythm In addition to online matchmaking transactions, Aifei Matchmaking also holds physical concert events, inviting music and video creators to participate The content of the event revolves around the display of AI video soundtracks, and a video directed by the director is used on-site to allow music creators to participate PK soundtrack or take out a demonstration video and let AI match it It only takes 10 seconds The images and music matched by AI are very accurate in terms of mood and atmosphere, which amazed the participants Three years of research and development won the Red Dot Design Award, using technology to support the development of music and art Aifei MatchPing spent three years of research and development, and the platform was officially launched in August 2021 In January 2022, it participated in the CES event in Las Vegas, USA, which attracted great attention from reporters present and received more than 100 awards in total media reports, the number of uses in a month has exceeded 1,000 times, attracting 7,000 video and music creators to join the matchmaking platform According to statistics, in the initial stage, the proportion of matchmaking transactions between the United States and Taiwan is evenly divided Li Zihui said that the licensing methods of traditional music are very complex, including types of works, types of copyright property rights, etc To obtain authorization for a song, one must go through a songwriting agency, a collective management group, a production company, a record company, or even a composer , lyricists, it is very cumbersome, and musicians may not necessarily get profit sharing Through the AI image music matching platform, all transaction contracts are completed online, music creators can gain profits, and their creative enthusiasm is constantly stimulated Three steps to help video creators easily complete the soundtrack work It is worth mentioning that NFT Non-fungible token, also known as non-fungible token is currently very popular in the art and cultural market What is the possibility of introducing it into the field of video and music Li Zihui said that the current transaction fees gas fees of Ethereum remain high, and coupled with the conclusions she obtained from attending many gatherings in Los Angeles, the acceptance of NFT is still in the process of brewing However, Aifei Matching is still optimistic about the future of NFT Trend, in the foreseeable future, relevant technologies will still be introduced into the AV Mapping platform to provide more diversified trading methods In order to rapidly expand overseas markets, Li Zihui continues to seek funding from international strategic investors in San Francisco At the same time, due to the appropriate control of the epidemic in Los Angeles, the industry is gradually recovering, and Li Zihui also participates in many offline creative gatherings Aifei Media hopes to become a bridge connecting images and music, introduce well-known user cases in the international market, and let more creators see the power of the platform Aifei Media Ping also frequently reports good news After winning the DSA Digital Advertising Singularity Silver Award and the AWE Female Entrepreneurship Best Potential Award co-organized by the American Institute in Taiwan and META, the one-stop AI video and music matchmaking company founded by Li Zihui The platform AV Mapping also won the Best of the best in the Design Concept of the German Red Dot Award in 2020 We hope to continue to be based on technology and nourished by art Support music creators to create better works Li Zihui, the founder of Aifei Matchping, has won many international awards and is a female entrepreneur with great potential「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only Translation date:2024-05-19」

【解決方案】客廳化身為健身房 Uniigym矢志成為健身界的Netflix
Living Room as a Gym: Uniigym Aims to be the Netflix of Fitness

Afflicted by the pandemic, most people choose to stay at home However, for those who enjoy exercising, missing a day at the gym can feel uncomfortable With Uniigym's 'AR Fitness x Uniigym' app, users have access to nearly 1,000 diverse exercise classes With a dedicated AI coach, users can exercise anytime they wish, while also tracking their fitness journey, and understanding their condition completely To encourage public fitness and fight the pandemic together, Uniigym has also collaborated with Chunghwa Telecom, offering free access to the 'AR Fitness x Uniigym' app for 30 days starting from now until the end of June, contributing to the public health effort Founded in 2019 by CEO Yu-Chieh Lin, Uniigym was conceived from the monotony and limited options of gym venues like fitness centers and school gyms, and low interaction with trainers The company aims to make exercising as fun as gaming through technological solutions, starting with their first product—an intelligent dynamic projection system that has gained favor in the fitness market Uniigym continuously innovates fitness products creating a comprehensive platform for sports health Uniigym is dedicated to creating an immersive fitness course platform starting from offline venues to an online platform, thereby achieving a full spectrum of fitness content and increasing data traffic for enhanced monetization