US startup is teaching computers how to recognise a backpack or a pedestrian

The automated and semi-automated tool trains computers to identify an image that may appear in a number of similar forms in a video, said CEO Tim Tannert. A backpack might look different depending on the angle, for example. — Photo by Jezael Melgoza on Unsplash

An East End technology company has spun out a startup that makes tools to help computers "see" and identify objects, with applications that could include guiding self-driving cars and cashierless convenience store checkout.

Innotescus LLC, which was born as part of Point Breeze-based ChemImage Corp in 2019, uses video annotation to "teach" computers to recognise objects such as traffic signals, backpacks and pedestrians. The company, named for the Latin phrase that means "we make known," recently began marketing its first product.