Smarter, safer cities: SONY ISS and YUAN unveil AI-Powered smart city camera with unmatched clarity and 4K precision

The partnership will see the development of the EYE6N0-S smart city camera with 3X to 25X optical zoom and clear 4K resolution in smooth flow of 60 frames per second

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Cutting-edge camera systems are critical enablers of safe and efficient smart cities. From overseeing traffic conditions to monitoring crowd movement, the latest real-time vision systems provide clear and detailed images in all weather and lighting conditions, enhancing city operations and improving the quality of urban life.

Now, smart city camera technology has taken another leap forward, thanks to a collaboration between Sony Image Sensing Solutions and Taiwan-based YUAN, one of the world's leaders in video/audio technology. The partnership has led to the development of a next-generation AI-driven smart city camera with unrivalled capability.

"Smart cities depend on high-quality camera systems to address the complex and evolving demands of modern metropolitan environments," says Micheline Hou, Sales Manager, EMEA at YUAN. "Our latest system, integrating the Sony IMX678 image sensor in the FCB ER9500 camera block, will offer incredible image clarity and powerful zooming capabilities, providing city authorities with precise visual detail in a wide range of smart city applications."

Unrivalled clarity with Sony's FCB-ER9500

Built on the NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX system-on-module, YUAN's new EYE6N0-S smart city camera delivers high computational real-time AI to capture high-resolution images across diverse environmental conditions, making it suitable for a broad range of security, transport and environmental applications.

Fundamental to its performance is the Sony ISS FCB-ER9500 camera block, which will provide unprecedented imaging quality. The FCB-ER9500 will deliver unique colour output with crystal-clear images, even in low-light conditions, ensuring 24/7 smart city coverage. Moreover, the combination of optical lenses provides flexibility from 3X to 25X optical zoom with clear 4K resolution in a smooth flow of 60 frames per second.

Using high dynamic range imaging, the FCB-ER9500 on the EYE6N0-S camera balances exposure between bright and dark areas, preventing overexposure in highlights and underexposure in shadows. The result is a clear, detailed image with improved overall quality and visual precision.

This type of ultra-high-quality imaging performance opens up numerous practical applications in smart city environments. In transportation, cameras could analyse live traffic, spot congestion and allow traffic management systems to adjust traffic light sequences. They could also detect accidents and unexpected obstacles on the road, informing emergency services.

For safety and security purposes, the cameras could monitor public spaces for crowd density analysis, or analyse behaviour patterns for suspicious activity.

"Ultra-high quality Sony ISS imaging and real-time NVIDIA Edge AI processing is a compelling combination for a smart city camera system," continues Micheline. "The clarity of the images opens up new cases and applications, with decision-making in real-time, on the spot."

Sony and YUAN: Working together on future opportunities

Sony and YUAN have collaborated for the past year to bring the EYE6N0-S to market. The partnership has involved several technical meetings in Europe and Taiwan, with specialists from both companies working together to overcome integration challenges. The compact FCB-ER9500 camera block fits seamlessly inside the EYE6N0-S's IP66-rated housing, ensuring the camera is dust and waterproof, offering reliable performance in harsh outdoor environments - whatever the weather.

"Effective collaboration has been a crucial part of the project, and Sony has been actively involved in all aspects of system integration," concludes Micheline. "As a company, we work across multiple sectors, including broadcasting, manufacturing, and retail, and we look forward to working with Sony ISS to incorporate advanced vision systems and realise new opportunities."

Arnaud Destruels, European Product Marketing and Communication Manager, Sony ISS added, "There is huge potential in combining AI and advanced vision system technology. We look forward to partnering with YUAN over the long term."

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FCB-ER9500 features:

Imager: The camera uses a 1/1.8" STARVIS2™ CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) image sensor (approx. 8.40 million effective pixels) that supports high definition to produce high-quality images.

ISP: Using the image signal processor (ISP), the following images can be obtained - 4K 60fps/Full HD 60fps output image.

Functions: Noise Reduction, Wide Dynamic Range Mode, Visibility Enhancer, and Defog- Super+ Image Stabilizer.

Dimensions: The block measures 56 x 64 x 125 mm, and its compact size makes it ideal for smart city camera applications.