Zayirna

Currently BTEA arrange and launch free and open events that span over days and long hours. BTEA was using a manual counting mechanism to count the number of visitors, while lacking the exact and accurate numbers of unique visitors, visitors’ segments (males, females and children) and visiting peak time. 

In response, the Cloud Innovation Center (CIC) at Bahrain Polytechnic that is sponsored by Tamkeen, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and in partnership with BTEA has created an interactive solution to facilitate the counting and reporting number of visitors that were handled manually in the past.

The students at the Bahrain Polytechnic (CIC) utilized AWS Deeplens; the world’s first deep learning enabled video camera to prototype Zayirna (the solution name which means our visitor in Arabic). Zayirna used the basics of deep learning – a machine learning technique that uses neural networks to learn and make predictions – through computer vision. AWS DeepLens brought new skills, knowledge and capability to the students to run deep learning models locally on the camera to analyze and take action on what it sees.

BTEA events manager through has several functionalities like planning an event, schedule start and stop activating AWS Deeplens Cameras, view an interactive real time dashboard that shows exact unique numbers of visitors, males, females and children per event. There is also an archive and table to compare events, number of visitors, peak time, dates and locations and per each exit/entry gate. The archived reports avails insights about visitors, time preference to visit and even with capturing their emotions with face recognition if they are happy or not. Zayirna is saving temporary faces on a temporary database and wiped out at the end of every session for privacy reasons the data will not be saved nor shared with anyone.

AWS deployed High Definition Cameras (Deeplens) that are connected to Machine Learning solution based on Amazon Sagemaker and Amazon rekognition with Amazon kenesis video stream analytics and deployed on AWS DynamoDB database, with QuickSight real time dashboard. Zayirna also utilizes several technologies like AWS Lambda with its serverless computing and Amazon Simple Notification Services (SNS).

Zayirna has enhanced customer and staff satisfaction as well as visitors’ safety, insights and accuracy. It has also enabled employees to spend their time on more efficient, innovative and important tasks. Zayirna also enabled BTEA to proactively plan events and activities, less manpower on site, Consolidated reports, real time and for all events and accurate marketing information.

“I’m impressed with this use of cloud technology to solve a real world challenge. More generally it’s great to see Bahraini students leading innovation not only in Bahrain but across the region” said Ben Butler, Global Cloud Innovation Centers Leader at AWS.

“I would like to take the chance to express our real appreciation for the tremendous efforts, creativity and innovation spirit; the keys for making great ideas become a reality”, said Reem Tawfiqi Head of Tourism Relations Marketing & Tourism Promotion Directorate.