By Josephina C. Sumner
California-based Hayden AI Technologies, Inc. is set to install its revolutionary mobile perception platform on Barcelona’s public transit buses for a six-month pilot project.
The technology — which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor parking and driving violations on bus routes — is designed to improve efficiency, safety, and accessibility for fleet operators, bus drivers, and the general public.
Already used in countries like the US and Estonia, the roll-out in Barcelona will be the biggest international release of Hayden AI’s technology yet. The company recently won a competition hosted by the Barcelona Innova Lab Mobility and was awarded 100,000 EUR to deploy the platform.
How does the platform work?
Hayden’s AI-powered camera systems are mounted on buses where they monitor roads and bus stops in real time for obstructions that block and/or slow public transit.
The AI platform, which relies on machine learning and computer vision, is able to accurately hone in on the exact location of any vehicles that are illegally parked or driving along bus routes. The technology has been proven to improve bus performance, prevent crashes, and keep bus stops accessible to people with disabilities.
Syed Rahman, Vice President of Transit at Hayden AI said:Blocked bus lanes and slow bus speeds increase commute times and endanger lives. Hayden AI’s automated bus lane enforcement reduces congestion and improves commuter safety, fleet reliability and performance.
The platform also uses edge processing — technology which involves processing data close to where it’s collected in order to keep lag and bandwidth use to a minimum — to record possible traffic violations en route. However, privacy is still kept a priority as the platform only records the bare minimum data required to issue traffic violation fines.
Relevant organisations can log onto Hayden AI’s data portal to view recorded violations, and, since the system links up with theirs, it’s a quick and easy process to issue citations.
Big data generates real-time insights
Hayden AI’s perception platform is an innovative example of how big data analytics can be used to improve fleet operation and efficiency. On top of this, big data analytics can also be used to generate real-time insights into key areas like vehicle use, fleet schedules, fuel consumption, and driver performance in order to help fleet operators make improvements to their operations as needed.
Notably, 74% of fleet operators across industries, which includes the auto transport industry, say that real-time tracking and big data are either “very” or “extremely” beneficial to their operations.
Gabriel Valmonte, Senior Marketing Manager at Monsterlab said:Data can allow the prediction of estimated arrival times of shipment and can automate the schedule and dispatch of land vehicles.
Therefore, technology like big data can drastically improve scheduling efficiency.
Technology to reduce idling time, improve fuel efficiency
As Haydan AI’s mobile perception platform helps buses run more efficiently, it also reduces idling time across fleets.
The U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy reveals:On a typical weekday a transit bus idles for an average of 3.7 of the 9 hours that the bus is in operation.
This wastes valuable money as the average bus that spends 25% of its day idling consequently wastes around 2,500 USD worth of fuel each year in total.
Buses spend 50% of their time idling as they get held up and stuck behind other vehicles, notes Chris Carson, CEO of Hayden AI:If we can move those vehicles out of the way, and speed those buses up, we can also reduce the CO2 that they generate.
Fortunately, Haydan AI’s perception platform can also be combined with other fleet management software to further reduce idling times and cut costs. For example, Geotab’s Green Fleet Dashboard gives fleet operators an overview of fleet operational costs and overall environmental impact, and highlights areas responsible for unnecessary fuel use. Fleet operators can consequently take steps to improve fuel efficiency and reduce costs.
Carson added:Winning this competition to launch our mobile perception platform in Barcelona — a city known across the globe for leading urban mobility and sustainability forward — is incredibly exciting for us. We’re honoured to work with Barcelona on testing our technology in this incredible city.
