Competencies
Icare sees itself as a specialist in computer technologies and a generalist in a wide range of application fields:
Computer vision
Applied research in computer vision is one of Icare’s core areas of expertise. Over the years, the Institute has been involved as a research partner in a wide variety of vision-related projects. From optical character recognition (OCR) to the detection of palm vein networks on infrared images, via the localisation of objects thanks to the latest advances in deep learning, the institute has been able to keep up with the rapid progress in the field and develop know-how that it places at the service of its industrial partners. Thus, a set of optical readers grouped under a framework called SmartScan is deployed by our partners (banks, police, transport companies, etc.) mainly on smartphones.
Our optical decoders for mobile devices are among the fastest on the market. Avec nos décodeurs, il est possible d’ajouter à vos applications mobiles la possibilité de décoder et de traiter différents standards de codes à barres, documents d’identité, plaques de voitures et autres. They are :
- Easy to integrate: A simple and clearly documented SDK allows your developers to add computer vision functionality to your existing applications with just a few lines of code.
- Fast and reliable: Our libraries have been carefully developed in native C++ to ensure the best performance, and carefully profiled to minimise memory pressure. They have already been successfully integrated into successful applications (SBB, Cresus, Nielsen, Digital Parking, in the banking sector, etc.).
- Tailored to your needs: We have a diverse set of algorithms that can easily be recomposed to expand our collection of decoders. Do not hesitate to contact us for the custom development of your next decoder.
Machine learning and artificial intelligence
The Icare Institute has maintained its expertise in artificial intelligence and the creation of algorithms for prediction, optimisation and intelligent agents. This theme is now at the forefront of the technological scene, but has always been part of the DNA of the Institut Icare, proof that our strategy is in phase with an increasingly open market in terms of artificial intelligence.
With this expertise, the scientists of the Icare Institute have been able to carry out various projects relating to very diverse fields of application, proposed by companies and their new business models: data analysis, decision support, optimisation, predictive models, informational energy management (e-energy), e-tourism, big data, etc. Above all, they were able to take up the challenge of the concrete implementation of functional algorithms intended for the industrial world, thus moving from theoretical algorithms to applied and then industrialised algorithms. This transition is far from trivial, as the constraints and particularities of the industries are numerous (speed of execution, memory cost, quantity/quality of data, robustness of the integration with third-party systems, etc.).
The Icare Institute is concerned with providing solutions that can be used in real conditions. During an industrialisation phase, these elements are taken into account in order to guarantee the development of solutions that can be used in their field of application.
Mobile and multi-platform implementation
With extensive experience in the implementation of innovative software, based on different technologies, the Icare Research Institute is your reference partner for your technological choices, depending on your needs. Whether it is for a research project with a desktop, web, smartphone (iOS and Android), multi-platform or connected object application, the Icare Research Institute will provide you with the best advice to achieve your objectives, within the given timeframe and budget.
Through various research projects, Icare has accumulated a great deal of experience in implementing multi-platform applications, and knows how to take advantage of the benefits of this approach: reduction of overall development costs, simplification of the management and maintenance of source codes.
Internet of things
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the interconnection between the virtual (internet) and the real (objects). Everyday objects are now capable of receiving and/or sending information, they can communicate with a human, machines, or each other. We can think here of smart phones, connected watches, health bracelets, home automation, connected houses, domestic robots (flat and garden). On voit déjà poindre les nouvelles tendances orientées vers la cobotique, médecine personnalisée, médecine prédictive, habits connectés, objets intelligents, etc. As an applied research institute, Icare is a partner of choice for implementing your transdisciplinary innovation projects in this field.
Agility and good practice
To ensure efficient use of resources and to maximise results, Icare manages its projects with agile methodologies (Scrum), which have proven their effectiveness in practice. In addition to identifying very clearly the priorities in terms of implementation, these methodologies offer great flexibility and guarantee an iterative and incremental approach, which is particularly adapted to the management of innovative projects.
On a daily basis, the engineers at the Icare Institute apply the best practices recognised as industry standards: code reviews, unit tests, continuous integration, continuous deployment, etc. This ensures, among other things, that throughout the projects the solutions work as expected. Furthermore, it facilitates the modification and evolution of these solutions; in a research context, where needs and priorities change rapidly, this flexibility is absolutely essential.
User-centred design
User-centred design is an approach in computer ergonomics which consists of taking into account, from the beginning of the project and at each stage of the project, the expectations of the end-users, in order to create an adapted product. Based on agility and Design Thinking, Institut Icare guides you in your technological choices while taking into account the notions of ergonomics and usability, which are the guarantors of an IT solution that can be distributed on a large scale.