A Newcastle tech firm is ramping up recruitment to create 100 jobs on the back of its new ‘traffic light’ system which is helping retailers through the coronavirus pandemic.
Video surveillance firm Ocucon, which uses artificial intelligence and cloud technology to manage CCTV systems, created a new product called Occupi, which has already been signed up by more than 1,500 businesses.
The success of Occupi has triggered job creation at Ocucon, based in Ouseburn, Newcastle, on the back of demand from retail businesses which are reopening their stores and working hard to keep customers and their staff as safe as possible during the ongoing pandemic.
The firm is creating 50 jobs now and expects to create a further 50 jobs within the next three months.
Occupi by Ocucon uses technology embedded in door mounted video cameras to coordinate and control the flow of shoppers both in and out of retail stores, monitoring customer numbers in store and managing entry based on calculations of social distancing guidelines and store capacity.
Last month Aldi launched the new Occupi ‘traffic light’ system – with red and green light displays at store entrances to advise shoppers when it is safe to enter a store – in stores across the 海角视频 and Ireland to keep customers and staff safe, and a further 150 retail multiples contacted Ocucon to place orders soon after.
As well as providing a people counting system, the technology is capable of marshalling shoppers into groups as it authorises and allows entry into the store, ensuring social distancing can be followed inside.
Since its first release, Occupi has also been updated to incorporate two new customisable features to make the system more accessible for people with visual and hearing impairments.
Most Read
The first is a new customisable audio prompt which will give verbal instructions to people queuing outside the store and the second new feature is a customisable visual display unit that will be installed at the store entrance to give waiting time information and instructions in a visual form.
The system was developed by Ocucon in just three weeks when the 海角视频 went into lockdown to allow essential businesses to open and operate safely and efficiently.
Aldi collaborated with Ocucon’s founder Gary Trotter to help develop the technology.
Mr Trotter, who is also Ocucon’s CEO, said: “COVID-19 gave us the impetus to work collaboratively and innovatively to develop a solution in record time. From concept to delivery it took less than three weeks.
“We continue to work closely with Aldi and other customers to ensure that the system is responsive to customer needs and can adapt to the changing world we are operating in. We will continue to incorporate new features, like the two new accessibility functions as the system becomes more widely used.
“In the midst of a global pandemic, there was an incredible spirit of collaboration and innovation in the way we came together to develop Occupi. We were lucky to have a client in Aldi who asked us for help and lucky to have the technological expertise and partners to help deliver what is a truly ground breaking solution for retailers.
“It’s great to be able to bring significant investment to the North East, our primary goal has always been helping retailers in these challenging times to help them reduce costs and improve safety for employees and customers.
“We’re thrilled by the enthusiasm with which retailers have embraced our solution and their commitment to embracing innovation and the technology. That’s why we see our investment in jobs and research as essential to help all businesses get up and running again quickly and safely.”