Monthly Archives: February 2023

Collins Aerospace license deal is imminent

Posted on by
Reply

Itā€™s great to have confirmation that the long-awaited aviation license deal with Collins Aerospace is set to be announced imminently. Yes, really.

In a presentation to Italian investors back in November 2022, Paul McGlone, CEO of Seeing Machines, revealed that it was expected to be signed before the end of 2022. I assume the deal with Collins Aerospace was then slightly delayed while the fine details were negotiated and will be announced on or before the forthcoming US investor/analyst event on the 8th March in New York.

Iā€™d heard strong rumours a few months back of such a deal and so posted this blog back in August, since when further research has led me to conclude I was correct. However, the interview now confirms it and provides a lot more detail. For example, Paul McGlone reveals that around A$15m will be paid upfront with higher ASP and recurring maintenance fees being part of the deal. 

Collins has previously refused to comment but I assume this will now change. 

In addition, Seeing Machines is also bidding for a huge RFQ for an international airline to place its pilot monitoring technology in approximately 333 ā€˜7ā€™ series Boeing jets and 18 simulators. I’m assuming it may be Emirates but it could also be a US airline.

Itā€™s fantastic news for Seeing Machines and will finally prove the worth of the aviation business. Indeed, when officially confirmed the deal should produce numerous broker upgrades and have fund managers scrambling to buy into the stock.

The writer holds stock in Seeing Machines.

Chat GPT finds news of Collins Aerospace and Seeing Machines collaboration

Posted on by
Reply

This Chat GPT is bloody good stuff in my humble opinion, as it has found information about Collins Aerospace and its use of Seeing Machines eye-tracking technology that I didnā€™t realise even existed.

Just read this Q&A session with the AI-powered search engine:

Q. Does Collins Aerospace have a pilot support system that uses eye-tracking?

A. Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies Corporation, offers a range of avionics systems, including pilot support systems. One of their products, the “Pro Line Fusion” avionics system, includes a feature called “Head-up Display (HUD) with Eye-Sensing Technology.”

This technology uses eye-tracking to provide pilots with a more intuitive and efficient way of interacting with the aircraft’s avionics. By tracking the pilot’s eye movements, the system can automatically adjust the information displayed on the HUD to match the pilot’s focus, making it easier for the pilot to keep their attention on the task at hand.

The system also includes a feature called “SmartView Synthetic Vision System,” which uses 3D graphics to provide pilots with a more comprehensive view of their surroundings, helping them to make more informed decisions.

So, in summary, yes, Collins Aerospace offers a pilot support system that uses eye-tracking technology as part of its Pro Line Fusion avionics system.

Q. Which company supplies this eye-tracking to Collins Aerospace?

A. The eye-tracking technology used in the Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion avionics system is supplied by Seeing Machines, an Australian-based company that specializes in developing advanced computer vision technologies.

Seeing Machines’ eye-tracking technology is based on machine learning algorithms that analyze eye movements and can accurately track eye gaze points in real-time. This technology is used in a variety of industries, including aviation, mining, automotive, and transportation, to improve safety and performance.

Collins Aerospace has a partnership with Seeing Machines to integrate their eye-tracking technology into the Pro Line Fusion avionics system. Seeing Machines’ technology is a key feature of the Pro Line Fusion system, helping pilots to maintain situational awareness and improve their overall performance.

Share price impact

This is potentially huge news for Seeing Machines if confirmed by either company, as it could materially impact its share price.

The writer holds stock in Seeing Machines.

Chat GPT and Seeing Machines

Posted on by
Reply

While the world is going crazy for Chat GPT, I thought Iā€™d see if this AI-powered breakthrough technology could help answer who is the global leader in driver monitoring.Ā 

Its answer to my question was revealing: 

Q. Who is the global leader in driver monitoring?

A. It is difficult to identify a single global leader in driver monitoring, as there are many companies that offer products and services in this space, and the market is constantly evolving. However, some of the leading companies in the field of driver monitoring include Seeing Machines, Smart Eye, and Eyesight Technologies. These companies develop technology that uses cameras, sensors, and advanced algorithms to track a driver’s attention, fatigue, and other key factors, and provide alerts or other feedback to help improve safety on the road. Other major players in this field include Nauto, Omnitracs, and Guardian Optical Technologies, among others.

Iā€™d give the answer qualified approval, as it at least names Seeing Machines first – although it failed to categorically confirm it as the leader – unlike Mobileye CEO Amnon Shashua who, in a recent Autonocast interview (10m), stated: ā€œweā€™re working with the leading supplier in DMS; Seeing Machines.ā€

I canā€™t help thinking of Chat GPT as a smart geek who hasnā€™t yet spent years researching this area but has managed to pick up the basic players pretty quickly. Good for general research, certainly. Although it tends to be a bit behind the times: for example, it missed the fact that Eyesight Technologies changed its name to Cipia a while back.

