【2021 Solutions】 After eight years of hard work, LIPS Corporation is poised to seize the 3D sensor market worth tens of billions of dollars

2D industrial cameras of European, American and Japanese brands have been popular in the market for many years. The market has been reshuffled as it transitions from 2D to 3D. The domestic brand LIPS, which mainly focuses on 3D cameras, has taken advantage of the trend and launched a variety of 3D camera from standard to industrial models. It provides total solutions through hardware, software, and systems, has become a hot commodity in the market. Since its establishment eight years ago, LIPS has focused on the 3D sensor market and aims to become a leading brand in machine vision.
The 3D image and sensor market will exceed US$10 billion in 2026 with an annual growth rate of 14%
According to forecasts of Yole Développement, the 3D image and sensor market will grow from US$6.8 billion in 2020 to US$15 billion in 2026, with a compound annual growth rate reaching 14.5%. Among them, the mobile and consumer markets will account for 46%, becoming the mainstream of the market, followed by the automotive and industrial fields, accounting for 22%. In terms of mobile and consumer markets, in addition to mobile phones, 3D sensor technology has a wide impact on the consumer market, including: tablets, VR/AR, robot vacuum cleaners, and AIoT (AI combined with IoT). For example, the 3D facial recognition of Apple's iPhone is the most popular 3D sensor technology today.
LIPS focuses on the development of 3D vision and AI, providing software development kits and software and hardware solutions. The software development kit is based on 3D depth images combined with AI algorithms, and can be quickly applied to industrial automation, smart logistics, smart healthcare, smart retail, industrial safety, and automotive assistance systems.

▲ LIPS has three core competencies.
Benson Lee, chief marketing officer of LIPS, said that 3D depth cameras integrate optics, electronics, mechanisms, parallel processing, algorithms, and AI, and has a high technical threshold. The three most common 3D sensor technologies are Time-of-Flight (TOF), stereo, and structured light depth cameras. The company provides 3D sensor total solutions. Benson Lee also pointed out that the company’s has an advantage in 3D sensor end-to-end solutions:
1. In terms of 3D depth cameras, it covers three technologies: ToF, stereo, and structured light. It is rare for a manufacturer to have all three technologies at the same time.
2. 3D sensor intermediary software supports AI sensor intermediary software, such as: facial recognition, head count, body tracking, gesture recognition, and spatial measurement.
3. One-stop solutions for 3D sensor systems, such as: 3D scanners, advanced driving assistance systems, and facial recognition systems are provided as standard products and can be customized according to customer needs. The company has become the best 3D AI technology partner for many iconic customers around the world.

▲ LIPS 3D vision guided robot solution.
Obtained 30 patents around the world, LIPS products reach deep into the Japanese market
LIPS has obtained more than 30 patents for its 3D AI technology, mainly in the United States, China, and Taiwan. Its marketing strategy has shifted from exports to domestic sales, starting with Japan and working with tier one Japanese customers, such as: multinational tech company in precision ceramics, one of the top eight electric machinery companies in Japan, and Japanese device manufacturing and solutions providers. The company has shipped large quantities of goods to several world class customers, such as the multinational tech company in precision ceramics, the largest manufacturer of industrial self-propelled vehicles in Germany, and one of the top eight electric machinery companies in Japan. Among them, the LIPS 3D camera supports the leading AI company Isaac and has been fully adopted for autonomous mobile robots (AMR) in the factory of the largest industrial self-propelled vehicle manufacturer in Germany. LIPS has also obtained a supplier code of the largest industrial self-propelled vehicle manufacturer in Germany.
LIPS also provides the best 3D vision solution for the platform of the leading AI company, and can be integrated into the automation platforms of leading AI companies Isaac and Jetson. This platform mainly provides total solutions for robotic arms, factory automation, AGV, and self-propelled vehicles. LIPSedge supports the SDK of the leading AI company Isaac, and there is currently only a handful of certified 3D cameras.

▲ Mr. Luke Liu introduces the robotic arm.
