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

Compared to Japan, where 90 of golf courses operate without caddies and use an automated service model, golf course management in Taiwan still heavily relies on human labor Facing a labor shortage of up to 70, adopting a site and membership management platform to provide intelligent golf services may be a transformation worth considering for golf course operators 'Taiwan's software technology is comparable to international standards and definitely has the capability to compete in the global market,' says Tsung-Che Liao, co-founder and CEO of Golface, established in 2014 with the vision to leverage technology at its core, aiming to create Taiwan's first golf entertainment platform With over 9 years vested in cultivating intelligent golf services, Liao is well-versed in the nuances of golf course services He has considerable domain knowledge and has launched a comprehensive intelligent golf solution The world's first networked smart golf cart hits the road automation of golf courses is no longer just a dream In mid-May, Golface's newly developed ARES Smart Golf Cat, the world's first networked smart golf cart, officially became operational Equipped with a dedicated vehicle computer mainframe, dual network systems, AI-based visual recognition cameras, and high-precision GPS tracking, golf courses can now confidently allow golfers to drive themselves The system enables real-time monitoring of any driving violations, and the presence of digital consumption traces allows for insurance coverage The procedure is as follows golfers book the cart via a reservation platform, receive a QR code, pay through the platform, and unlock the cart with the QR code at the golf course The golf cart can then be driven onto the course The course management platform can monitor and restrict the areas through which the cart can travel, ensuring it does not leave the paths Upon completion, the cart is returned through a tablet in the cart In instances of any infractions, penalties are applied directly through the user's account, and for severe violations, future access to the carts may be prohibited This achieves the goal of 'automation' ARES Smart Golf Cat is the world's first networked smart golf cart, officially in service since May 2022 'As labor costs continue to rise, recruiting and training caddies are becoming common pain points in the market While Taiwan's courses still employ caddies, there's a 70 labor shortage,' Tsung-Che Liao added This smart golf cart tablet, combined with a mobile app, has become the ultimate smart caddy Golface is striving to complete the last piece of the 'automated golf course' puzzle Amassing digital consumption trails for advanced client segmentation services Starting with consumer needs, Golface has sequentially launched services like the golf cart tablet, mobile app, golf reservation platform, instructional videos Golface TV, golf tourism, and smart carts The smart cart has been operational since May 2022, currently featuring four units with plans for mass production in the latter half of 2022 Although the cart currently requires manual operation by golfers, remote operation is anticipated early in 2023, with autonomous driving expected in the third phase Via the cart tablet and management system, staff can understand the status of the course through on-screen visual representations, showing each cart's real-time and relative location, departure times, and duration of service per hole, which aids course managers in monitoring on-course consumption effectively, thus reducing traffic jams and customer complaints 'Previously, we relied on staff's mental imagery now, we can employ imagery to visualize real-time situations on the course This makes it possible for those who don't understand golf to work in this field,' emphasized Tsung-Che Liao While course control has traditionally been handled by experienced professional players, the shortage of skilled professionals makes hiring even more challenging Therefore, replacing manpower with digital tools yields twice the result with half the effort The golf cart tablet has entered the Japanese golf market, installed at Fukuoka Century Golf Club Golface's golf cart tablet has been introduced to 14 domestic courses, and has now officially entered the Japanese market, favored by Fukuoka Century Golf Club, where tablets have been installed in carts providing automatic voice announcements for hitting strategies, distance measurements, and visual charts displaying hitting data During the COVID-19 pandemic, with borders closed, Golface utilized OTA technology to provide software updates and troubleshooting, ensuring uninterrupted services, which was highly appreciated by the Japanese golf courses Tsung-Che Liao remarks that Taiwan's software technology is not inferior to other countries like Japan, but more support from golf courses is needed to help transform the industry intelligently 'To assist in the transformation of golf courses, the first step is digitalization,' Liao pointed out By helping courses accumulate data and understand customer service cycles and hitting rhythms, it enables courses to avoid congestion and serve more customers To date, Golface has accumulated data on over 20,000 teams, 35 million scorecards, and over 10 million records This data helps enhance management performance, segment customer layers, reduce complaints, and plan marketing strategies for off-peak periods Golface co-founder and CEO Tsung-Che Liao has spent 9 years deepening intelligent golf services, aiming to build Taiwan's first golf entertainment platform「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only Translation date：2024-05-19」

