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Empress Software Partners with Centre for Vision Research at York University

Markham, ON, March 17, 2006 - Empress Software, developers of EMPRESS, "The Embedded Real-Time Database", announces a mutually cooperative partnership for supporting research in computer vision and robotics with the Laboratory for Active and Attentive Vision, part of the Centre for Vision Research at York University.

The Laboratory for Active and Attentive Vision specializes in computer vision, the study and application of methods that allow computers to "understand" image content or content of multidimensional data. This specialized ability is a skill that comes naturally to humans, however computer vision is a complex, evolving field of study. There is vast potential for applications using intelligent robotics, medical image processing, manufacturing, surveillance, and more.

"This partnership is a serious collaboration where both parties share a mutual vision of a fruitful, long term relationship," comments Dr. John K. Tsotsos, director of Centre for Vision Research and head of the Laboratory for Active and Attentive Vision. "Any kind of complex application has the potential use of a database management system and the possibilities of using EMPRESS in the field of computer vision are many. It gives us great satisfaction to take a concept from theory into practice to produce something of value for the greater good." Dr. Tsotsos is also a professor of Computer Science & Engineering at York University and Canada Research Chair in Computational Vision.

The Laboratory for Active and Attentive Vision is currently involved in a variety of advanced application development projects involving computer vision and artificial intelligence including the development of vision-based robotic aids for people with disabilities. The objective of the PLAYBOT project is to develop an intelligent robot - a motorized wheelchair guided by human and robot vision. This sophisticated project teams the user's visual systems together with the robot's visual system to form a complex but user-friendly closed loop system. The EMPRESS database management system can be used in robot control architecture to store a library of user commands, behavior and visual signals for motion interaction with the user and robot.

"We were very fortunate in having the Innovation Synergy Centre in Markham (ISCM) perform the initial matchmaking with the Centre for Vision Research at York University since robotics and computer vision are hot topics," comments John Kornatowski, president of Empress Software. "We are excited about the prospect of having the EMPRESS database be embedded into a variety of systems, from facial recognition systems used in surveillance, to robotic devices for manufacturing, to out of this world system systems used for space exploration. The potential is unlimited."

About Centre for Vision Research at York University

Founded in 1992, the Centre for Vision Research of York University focuses on interdisciplinary research into human and machine vision and visual processes, into vision's interactions with other senses and with motor and cognitive processes, and in applications such as visually-guided robotics or clinical diagnosis and treatment. More information is available at: http://cvr.yorku.ca .

About Innovation Synergy Centre in Markham (ISCM)

The Innovation Synergy Centre in Markham (ISCM) is a new concept focused on assisting thriving companies in realizing their growth potential in both the domestic and international marketplace. The ISCM serves the business community by providing linkages to advisors, government programs and resources, as well as York University, Seneca College and industry associations. More information is available at:http://www.iscm.ca

About Empress Software, Inc.

Empress Software develops and supports the EMPRESS embedded real-time data management system. EMPRESS Embedded Database is a full-featured, high-performance database engine especially designed for developers operating on UNIX, Linux, Windows or real-time environments. Empress has been utilized successfully in diverse fields including image & voice management, networking, telecom, military & defense, process control, automotive and data acquisition. For more information, please call 301-220-1919. Check our web site at www.empress.com or send e-mail to info@empress.com.


Empress Software Inc.               Empress Software Inc.
11785 Beltsville Drive              3100 Steeles Ave East
Beltsville, MD 20705                Markham, Ontario, Canada
Phone: 301-220-1919                 Phone: 905-513-8888
Fax:   301-220-1997                 Fax:   905-513-1668
www.empress.com                     www.empress.com
info@empress.com                    info@empress.com