The 3D sensor solution provided by LIPS is more accurate than 2D. It uses 3D skeleton technology to provide a safe "3D virtual fence" for robotic arms, which were provided to the robot factory of a Japanese multinational tech company that makes precision ceramics. It is expected to become the standard equipment of robotic arms around the world.
The 3D measurement market has unlimited potential, targeting the global logistics and transportation industry
After the pandemic, LIPS actively invested in related applications and is currently targeting logistics and industrial automation solutions. Besides application in virtual fences, 3D package size measuring machines used in the logistics and transportation industry are developing the fastest and the most mature. The product has entered the Japanese market through Japanese partners, and has unlimited potential for application in post offices, logistics stores, and convenience stores.
LIPS' strategy is to first enter the Japanese market and then expand to the global market after establishing successful application cases. Benson Lee pointed out that the technical threshold of 3D measurement algorithms is extremely high. Japanese logistics companies deploy it in stores to measure irregular items, such as suitcases, shopping bags, and paper bags. Manual measurement was time-consuming and labor-intensive. The use of 3D cameras to measure length, width, and height greatly reduces the manpower requirement, and gives store clerks more time to serve customers properly.
LIPS 3D measuring machines have been certified by Japan's top three logistics solution providers. In addition to 3D measuring machines, LIPS is also actively developing other logistics solutions, such as assembly lines and mobile versions. Customers include the world's top logistics companies. LIPS hopes to provide 3D measuring solutions to post offices, convenience stores, and logistics centers worldwide, and has gained one-third of the market share in logistics automation. LIPS was founded in 2013 by Luke Liu, who studied at MIT. The company is highly technology-oriented and specializes in 3D sensor and AI technology. It uses depth cameras with software algorithms to provide machine vision and AI solutions that meet customer needs, and applies the solutions in various industries.
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On a weekend morning, Grandma Li, who lives in Taipei, was happily having a video call with her little granddaughter in Tainan through the screen of an AI health management robot Then at 900 am, the foreign domestic helper's mobile app displayed a health management reminder sent by the robot, notifying that Grandma Li needed her daily physiological data measurement Grandma Li faces the camera on the robotrsquos screen, and the screen displays Grandma Li's blood pressure, blood oxygen, heart rate, heart rate variability, and stress index The robot detected that grandma's blood pressure was a little high, and a picture of blood pressure medicines immediately popped up on the screen to help the foreign domestic helper quickly find the medicines, making Grandma Li feel more at ease when taking medicine This AI telehealth care application is not futuristic, but rather the AI-enhanced comprehensive telehealth care solution of Zcon Telehealth, which has been established for 10 years, providing thoughtful companionship for the elderly through AI It can be used for non-contact physiological data measurement in the post-pandemic era, significantly cutting the labor cost of care in half Bobby Pan, the founder and president of Zcon Telehealth, which has accumulated abundant technical capabilities in the telecommunications and banking industries over 20 years, observed that the demand for telehealth care is an inevitable business opportunity, and decided to establish Zcon Telehealth in 2013 He worked hard with the core AI technology team to develop a comprehensive telehealth care solution Four years ago, he set the goal to develop an AI-based telehealth care platform, and returned to school to study in a doctoral program, focusing on the research of contactless detection of physiological data using AI facial recognition technology He successfully obtained an invention patent 2 years later Zcon Telehealth is the third company in the world after an Israeli company and Taiwan's National Chiao Tung University to provide technological and service innovations for AI facial recognition to detect physiological data, and successfully incorporated it into the company's telehealth care management platform As Taiwan becomes an aging society, demand on elderly care will increase and become more diverse In addition, the increase in demand on physiological data measurement due to COVID-19, coupled with the shortage of manpower in care institutions, has highlighted the importance of telehealth care solutions The market demand for telehealth care can be divided into three main service targets home, social residence, and institutions Telehealth care can provide real-time physiological data detection, and the data can be uploaded to the cloud for storage, effectively solving the problem of insufficient caretaking manpower Seeing that the demand for telehealth care is irreversible at home and in care institutions, Bobbdy Pan observed that telehealth care should have five major elements, namely precision care, precision medicine, precision diet, precision health supplement, and AI companion robot He looks forward to the five major elements effectively connecting Zcon Telehealth's healthcare products, and providing