One rainy Thursday afternoon near Taipei Arena, the Taipei Experience Center of RelaJet was fully booked with appointments from people with hearing loss eager to try hearing aids made with a voice separation engine For the hearing impaired, having affordable, lightweight, and effective noise-reducing hearing aids is truly a blessing 'We hope to help users in need to hear the world's wonders again' This empathetic expectation by RelaJet's founder and CEO Po-Ju Chen, who is also hearing impaired, illustrates his understanding of the needs of the hearing impaired He hopes that RelaJet's unique voice amplification hearing aid technology will benefit many more people Affordable hearing aids benefit many with hearing loss Founded in 2018 by Po-Ju Chen and his brother Yu-Ren Chen, RelaJet developed a multi-voice separation engine paired with Qualcomm's Bluetooth audio platform, drastically reducing the price of imported hearing aids, typically costing 80,000-100,000 NT dollars, to just under 10,000 NT dollars They aim to develop affordable goods with excellent noise-cancelling capabilities that wirelessly connect to smartphones In its first two years, the company primarily developed the multi-voice separation engine, which significantly improved the noise reduction quality Once equipped with Qualcomm Bluetooth earphone chips, the audio processing time is drastically short, at about 7 milliseconds to enhance main voice projection and reduce ambient noise, less than half the time required by traditional medical standard of 16 milliseconds for hearing aids, nearly 'zero-delay' 洞見未來科技推出平價助輔聽器，大大嘉惠聽損者 Yu-Ren Chen explains that the primary use of Qualcomm chips for edge computing, along with a streamlined algorithm, achieves extremely low latency and better noise reduction The hearing aids can cover 18 channels, whereas traditional hearing aids cover 4-48 channels In the future, RelaJet will progressively increase the number of channels According to statistics, there are 470 million people globally with hearing disabilities, with a 30 average device use rate in developed countries, with the highest in Western countries Taiwan has nearly 15 million people with disabling hearing loss, of which the middle-aged and elderly make up 30, yet the device use rate is only about 10, which is quite low Yu-Ren Chen further analyzes that the low device usage rate is due to two reasons firstly, the high average selling price of international big brands ranges from 80,000 to 200,000 NT dollars with a three-year usability period, which deters many due to the high cost and maintenance Secondly, in noisy environments, the noise is also amplified which does not necessarily ensure clarity for the users, and the sound parameters can't be adjusted in real-time, making it inconvenient to frequently visit stores for tuning Thirdly, most models cannot connect to smartphones, making it inconvenient for the hearing impaired to take phone calls Utilizing Qualcomm Bluetooth chips for rapid product development In light of this, Po-Ju Chen, formerly a semiconductor engineer at MediaTek, leads the technical development, while Yu-Ren Chen, with a legal background, manages the operations Their seamless collaboration, along with their team employing AI algorithms and chip integration, learns from thousands of hours of audio files in databases through neural networks and deep learning technologies to develop low-latency, high-noise-reduction voice amplification technologies for hearing aids In 2019, this sound processing technology was integrated into Qualcomm Bluetooth chips, winning first place in the Qualcomm Taiwan Startup Competition and becoming a partner in Qualcomm's Global Expansion Program, significantly boosting product development pace In 2021, they launched their own Otoadd series of hearingenhancement products in Taiwan, which received both market favor and positive reviews from many with hearing loss Based on different consumer needs, various product designs are available According to Yu-Ren Chen, the Otoadd wireless earphones with hearing enhancement functions, model N1, are entry-level neckband style priced at 9,500 NT per pair Users can wear the hearing aid while taking calls, and control noise reduction strength and volume through a mobile app They plan to develop accessories in the future tailored to the needs of older adults Besides being available for trials at experience centers in Taipei and Kaohsiung, this hearing aid is also sold through PChome, Taiwan Mobile's myfone, and Elder Age networks, among other channels Another model intended for individuals with mild to severe hearing loss is the Classic R hearing aid, which received the Japanese Good Design Award in 2021 Since its market debut last year, it has attracted those with congenital hearing loss, with users noting improved clarity in noisy environments and appreciating the convenience of Bluetooth connectivity for calls and watching videos This product is anticipated to be exported to international markets in the latter half of this year Additionally, a hearing aid product combining Bluetooth functionality, set to launch in June this year, is sized like typical Bluetooth earphones, targeting visually conscious consumers with hearing loss Its small size and attractive wireless earphone design allow for phone calls, and if approved by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, eligible users can apply for government subsidies RelaJet to expand into overseas markets, using the USA as a beachhead An interesting question arises due to the pandemic everyone must wear masks which impedes lip-reading How does this affect those with hearing loss Yu-Ren Chen indicates that this situation highlights RelaJet's advantages As each person with hearing loss has different levels of hearing ability, hearing aids can only augment to an appropriate volume, assisting users to hear about 60-70 content, with the remainder relying on lip reading and gestures During the pandemic, as everyone wears masks, masks also muffle sounds, but RelaJet's voice separation engine can correct and strengthen the separation, making it easier for those with hearing loss to recognize voices Besides the Taiwan market, RelaJet's next stage will be expanding into overseas markets, expecting to obtain ISO 13485 medical device quality management system certification and US medical device approval in 2022 They plan to enter the US market, either under their own brand or through OEM arrangements Apart from the Taiwan market, RelaJet will also enter the US market in the next phase for hearing aids「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only Translation date：2024-05-19」