Everything You Need to Know About Simbe Vision™
The most forward-thinking retailers are setting a new standard for store execution, and Simbe Vision™ is helping make it possible. Over the past decade, we’ve partnered with some of the world’s most innovative retailers to develop computer vision technology that doesn’t just capture what’s happening in-store, it helps teams take action. From low-stock alerts to misplaced product detection and price tag verification, Simbe Vision turns real-time shelf visibility into clear, prioritized actions that keep shelves stocked, shoppers satisfied, and store teams focused where it matters most.
Below are answers to common questions about Simbe Vision and how it continues to evolve to meet our partners’ biggest in-store challenges.
Q: What is Simbe Vision?
A: Simbe Vision is the name of Simbe’s proprietary, AI-powered computer vision technology that turns real-time shelf images into actionable intelligence. It is the underlying technology that powers Tally, Simbe’s autonomous item-scanning robot, and Tally Spot, Simbe’s fixed camera solution, enabling retailers to move from simply identifying problems to implementing automated data-driven execution across inventory, pricing, and merchandising.
Q: How is Simbe Vision different from other retail computer vision solutions?
A: Simbe Vision is the only multimodal, enterprise-scale computer vision platform delivering high-fidelity shelf visibility paired with prioritized, next-best actions. With 98.7% SKU-level identification accuracy and 99.3% shelf condition recall, it outperforms traditional fixed-camera or third-party systems that often provide static or surface-level insights.
Powered by advanced AI—including transformer-based models and a hybrid product recognition approach—Simbe Vision distinguishes near-identical items and detects subtle execution issues others miss. In 2024 alone, it processed over 14 billion shelf images across global retail environments. Built to scale and adapt across formats, Simbe Vision delivers the actionable, storewide intelligence today’s retailers need to operate with speed, accuracy, and confidence.
Q: How has Simbe's computer vision technology evolved over time?
A: Simbe's technology has undergone significant evolution since adopting neural networks in production in 2017. We initially implemented Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) with anchor-based detection models, then integrated CNNs with Long-Short Term Memory networks for optical character recognition around 2019 while transitioning to anchor-free detection models. Since 2022, our technology stack has incorporated transformer-based models for specific detection systems, demonstrating our commitment to staying at the cutting edge of computer vision technology.
Q: What new capabilities have been added?
A: One major breakthrough is low-stock shelf detection, which combines depth and volume sensing with back-of-shelf visibility to identify when items are running low—before they sell out. This enables proactive replenishment, minimizes missed sales, and ensures availability of high-demand products.
Simbe Vision also detects and addresses key shelf execution issues like product spreads, plugs, misplaced items, and missing price tags—maintaining planogram integrity and reducing inventory distortion. These capabilities are powered by:
- AI-driven product recognition trained on 18M+ SKUs
- Similarity detection to distinguish near-identical variants
- Shelf-to-stock comparison that uncovers hidden plugs by cross-checking on-hand inventory with real-time shelf data
- Automated shelf tag verification using barcode scanning, OCR, and machine learning to catch mismatched pricing
Unlike most systems that rely on 2D imaging and rigid workflows, Simbe Vision uses multimodal sensing and advanced AI to deliver unmatched precision, enabling faster, smarter decisions across inventory, pricing, and merchandising.
Q: How does Simbe Vision handle the challenge of distinguishing between visually similar products?
A: Simbe Vision takes a multipronged approach to product recognition, combining visual embeddings, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), color and size analysis, tag assignment, and barcode scanning. This allows us to distinguish between similar products with minor packaging differences—such as original versus fat-free versions—with exceptional accuracy.
Q: What does this mean for retailers?
A: Through Simbe Vision, retailers gain a dynamic, end-to-end view of store conditions, helping them to achieve transformative operational efficiency at scale. By automating shelf audits and turning inventory insights into prioritized actions ordered by business impact, retailers are able to move from reactive fixes to proactive execution. This is a powerful shift that allows retailers to stay ahead of execution errors, pricing inconsistencies, and stock disruptions that directly impact their bottom line, as well as improving the everyday experiences for shoppers and store teams.
Q: Beyond inventory management, what other capabilities does Simbe Vision™ offer retailers?
A: Simbe Vision delivers full-spectrum shelf intelligence that goes far beyond inventory. It detects inaccurate price and promotion tags, along with common execution issues like product spreads, plugs, misplaced items, and planogram noncompliance—ensuring merchandising standards are met across the store.
Key capabilities include:
- Automated shelf tag verification to ensure each product is matched with the correct label
- Price and promotion accuracy checks with verified 99%+ precision
- Similarity detection to distinguish between near-identical items
- Shelf-to-stock comparison to uncover hidden “plugs” that mask true out-of-stocks
All of this is paired with prioritized, AI-powered next-best actions—so store teams know what to do, when to do it, and where it matters most.
Interested in learning more? Watch our product video or schedule a demo today to see how Simbe Vision powers the most complete shelf data in retail.