Start-up Machine Eye wins £75k in funding

Machine Eye will receive £75,000 of grant funding from Techstart, with Belfast Harbour providing an environment to develop, refine and test their innovations and BT also offering a package of support, including expert support and access to the 5G private network being developed in partnership with Belfast Harbour.

Machine Eye provides an intelligent safety system for agricultural and industrial machinery, which harnesses the power of Artificial Intelligence and computer vision to create safer workplaces. Like an airbag on a car, its “human protection platform” is designed to intervene in the crucial seconds before an accident occurs in an outdoor, industrial setting in order to save lives.

The competition, which provided an opportunity for innovative thinkers to submit ideas for new technology solutions, aligns with Belfast Harbour’s key strategic Smart Port ambition to stimulate innovation and keep its employees, customers and visitors safe using innovative digital solutions.

Brendan Digney, founder of Machine Eye, said: “Machine Eye aims to act as a safety net, providing protection for all those in primary industries, regardless of whether they are a worker or bystander.

“By analysing human and machine behaviour, Machine Eye acts ahead of time, identifying and preventing accidents before they’ve a chance to develop.

“We are really excited to have won the competition as it provides us with funding to deploy our proof-of-concept system, pilot hardware and develop capabilities further for practical commercial use.

“The opportunity to work alongside Belfast Harbour and BT, in the operational harbour environment will also be invaluable.”