capabilities Over three years, Uniigym has continued to develop new products So far, they have reached the third generation of products In addition to the Uniicube, a dynamic projection fitness system, there's also Uniihome, which turns living rooms into gyms through set-top boxes provided by Taiwan Broadband Communications and cable television provider Kbro Furthermore, the third generation, Uniicell, allows users to exercise anywhere anytime with mobile devices and 5G networks Next, Uniigym plans to launch the fourth generation, Uniicare, targeting businesses and government employees with camera and heart-rate devices to gather health data and offer health management solutions Features of the AR Fitness x Uniigym App "Uniigym is a combination of Netflix and Nintendo, aiming to become the Netflix of the fitness world" By lowering the barriers to exercise through Uniigym's diverse workout classes and fostering a national habit of exercise, marketing director Shu-Wei Wang explained the company's strong ambition and its ongoing progress towards these goals Since the launch of the AR Fitness x Uniigym app in collaboration with Chunghwa Telecom in November 2021, the app has seen over 20,000 downloads in less than half a year, featuring nearly 1,000 multi-category classes including aerobics, fat-burning, body sculpting, strength training, yoga, boxing, and popular dance Built-in latest AI posture algorithm for real-time monitoring of exercise state The AR Fitness x Uniigym APP features six key functionalities, consisting of One Celebrity fitness courses, featuring a hundred top instructors, pick and practice anytime without appointment Two AI real-time motion matching that captures 20 skeletal points of the body through the phone's camera, accurately comparing movements and providing instant feedback Three AR fitness trainer, accompanying you in any environment, personally guiding the workouts, making the fitness experience more engaging Four Gesture remote control interface, allowing you to remotely access various features, making operations easier Five Supports screen casting, syncing the phone with TVs and screens to enhance immersive exercise experiences Six Self-data tracking, fully recording fitness progress including exercise hours, calories burned, and training programs AR动滋动 x Uniigym Rise to Exercise, Safeguard Health TAIWAN SAFE Event Introduction Most importantly, the system platform integrates the latest AI posture algorithm, comparing user movements and skeletal points with those of the fitness trainer during exercise, combined with heart-rate belts to display changes in heart rate on the screen during exercise By employing technology in exercise, it not only protects users during training but also helps in logging physical energy consumption, effectively enhancing exercise efficiency and preventing exercise injuries Uniigym is deeply rooted in Taiwan and expanding to international markets In fact, Uniigym's products are iteratively evolved according to different user groups The second generation product, Uniihome, turns living rooms into gyms in collaboration with the television system platforms, Taiwan Broadband Communications and Kbro, featuring set-top boxes with a menu of 1,700 classes, each lasting 3-5 minutes suitable for all family members ranging from grandparents to children, providing a freely selectable fitness menu for different groups AR Fitness x Uniigym App Product Experience Scenario Illustration In the post-pandemic era, exercising at home has become a trend Uniigym's interactive sensor-based fitness courses offer consumers a convenient, economical way to exercise anytime, anywhere It eliminates the need for purchasing fitness equipment or spending on expensive courses, as users can enjoy personal guidance from an AI coach directly through their smartphones, enhancing their willingness and frequency of exercise, playing an essential role in promoting a healthier lifestyle for all Uniigym provides a combination of online and offline AI cloud-based interactive sensor technology services, matched with home settings and various types of exercise spaces, to offer consumers an entry-level threshold to enjoy professional and entertaining fitness experiences anytime, anywhere This innovative business model has attracted investments from renowned Taiwanese listed companies such as, Nan Yih Textile and Taishin International Bank, and also partnerships with notable international sports enterprises like Decathlon Besides deep-rooting in the Taiwanese market, Uniigym is also actively expanding into international markets including Singapore, Thailand, and China This year 2022, Uniigym plans to launch its products with the Singaporean telecom group Singtel, allowing Chinese-speaking users and a broad international audience to enjoy new interactive sensor-based fitness courses In the future, Uniigym will also introduce home-based health management solutions for corporate and government employees, where employee health data is collected during exercise through cameras or heart rate devices, analyzed, integrated, and linked with health and medical data to achieve preventive medical goals Uniigym founder and CEO, Yu-Chieh Lin「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only Translation date:2024-05-19」