more considerate telehealth care services for senior citizens or institutions To this end, Zcon Telehealth uses AI technology to strengthen comprehensive telehealth care solutions The company's products are integrated into four major areas, including telehealth care management platform, tele-psychological consultation platform, AI health management robot, and physiological data detection technology using AI facial recognition AI facial recognition technology contactless physiological measurement obtains data within 30 seconds, saving 12 of the labor cost of care The telehealth care management platform is an important core care platform of Zcon Telehealth It effectively integrates the exclusive measuring equipment provided by the company to daycare center, such as blood pressure monitors, forehead thermometers, and i-GlucoPal - needle-free blood glucose detection By downloading the smart care app of Zcon Telehealth, it can help long-term care institutions collect physiological data records of the elderly, and store the data in the cloud via Bluetooth transmission, allowing institutions to quickly obtain health data reports of the elderly Elderly people can also download the app, and use their own account and password to accurately measure and record their personal physiological data At the same time, family members can also use the account and password of their elders in institutions to keep an eye on the elder's health status and past measurement records The company is currently cooperating with 8 daycare centers affiliated to the Taiwan Rehabilitation Technological Association through the telehealth care management platform, which can significantly save 12 of the care labor cost, and has successfully provided 2,000 elderly people with general home care Regarding the tele-psychological counseling platform, Bobby Pan said that the company began to promote it in 2018, but online psychological counseling was not popular at that time Counseling centers only needed to use LINE or video platforms to provide services It was not until the COVID-19 pandemic in the past two years that caused people to go out less, which caused psychological counseling centers to lose a large number of customers Therefore, tele-psychological counseling platforms have become an important service channel for counseling centers to develop their customer base The tele-psychological counseling platform is provided to counseling centers in the form of an app Its functions include Google Meet video, online appointment, cash flow from payments, case management, account management, and emergency notification Counseling centers obtain a private account through Zcon Telehealth, and will be able to independently monitor the database management status of the counseling center, such as psychologist schedule management Zcon Telehealth thoughtfully provides the UberPsycho app service to clients After downloading the app, customers can locate and instantly match with the nearest counseling center and matching location to complete the search for a counseling center Customers can subsequently make an online video call or go to the counseling center to meet their counseling needs, breaking the limitations of space and meeting customers' needs for real-time consultation or spiritual companionship when they are emotional, truly achieving "Anywhere, Anytime, On-Demand Service" The product is an online psychological counseling platform that has been reviewed and approved by the Health Bureau and is compliant with regulations Counseling centers only need to apply online to start online counseling services, and do not need to worry about system setup At present, the tele-psychological counseling platform has successfully cooperated with 18 counseling offices in Taiwan Recognizing that AI companionship and housekeeping are important trends in telehealth care, Zcon Telehealth launched Taiwan's original AI health management robot, integrating hardware manufacturers with health management software services provided by Zcon Telehealth The service functions of the AI health management robot include the physiological measurement of Zcon Telehealth's Smart Care app combined with its own measuring equipment blood pressure meter, forehead thermometer, blood glucose meter, cloud storage of physiological measurement data and abnormal data notification, remote video monitoring, caregiver work reminders, medication reminders, and physiological data functions based on AI facial recognition The AI health management robot is mainly targeted at families with foreign caregivers Employers can set work item and time reminders on the Zcon Telehealth Smart Care app, such as accompanying elders for a walk, elders taking medicine, or taking photos while the elders are in bed The robot's screen or voice playback reminds foreign caregivers of work items when caring for the elderly When the foreign caregivers finish their work, they must tap the complete button on the robot's screen to indicate that the task was completed The AI health management robot can help employers effectively remotely track whether foreign caregivers have completed daily elder care tasks as scheduled In addition, employers can have video conversations with their elders through the app and the screen of the AI health management robot The screen can also display pictures of medicine to reduce the risk of elderly people taking the wrong medicine Bobby Pan said that "zero contact" has become an important hygiene behavior in the post-pandemic era Combined with telehealth care, Zcon Telehealth has launched AI facial