The innovation: The Percept body camera, designed and manufactured by the Quebec company Ionodes, is intended for workers who, for security or supervision reasons, want to film their tasks.
Its wide-angle lens, dual microphone, loudspeaker, LTE mobile phone antennas, WiFi and GNSS (geolocation and navigation by satellite systems) allow the user to stay in audio and video contact while being geolocated. in real time.
An unprecedented performance on a global scale, supports the company.
Ionodes was founded in 2007 by three partners from the field of video security. The Laval company has developed video surveillance systems and platforms for companies and organizations with very specific needs: video systems for heavy construction vehicles or for remote-controlled crawler robots, for example. His system has notably been used on an underwater exploration robot in Antarctica.
Some time before the pandemic, Ionodes tackled its first fully branded camera, the Percept body camera, which it targets for “connected workers”, a strong trend globally.
The Percept camera comes in the form of a device the size of a small brick of cheese (95mm by 65mm by 35mm).
It’s not the smallest body camera on the market, agrees Eric Tasso, “but for its size, it has features that people wouldn’t expect to see in this format. It’s the smallest with so many technologies.”
With its quick-snap attachment point, the device can easily clip onto a chest or shoulder harness.
The lens, which is based on a technology patented by the Montreal company Immervision, provides a field of 180 degrees, both vertically and horizontally.
“We capture a field of vision that, in fact, simulates the human eye, informs the president. We are able to see everything that is happening from the left to the right of the person, up and down, which gives us a lot more information. »
The device also has a nine-axis motion sensor that records the orientation and acceleration of the camera in real time. It thus ensures precise stabilization of the image, but also provides information on the movements of the user.
“If, for example, the employee carrying the camera fell, we would be able to know that the person is on his back because the positioning vector comes to tell us how the camera is placed”, describes Éric Tasso.
With its two-way communications, the device can provide the worker with real-time assistance to perform a delicate task or record certain critical sequences.
Its rechargeable battery allows continuous use for 12 hours. The device is also equipped with a flashlight on its front face and a small function display screen on its upper edge.
The electronic modules and programs have been developed internally by Ionodes.
The device’s weatherproof casing was designed by industrial design firm Tak Design. It shows intuitive ergonomics, with side buttons that are easy to activate blindly, while leaving an impression of quasi-military robustness and technical performance.
“We had a sealing challenge,” said Jo-Philippe Laflamme, vice president of Tak Design.
The plastic housing is made by injection with multiple parts inserted in the molding: soft cover for the control buttons, aluminum radiator to dissipate the heat, transparent window of the activation indicator of camera, sealing gasket around the lid … “And all of that, in one piece!” That’s a nice challenge, a really nice intricate piece that fits in the palm of one hand! “says Jo-Philippe Laflamme.
“You see that with all these sensors, our product is more than a camera,” says Eric Tasso. This is where we really come to differentiate ourselves on the world stage. »
The company is not directly targeting the body camera market for police officers, which requires specific applications for the management of evidence. However, specialized partners wish to integrate the Percept camera into their offer.
“Otherwise, we focus more on other first responders: ambulance services, fire services, border services, corrections services, public transportation. »
Ionodes employs about thirty people in its Laval headquarters and two others in Luxembourg to serve its European and Middle Eastern markets. It has some 150 customers in more than 20 countries.
Ionodes introduced its Percept camera at ISC West in Las Vegas in March 2022.
“Since then, we have deployed several cameras that are being tested or submitted around the world for several large projects, explains Éric Tasso. This year, we expect to see the first major deployments. »
The company expects to ship some 5,000 Percept cameras in 2023.
” And after ? We are expecting a major wind of growth. We would like to reach 10,000 cameras in 2024.”
