Machine Edge Global speaks with Rashmi Kulkarni, Co-Founder & Director of IndoAI, about her journey from creating the facial recognition app DutyPar to leading innovations in edge AI technology. She discusses the inspiration behind their smart cameras, the challenges of real-world implementation, and IndoAI’s vision to empower industries with secure, efficient AI solutions.
Can you share your journey from conceptualizing IndoAI to becoming a leader in AI-driven innovations? What inspired you to start this venture?
The concept of IndoAI came to our mind 5 years back when we built our own facial recognition mobile application ‘DutyPar’. It has been vision for impactful solutions for security and forgery. Our inspiration came from watching traditional systems of manual attendance, traditional IP cameras and poor public safety.
We recognized the potential of edge AI technology, which processes data on the device itself and process is faster and secure because data is not shared to any external cloud or server.
The initial concept centered on creating AI-enabled smart cameras that surpassed the limitations of conventional CCTV systems. Our IndoAI camera can run multiple AI models on the edge, could perform real-time facial recognition, detect specific events, and automate tasks such as attendance management and visitor authentication. Also we are trying to create a platform for all the AI model developers where they can deploy their models which will allow business to create and deploy customized solutions tailored to their requirements.
Building INDOAI required assembling a passionate team of innovators dedicated to pushing the boundaries of AI and IoT technology. Our journey was not without challenges—ensuring high accuracy in diverse conditions, training of the AI models, enabling offline working, and maintaining robust data privacy were significant hurdles. Each challenge, however, drove us to innovate further, refining our solutions to be more reliable, efficient, and user-friendly.
A turning point came with the successful deployment of our AI camera systems in retail business, schools, public sector projects, and organisations/ offices. These solutions delivered measurable benefits, such as increased efficiency, real time detection and alert to particular situations like fire or smoke and real-time decision-making, earning us trust and credibility in the market. Collaborations with diverse stakeholders provided insights into different industry needs, further enhancing our offerings.
Today, we are recognized for its cutting- edge AI solutions, combining advanced technology with practical applications in education, healthcare, retail, and beyond. Our commitment to empowering users with intuitive AI tools while ensuring data security and privacy remains unwavering.
This journey is a testament to the power of innovation and resilience in driving meaningful change. With IndoAI, we aim to continue bridging the gap between technology and real-world applications, creating a future where AI not only solves problems but inspires trust and inclusivity.
Why did you choose to focus on edge AI smart cameras? What sets them apart from other AI solutions available in the market?
We were inspired to develop edge ai smart cameras because we came across multiple traditional systems of surveillance and authentication which are not capable of real time data driven decision making. Our cameras have AI and Edge processing capabilities to give you a more feasible solution for any sector with application.
Why Edge AI Smart Cameras?
Any cloud based AI system requires internet connectivity, bandwidth, and risk of sharing data to external servers. Also traditional CCTV cameras can not analyse data in real time which can only be used to view the recordings after harm has happened, which can not be used as a precaution.
If you compare those with our edge AI smart cameras, data does not have to leave the device since it is able to process the information locally and no DVR/NVR needed. As a result, decisions can be made instantly, alerts can be sent real time, reliance on external networks can be decreased, the threat to data can be improved, and the system can be extremely stable even in situations with unreliable or no internet connection.
What Sets Edge AI Smart Cameras Apart?
Edge AI smart cameras are chosen for their ability to process data locally and not sharing any information to external devices, enabling real-time decision-making for critical applications like facial recognition, fire detection, and security alerts. Also, they meet privacy concerns by minimizing data transfer to external servers, reducing risks of breaches. Their cost efficiency lowers bandwidth and storage needs, while can run multiple AI models simultaneously giving real time results. Also, less internet dependency, reliability on the device makes edge AI cameras transformative, addressing real world problems with intelligence.
Could you highlight some real-world use cases where IndoAI’s smart cameras have made a significant impact?
IndoAI’s smart cameras have demonstrated their transformative potential across diverse real-world use cases, delivering tangible benefits through innovative AI-driven technology.
We have implemented our cameras in following industries:
1. Attendance management is school
2. Visitor management in housing societies and private and government offices
3. Fire and smoke detection on industrial premises
4. User authentication in banks and gold shops
5. In retail shops for analytics and service check
6. Perimeter surveillance in smart cities
What role do these cameras play in ensuring safety and automation in industries like manufacturing, retail, or public infrastructure?
IndoAI’s smart cameras enhance safety and security and drive automation in industries like manufacturing, retail, and public infrastructure by using edge AI technology for real-time solutions.
In industrial and manufacturing units our edge AI smart cameras are able to detect danger situations like fire, smoke and will help in reducing accidental situations. In retail shops, our cameras will help in suspicious activities or theft, enhancing security and to check crowd behaviour. In public social areas these cameras provide real time alerts for unauthorized access, vandalism and precautionary measures for threats which ensures public safety and security. By automating processes like QA in manufacturing, finding issues on assembly lines these cameras ensures less manual inspection is required. For public events, they enable automated traffic monitoring, detect number plates for violations like speed and signal jumping without any human need.
By processing data locally and because of the real time responses to critical situations makes these cameras reliable and robust solutions for mentioned industries. IndoAI’s smart cameras are transforming industries by seamlessly combining safety, automation, and data-driven decision-making.
What trends do you foresee in the edge AI smart camera industry, particularly regarding advancements in real-time analysis and energy-efficient solutions?
The edge AI smart camera domain is preceding by giving real time solutions and energy-efficient technologies.
These cameras are compatible to manage multiple AI models on a single device to do multiple tasks simultaneously like employee and visitor management with attendance, unauthorized object / person detection, expanding applications in safety and automation.
Because of the application concept, multitasking capabilities will be enabled, which will help in on device learning for betterment. Energy-efficient innovations in hardware, like low power AI accelerators and user/eco friendly designs enable sustainable and cost-effective solutions for various industries. These technologies help in revolutionizing industries like manufacturing, retail and public infrastructure, driving intelligent automation and environmental sustainability in real-word applications.
Can you share any upcoming features or enhancements in your smart camera systems that users can look forward to?
AI Features Enhancement;
● Advanced Object Recognition – Identify specific objects (e.g., tools, machinery, packages) for industrial applications.
● Enable AI models for rare events detection (e.g., wildlife monitoring or trespassing in restricted areas).
● Behavior Analysis – Detects abnormal human behavior, such as loitering, aggression, shoplifting or crowd formation.
● Analyze customer behavior in retail, like dwell time or product interaction.
● Real-Time Analytics – Provide insights such as occupancy counts, heatmaps, or queue monitoring.
● Hardware Enhancements –
● Automatic PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom)
● Automatic tracking of moving objects with precision zoom
● Integrated Solar Panel GenAi integration for contextual search and
● Event Playback with Contextual Insights: Playback recorded events with AI-annotated insights (e.g., timestamped highlights).
● Multi-Camera Coordination ; Networked operation across multiple cameras for collaborative surveillance. Security Features ; End-to-End Encryption. Ensure secure data transmission