A takeover of Seeing Machines

I couldnā€™t leave my questioning there and so asked it to give me the AI Moneyshot answer; who will acquire Seeing Machines?

Again it provided a fascinating response:

Q. Which is the company most likely to acquire Seeing Machines?

A. As an AI language model, I don’t have access to information about potential acquisitions or the future plans of companies, and it is difficult to predict which company might acquire Seeing Machines, if any. However, it’s worth noting that Seeing Machines has partnerships with a number of major players in the automotive and transportation industries, including Caterpillar, Boeing, and General Motors, and has also received investment from companies like Qualcomm and Samsung. This suggests that Seeing Machines is a company with valuable technology and expertise in the field of driver monitoring, and it could be an attractive acquisition target for companies looking to expand their capabilities in this area. That being said, any potential acquisition would depend on a range of factors, including the strategic goals and financial resources of the acquiring company, as well as the interests and priorities of Seeing Machines and its stakeholders.

However, despite a fair general answer (albeit a bit out-of-date), those who read my previous post, Take your seat for the ā€˜Battle of the Titansā€™ will have a better idea of the likely players in a future takeover battle. 

The writer is long Seeing Machines. If you’d like to know more about how to make money from stocks he is available for long boozy lunches ā€“ provided someone else picks up the tab. Alternatively, just read this blog.

Take your seat for the ā€˜Battle of the Titansā€™

Posted on by
Reply

Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats. The ‘Battle of the Titans’, the heavyweight takeover of the decade, is about to begin. The winner will be the champion of interior vehicle monitoring for the next decade, opening up billions in new revenue streams in vehicles while also preventing accidents. It should also be able to help robots care for us humans long after that. 

With the news that Mobileye has been granted non-exclusivity to market SEE technology in the Aftermarket sector, itā€™s clear that the company (majority owned by Intel) needs SEEā€™s driver monitoring technology to complement its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). It is now able to offer a one-stop active auto safety solution to its truck and bus customer base (who according to one source currently deploy over 2m vehicles). 

I’m even willing to bet that Mobileye wanted exclusivity, but Seeing Machines preferred to play the field, as it possesses the world’s most effective driver monitoring system (DMS).

Now that the dream of fully autonomous vehicles on all our roads has been seen to be just that, a reality that is decades away, DMS has come centre stage. As Colin Barnden, analyst at Semicast, astutely realised a while back: Mobileye needed DMS, the best DMS. And it now has access to it.

With Gen 3 Guardian likely to be available from Q1 of this calendar year, it opens up the possibility of a one-stop solution for Aftermarket being available in H2 of this financial year for millions of existing Mobileye customers as well as millions more truck and bus operators in Europe who arenā€™t.

As the scale of the market it will capture becomes crystal clear to players (and investors) Seeing Machinesā€™ share price should rise substantially. Explosive growth in its Aftermarket revenues will also be coupled with sizeable Auto contracts and the much-anticipated Aviation deal. Financial analysts (commonly referred to as City scribblers) will then finally start producing broker notes with spiraling upgrades, as Fund Managers pile in. Professional investors can exhibit Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) just like private investors.

Whatā€™s the timeline? Itā€™s starting now and will be increasingly apparent with every passing month. Notably, Iā€™m expecting a trading update on the 22nd of February with a US investor show on the 8th March. Not to mention some big contract news between now and June.

Battle of the Titans

It seems my ‘Battle of the Titans‘ prediction is slowly (oh, so slowly) coming to pass.

However, unlike a boxing contest, the battle to acquire Seeing Machines wonā€™t be a 2-person contest with Marquis of Queensbury rules. Itā€™s set to be a bare-knuckle bout involving strategy and multiple bidders, more akin to a contest in an episode of Alice in Borderland. As I see it, there are at least 4 main contenders:

  • Intel (majority holder in Mobileye). 
  • AMD (owner of Xilinx)
  • Qualcomm
  • Nvidia – the dark horse? 

However, lurking in the shadows are many more players who must covet the technology that Seeing Machines possesses. Some are subsidiaries of Chinese companies, such as Omnivision, but I doubt that Australia (one of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance) would allow a Chinese company to acquire such sensitive technology which could have military applications. Do the remainder have the financial muscle and nerve to outbid the above chip companies? That remains to be seen.

Once the contest really gets going, I expect one of the three ‘A’s; Apple, Alphabet and Amazon to show their hand. They have the nerve, nous and financial strength to not only outbid the above chip companies but take Seeing Machines technology to the consumer market in a huge way.

I believe that this year is finally going to be fun for holders of Seeing Machines shares. Let the contest commence.

The writer holds stock in Seeing Machines.