Ception

Ception is a Jerusalem-based startup that developed an AI-based system that reduces accidents and improves productivity and profitability of heavy equipment at construction sites, industrial plants, quarries, and mines. The system is set to lower operation costs and contribute to sustainability in these demanding work environments. Equipment such as articulated trucks, loaders, bulldozers, and excavators are involved in severe accidents on a daily basis. Accidents include collisions, overturning, and falling into chasms, costing lives, and damaging property. Moreover, operations without advanced technological equipment are inefficient, incurring heavy and unnecessary costs, and prolong the time needed to complete projects. MineCept - full situational awareness To tackle the heavy equipment challenges, Ception developed MineCept. The system is based on a SaaS business model, which offers the customer a collection of apps via the same hardware kit and supports a wide range of scenarios in the field. The system uses advanced real-time high-definition 3D mapping and precise positioning technology, based on visual feed rather than GPS, to provide full situational awareness of the machine's surrounding environment by cross-referencing information from different sensors and a range of image processing algorithms and deep learning. MineCept, which is installed on the heavy vehicles, provides operators, site managers and safety managers real-time information and insights to improve safety and operational efficiency in general. MineCept includes three parts. The first is a modular hardware kit that is easily installed on heavy equipment and is OEM-agnostic. It includes a compute unit, communications component, and sensors. The basic kit includes cameras with an option of adding Lidar and radar sensors based on the application and the user requirements. The second part is an assistance system for the machine's operator. It includes a display screen installed in the operator's cabin. This system provides visual and sound alerts, as well as support for different operational tasks. The third part is the site management system, which includes real-time information and insights about what is happening at the site. MineCept’s management system obtains a comprehensive holistic picture of all the operational and safety parameters and summarizes the hazards (potholes, puddles, rocks, etc.) and events at the site for the manager in an accessible way. Above this level, the artificial intelligence tools provide insights and enable the forecasting of bottlenecks in the different processes and safety failure points before they occur (preventative safety). For example, if heavy vehicles or a heavy vehicle and a person get too close, an alarm is immediately sent to the operators so they can avoid a collision, or if a heavy equipment operator is momentarily distracted, causing him to go off the road or move in reverse towards a chasm, he will get a life-saving warning. The system contributes to streamlining operations by supporting diverse apps, such as performance monitoring, comparing planning to execution in the field, measuring the volume of stockpiles, and monitoring cycle times. At the same time, MineCept verifies that the site is operating in compliance with regulatory safety instructions, such as continuous measurement of the height of safety berms.