Go Studio, the innovation hub of payments technology company InComm Payments, and Kennesaw State University (KSU) today announced the launch of a new research collaboration. The three-year project will connect KSU researchers and Go Studio innovators to create technology solutions that help retail businesses understand and resolve consumer pain points during the in-store shopping experience.  

The project’s first year will focus on computer vision, a technology powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) that analyzes images to identify important information for viewers. The research team, including students led by Dr. Bobin Deng of the Department of Computer Science at the KSU College of Computing and Software Engineering, and Go Studio innovators will design a computer vision solution that specifically studies consumer interactions with in-store gift card aisles, including how shoppers behave while browsing and what emotions they express in trying to find a desired product. The goal is to produce insights for more effective planograms, which are tools that retailers use to plan store layouts and product placements.  

“The typical gift card aisle presents dozens of brand options, from stores and restaurants to video game and streaming platforms, all of which ensures stores have what a customer seeks,” said Michael Parlotto, VP of Emerging Technologies and head of Go Studio at InComm Payments. “However, shoppers may leave without selecting a card at all if they cannot easily find the brand they want. Creating planograms that account for the widest range of consumer preferences possible is a difficult task, so we are excited to see how emerging technologies such as computer vision and AI can improve the process.” 

This graduate research program expands on the long-standing partnership that InComm Payments and Go Studio have built with KSU, beginning with the sponsorship of student capstone projects exploring AI applications in 2020. Since then, Go Studio has sponsored nine KSU student capstone projects and continues to serve as a judge for KSU’s annual C-Day contest. Other recent collaborations include hackathons and internship programs aimed at providing KSU students with real-world experience and exposure to emerging developments in AI technology within the payments and retail industries. 

“AI is quickly becoming a cornerstone of our curriculum at the College of Computing and Software Engineering – we even launched our first Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence program this semester,” said Dr. Deng. “Our students have the unique opportunity to learn from our world-class faculty in the class, while also putting what they learn to the test through real use-cases.” 

“Collaborations between the business and academic worlds are crucial to ensuring our industry has the talent pipeline we need in the future,” said Mark Holt, CIO at InComm Payments. “We are grateful for the opportunity to continue growing our partnership with KSU to strengthen Georgia’s financial technology community and foster the promising talent of today’s students.”  

Housed within the College of Computing and Software Engineering (CCSE), KSU’s Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence degree program seeks to provide students with opportunities to explore the emerging technology across a range of industries, including retail, payments, healthcare and the humanities. The Center for Applied Computing at the CCSE includes hundreds of affiliated research-active faculty and thousands of computing students conducting research projects sponsored by industry and government groups.  

Launched in 2020, Go Studio works with businesses to tackle current and future challenges using emerging technology. The innovation center unites a diverse team of experts and the latest tools, helping businesses navigate new and evolving market needs. Learn more and get started with a free consultation at gostudio.io.