Talk Abstract:  We will discuss the journey I have been on for the last 8 years trying to productize deep learning computer vision. Focal Systems takes the same concepts and AI used to power self-driving cars to automate and optimize Brick and Mortar Retail, which represents 26% of US GDP. We call this the “Self-Driving Store”. Focal does this by deploying hundreds of tiny, inexpensive shelf cameras that digitize retail shelves hourly with the most accurate computer vision on the market, then FocalOS uses that data to automate many in-store processes, like order writing, out of stock scanning, planogram creation, schedule writing, labor management, and more, resulting in 30-100% EBITDA growth.

Speaker Biography: Francois Chaubard is the CEO of Focal Systems, a deep learning computer vision company focused on automating brick and mortar retail. Prior to founding Focal Systems, Mr. Chaubard worked at Apple as a deep learning researcher on secretive projects. Before that, he attended Stanford University as a dual masters in CS and EE where he researched deep learning and computer vision under Fei Fei Li, the Director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab at Stanford University. Before that, he was a missile guidance algorithm researcher at Lockheed Martin on the U.S. AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense Program. Before that, he received a bachelors from University of Delaware in Mathematics/Mechanical Engineering.