recognition technology to detect physiological data, which is different from typical wearable devices in the market, such as smart watches or bracelets that use photoplethysmography PPG for contact-based physiological detection Zcon Telehealth uses remote photoplethysmography RPPG for facial detection This method extracts signals from the tiny periodic color changes in light reflected from the skin caused by heartbeat RPPG can be roughly described as a modified version of reflective PPG, in which ambient light replaces LED and a camera lens replaces the photoelectric detector Physiological data detection technology based on AI facial recognition uses contactless measurement to detect changes in facial blood flow through images This technology can simultaneously integrate measurement of blood pressure, blood oxygen, heart rate, heart rate variability HRV, and stress index Users only need to face a regular webcam or mobile phone lens for 5 seconds, and reference data of the five physiological indicators can be detected and displayed within 30 seconds The data can be viewed in Android, iOS, or web version This product can achieve convenient self-health management and measurement functions for those who frequently travel abroad, workers such as security guards, service providers such as taxi drivers, or migrant workers, replacing the inconvenience of carrying various physiological measurement equipment in the past Zcon Telehealth is the third company in the world to provide physiological data detection technology based on AI facial recognition The company has successfully applied for an invention patent due to the innovation of this technology and services AI facial recognition health management has successfully cooperated with the health management center of a hospital in Kaohsiung, and provides the center's members who download the app with self-health measurement services In addition to health examination centers, the AI facial recognition health management service also cooperates with domestic TV manufacturers to develop customized Android TV apps and integrate them into Internet-connected TVs to provide health measurement detection services Physiological data detection technology based on AI facial recognition can quickly measure and provide physiological data - Demonstration by Bobby Pan, founder and president of Zcon Telehealth Psychological consultation AI brainwave detection equipment to understand customers' mental health status in advance In terms of tele-psychological counseling platform services, Zcon Telehealth not only assisted counseling centers with developing new remote customer service channels during the pandemic, but also uses the UberPsycho app to quickly help customers match with psychological counseling centers that suit them It has also successfully provided value-added services that combine psychological counseling at counseling centers with AI brainwave equipment for brain health assessment through clinical verification It also obtained brain assessment and test reports, and then guided customers to appropriate psychologists for counseling "More than 23 million people in Taiwan receive psychological counseling services every year, and about 110 of them, or more than 230,000 people, need further psychiatric treatment" In addition, the psychologists have different clinical experience and judgment Bobby Pan pointed out that if psychological counseling can be combined with AI brainwave equipment for brain health assessment, and it can provide customers with the early prevention mechanisms of "mental health examination" and "psychological counseling" He believes that the company can quickly grasp the customer's mental state and prevent them from doing something they will regret With the support of the AI HUB project of the Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Zcon Telehealth cooperated with 5 counseling centers in field verification, providing the counseling centers with AI brain health assessment equipment The customer test report includes simple mental assessment, heart rhythm assessment, autonomic nervous system assessment, behavioral response assessment, brain health assessment, neurological response assessment, and brain emotion assessment In terms of breakthroughs in AI technology, Zcon Telehealth connects devices through a brain-computer interface for brain health assessment indicators, transmits physiological data, and uses a long-short-term memory model and convolutional neural network to analyze neural indicators It automatically generates a cognitive function assessment report through cloud services as the quantitative result of mental health examination This value-added service of the verified mental health examination solution has been actively expanded to all counseling centers in Taiwan through cooperating counseling centers In the future, the company will continue to cooperate with medical institutions and health examination centers to expand its business Psychological consultation AI brainwave detection equipment to determine mental health status in advance In terms of business model, physiological data detection technology based on AI facial recognition uses a non-binding payment mechanism Individuals or companies will receive AI blood oxygen detection cards provided by Zcon Telehealth, and scan the QRCode on the card using their mobile phones for unlimited self-health measurements within one month They only need to pay NT300 per month, which is quite affordable In addition, the fee for the telehealth care management platform is also very affordable at only NT100 