Yet, officers often spend up to 40% of their shifts on administrative paperwork, significantly reducing their time in the community. Zebra Technologies, a global leader in enterprise mobile computing, partnered with SoftServe to tackle this challenge head-on. In Zebra’s AI Developer Challenge, SoftServe developed the Eyes & Ears app, an award-winning proof-of-concept that leverages on-device AI to automate incident reporting. Running on Zebra's rugged TC58 device, the solution has the potential to cut reporting time by 75% — from 16 hours to just four per week — freeing officers to focus on their core mission.
The high cost of outdated reporting
The administrative burden on law enforcement is a direct obstacle to effective policing. Traditional reporting methods are slow, manual, and prone to error, creating a cascade of operational inefficiencies. Officers often complete paperwork hours after an event, risking the loss of crucial details. This outdated process has significant consequences:
- Reduced Field Presence: Hours spent on paperwork are hours taken away from community visibility, relationship-building, and proactive policing.
- Operational Delays and Errors: Manual data entry and transcription create the potential for incorrect data entries and bottlenecks that slow down critical processes.
- Impact on Morale: Tedious administrative tasks contribute to burnout and detract from the core duties officers are trained to perform.
The goal was clear: Create a solution to digitize reporting securely and efficiently, without introducing new complexities related to connectivity or reliability of AI.
The solution: on-device AI for real-time reporting
As a Zebra ISV partner since 2018, SoftServe has deep expertise in merging advanced software with purpose-built hardware. Responding to Zebra's AI Developer Challenge, our R&D team developed the Eyes & Ears app to showcase the art of the possible.
The solution is a multimodal AI assistant that runs directly on rugged devices like the Zebra TC58 — enabling officers to capture every detail of an incident as it unfolds. All data is collected and processed securely on the device, ensuring integrity even without a stable internet connection.
Core features:
- On-Device Speech Recognition: Leveraging the device's high-fidelity microphones and SoftServe's Speech Recognition Platform, officers can dictate notes in noisy environments. The app transcribes the audio in real-time, capturing details while they are still fresh.
- AI-Powered Scene Analysis: Using the device's camera, the app analyzes photos to identify objects, describe the environment, and add vital visual context to the report.
- One-Tap Report Generation: After collecting voice notes, images, and other data, an officer simply taps "Enhance Report." The app uses NVIDIA Llama NIM to synthesize all inputs into a standardized, structured police report, moving from a fully on-device process to a hybrid model that uses a large language model securely within the organization’s infrastructure.
- Mitigating AI Hallucinations: Recognizing the critical need for accuracy in law enforcement, the solution includes a dedicated quality assurance layer designed to verify that the generated report only contains information from the initial inputs.
The results: a new model for field efficiency
The Eyes & Ears app was recognized as one of the winners in the Zebra AI Developer Challenge for its visionary approach to solving a real-world problem. While a proof-of-concept, its projected impact is transformative.
Our analysis showed the potential to reduce an officer's weekly reporting time from 16 hours down to just four. This represents a massive gain in operational and financial efficiency:
- Potential Time Reclaimed 12 hours saved per officer, per week
- Projected Annual Cost Savings: Over $22,000 per officer
These reclaimed hours translate directly into more officer presence in the community, improved response times, and higher morale. The financial savings could be reinvested into other essential areas, such as community outreach programs, advanced training, or better equipment.
The future of front-line operations
The Eyes & Ears app is a powerful demonstration of how SoftServe's R&D-driven approach turns complex challenges into tangible solutions. By combining our AI expertise with a deep understanding of Zebra's industry-leading hardware, we can design systems that set new standards for efficiency, accuracy, and performance. This new model of capturing and structuring data in real-time is poised to redefine front-line operations for public safety and beyond.
Ready to explore how our expertise can help solve your most complex operational challenges?
Learn more