This article contains promotional content. (January 2013) |
Infrared Integrated Systems Ltd (generally called Irisys) is a technology and engineering company based near Northampton in the United Kingdom that manufacturers thermal imaging, people counting technologies and real-time grocery queue management systems. The company was acquired by the American Fluke Corporation in 2012.
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Technology |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Northampton, UK |
| Products | thermal imaging, infrared |
Number of employees | 136 (2022) |
| Parent | Fluke Corporation |
| Website | www |
The company was awarded The Queen’s Award for Enterprise, the highest official award for British businesses, in 2011[1] and 2012.[2]
History
editIrisys was founded in 1996 by a small group of scientists and engineers, who had previously worked at the Plessey Caswell research labs in Northamptonshire, predominantly on high-resolution military infrared imaging systems. Irisys originally aimed to adapt the technology to the requirements of the commercial fire and security markets. Military detectors typically cost tens of thousands of dollars, but Irisys aimed to produce much cheaper devices by trading a reduction in resolution for lower manufacturing costs, and so the company decided on a resolution of 256 pixels using a 16x16 sensor array.
Irisys began to manufacture a range of infrared cameras used in applications such as measuring heat loss from buildings, but quickly realized that the technology behind tracking people for security purposes could also be applied to other sectors. Counting people and queues in retail and other social environments were the first of these new areas to be commercially exploited by Irisys, and the company continues to research and develop novel application areas.
In 2006, Irisys' queue management product IRISYS SMARTLANE won the Retail Week Customer Service Initiative of the Year.[3]
In June 2012, Irisys was acquired by Fluke Corporation.[4]
Application areas
editIrisys applies its technology to four main sectors:
People counting and grocery queue management
editIn 2006, Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy credited the thermal imaging cameras as being a key factor in the company’s half-year pre-tax profits rising ten per cent. Leahy commented, “We can monitor and manage the service customers get much more precisely – by customer, by store and by the minute. Thanks to this, a quarter of a million more customers every week don’t have to queue.”[11]
In 2008, Kroger implemented Irisys thermal imaging technology. Senior Vice President of Retail Operations, Marnette Perry credited the people counting devices for helping reduce customer wait times from four minutes to less than 30 seconds.[12]
In 2013, grocery store Ralphs installed Irisys infrared cameras and body heat detectors to measure foot traffic in nearly all its supermarkets.[13]
In 2013, Hawaii-based Foodland installed Irisys thermal people counting and check-out management sensors, detecting shoppers throughout its stores to help optimize its staffing.[14]
Security and smart buildings
editIrisys infrared detectors are also widely used in buildings to provide virtual control points with barrier-less entry, such as for bank branch staff doors; and to monitor one-way doors and corridors to ensure passengers do not move in the wrong direction; as well as to prevent ‘tailgating’, where two or more people may attempt to pass through a barrier using a single person’s security pass.[15]
In 2013, Irisys expanded its Smart Buildings products to the U.S. market.[16]
References
edit- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Scott, Sophie (7 October 2012). "Business bags Queen's Award for second year". Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "Tesco 'One-in-Front' Campaign Wins Prestigious Retail Week Award Using IRISYS Queue Busting... -- LONDON, March 2 /PR Newswire UK/ --". Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "From nice images to useful data: FLIR and Fluke race to shift paradigm". i-Micronews. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
- ^ http://www.irisys.co.uk/media/18018/case%20study%20-%20marks%20and%20spencer.pdf [permanent dead link]
- ^ "Tesco Irisys Retail Week Award". Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
- ^ http://www.irisys.co.uk/media/6236/tesco_irisys_retailweek_award.pdf [permanent dead link]
- ^ "Tesco 'One-in-Front' Campaign Wins Prestigious Retail Week Award Using IRISYS Queue Busting Camera Technology Page 511226".
- ^ http://www.industrial-embedded.com/news/Industry+News/13605 [dead link]
- ^ "Morrison Supermarkets Checks Out Irisys Technology - Retail Technology Review". Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
- ^ "Shares Magazine".
- ^ "Kroger's Faster Checkout Initiative Ranks 3rd in InformationWeek Elite 100" (Press release).
- ^ "Archives". Los Angeles Times. 8 September 2013.
- ^ "Foodland Tests Infrared People Counter". 15 January 2013.
- ^ "IFSEC International: The Only Security Event for Your Calendar".
- ^ Jander, Mary (12 April 2013). "Why People 'Count' in Smart Buildings". Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2024.