for each account For the tele-psychological counseling platform, Zcon Telehealth signs annual contracts and bills customers on monthly basis The AI health management robot is provided for customers to buy out Looking towards the international market while based in Taiwan, developing diverse telehealth services From the perspective of Zcon Telehealth, how to successfully develop products, market them, and expand business opportunities has been a challenge since the company was founded Among them, the company's development of physiological data detection technology based on AI facial recognition was the most challenging Bobby Pan said that since there is no precedent in the industry, the only way was to go back to school to study Fortunately, he was admitted in a doctoral program two years ago and read countless foreign journals, which he then integrated into product design and development It took 2 years of hard work to achieve this result Zcon Telehealth is not only passionate about the development of AI-enhanced telehealth care services, but also believes that AI-based contactless physiological health measurement and data can provide people and care institutions with a more affordable, convenient, fast, and considerate health measurement option in the post-pandemic era In terms of business strategy, Bobby Pan hopes that recent promotion of the physiological data detection technology based on AI facial recognition will continue to increase market share and create cooperation opportunities with channels To this end, the SDK Software Development Kit developed by Zcon Telehealth allows any application owner to embed it into their solution, and can use the SDK to directly detect physiological data on Android or iOS devices It is also applicable to mobile phones, tablets, smart TVs, or smart health mirrors In the future, Zcon Telehealth will primarily target large-scale health companies for cooperation, and looks forward to finding more potential partners with the assistance of the Institute for Information Technology III In the past two years, Zcon Telehealth has actively expanded into the field of AI healthcare and maintained its leadership in AI facial recognition technology Facing the fiercely competitive AI healthcare industry, Bobby Pan said that Zcon Telehealth must plan ahead and will first provide physiological data detection technology based on AI facial recognition to charity and religious groups free of charge, in order to increase product visibility in the short-term In the mid-term, Zcon Telehealth will partner with large health companies, such as health examination centers, and utilize the big data collected through the cooperation to plan customized health products and services For long-term development, Zcon Telehealth plans to set up a branch in Texas, USA by the end of this year and establish local distribution channels It will actively expand business to emerging potential markets, such as Vietnam, the Middle East, and South America You can know what people look like but not what's going on inside Zcon Telehealth breaks through the traditional approach and uses AI facial recognition technology to detect multiple physiological data in 30 seconds, gaining insight into an individualrsquos current health condition, so that it can not only know what people look like, but also what's going on inside Bobby Pan said that it took years of hard work to complete the development of physiological data detection technology based on AI facial recognition Zcon Telehealth is looking towards international markets while it is based in Taiwan, and will develop diverse telehealth services Bobby Pan, founder and president of Zcon Telehealth

The use of drones for intelligent inspection is becoming increasingly common, with major petrochemical and solar power plants continuing to adopt drone applications Located in Hsinchu, Extreme Present Technology earthbook has established a 4D cloud platform using its proprietary technology, offering drone, software, and data analysis platform services for intelligent inspections at solar power and petrochemical plants, reducing the total cost to just one-fifth of traditional methods involving hardware and software purchases, and cutting down the time from one month to approximately 24 hours, making it highly cost-effective For petrochemical industry operators who are constantly in a high-temperature, high-pressure dangerous environment, the safety control and inspection of plant facilities are critical 'As long as we can enhance the capabilities of facility inspection and risk identification in petrochemical sites, resource input is absolutely not an issue,' said a petrochemical industry representative with emphasis By implementing the drone 4D AI inspection cloud platform, the efficiency and safety of facility inspections among petrochemical operators can be elevated, further reducing the risk of equipment downtime Founded in March 2018, Extreme Present Tech has become a consistent winner in domestic entrepreneurship competitions, including being crowned champion in the 2019 OPEN DATA Business Innovation Practice, selected into Microsoft's startup accelerator in 2020, chosen for NVIDIA's AI startup team in 2021, and its products have been launched on the Microsoft Azure platform, earning investments from the National Development Fund and major domestic groups, thereby securing strong market validation for its technical prowess and services The founder and CEO of Extreme Present Tech, Hsu Wei-Cheng, mentioned that at the beginning of its establishment, the company took on the national space center's satellite 3D photography scheduling system and specialized in the integration of geographic information into 3D images As drone hardware technologies matured, the company shifted its operations towards the drone market and combined it with AI image recognition systems to establish a 4D cloud DaaS platform, offering services including online aerial photography ordering DaaS, 5GAIoT cloud platform SaaS, and enterpriseAPI server software, to meet the demands of drones in smart cities, facility inspection, engineering management, disaster response, pollution monitoring, and other applications, maximizing the value of drone services Smart aerial inspection regularly tracks the health status of plant equipment at a glance The quantity and area of petrochemical plants in Taiwan are immense, lacking sufficient manpower for comprehensive equipment inspections Given that petrochemical plants produce high-temperature flammable and corrosive chemicals that must be transmitted and stored through pipelines and tanks, long-term risks like pipeline ruptures and tank blockages could lead to severe occupational safety disasters, equipment downtime, and production stagnation Given the shortfalls in personnel for equipment inspections among petrochemical operators, Extreme Tech has already implemented a 4D AI drone inspection cloud platform combined with AI image recognition technology in petrochemical plant areas, providing ground-breaking evidence through the use of drones and proprietary app software services that connect on-site aerial data collection to the cloud platform, achieving fully automated and real-time aerial monitoring of petrochemical plant equipment pipelines, tanks, and ensuring precise locations and angles for each aerial operation, effectively compensating for the discrepancy in human inspection Hsu Wei-Cheng pointed out that the inspection drones used in petrochemical plants are equipped with dual lenses, one visible light and the other thermal infrared, which allow for determining pipeline obstructions through temperature conditions, enabling clients to immediately view the inspection status of the plant area from remote locations via the earthbook website, enhancing clients' inspection efficiency and accuracy The 4D aerial data platform meets diverse applications such as smart cities, transportation, engineering management, and pollution monitoring DaaS Online Order-Use Model Innovates Aerial Photography Business Model Saving 15 Costs Apart from providing a 4D aerial data platform, Extreme Present Tech also offers DaaS Drone as a Service After customers place orders on the website, Extreme Present coordinates with professionally licensed aerial photographers to provide on-site services Customers can monitor real-time operations through the platform and quickly obtain aerial data to evaluate any abnormalities, enabling timely alerts Take the solar power plant monitoring service as an example Given that solar power plant areas are large and widely distributed, located in the remote Pingtung area with the headquarters in Taipei, for inspections of the Pingtung plant, the customer just needs to use the DaaS service model, directly order online and upload a map of the Pingtung plant, obtain a quote from the company, and then entrust local Pingtung pilots to perform aerial inspections of the solar power plant During the process, the drone's route is automatically calculated by AI to plan the flight path, and the aerial data is transmitted to the client's cloud account, allowing the Taipei headquarters clients to immediately see the inspection status of the solar power plant from the earthbook website such as the condition of the solar panels, dust detection, or abnormal heat generation from solar electromagnetism, effectively helping the customer significantly reduce operational costs and efficiently complete the solar power plant inspection service Introduction of DaaS online aerial photography service in petrochemical plants According to estimates, solar power plant clients often incur high personnel costs by purchasing drones or outsourcing aerial photography With the long-term provision of aerial photography devices and the DaaS business model by Extreme Present Tech, customers can save 45 of aerial photography costs, and obtain aerial inspection reports within 24 hours post-operation, helping clients efficiently identify issues with solar panels Aiming to become the largest aerial data service company and enter the Southeast Asian market Since its establishment in 2018, Extreme Present Tech has rapidly grown in the aerial photography market with innovative thinking, actively expanding its aerial data application services Currently focused on cultivating the Taiwan market, the company aims to enter Southeast Asian nations, with Indonesia chosen as the first stop due to its high demand for infrastructure Hsu Wei-Cheng hopes that earthbook becomes the world's largest aerial data service platform Besides completing the initial round of funding from the National Development Fund and major groups, to penetrate the international market, the company continuously improves its drone data services and AI technology innovations, while also requiring the assistance of entities like the Industrial Technology Research Institute to find strategic investors that complement the company, fulfilling its goal of becoming an international aerial data corporation in phases Founder and CEO of Extreme Present Tech, Hsu Wei-Cheng「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only Translation date:2024-05-19」