By Josephina C. Sumner
Hayden AI Technologies, Inc., based in California, is set to install its revolutionary mobile perception platform on public transport buses in Barcelona as part of 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 United States and Estoniathe Barcelona rollout will be the largest international release of Hayden AI technology to date. The company recently won a competition organized by the Barcelona Innova Lab Mobility and received EUR 100,000 to deploy the platform.
Barcelona, Spain
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 to detect obstacles that block and/or slow down public transportation.
The AI platform, which leverages machine learning and computer vision, is able to accurately determine the exact location of any vehicle parked illegally or traveling along bus routes. This technology has been proven to improve bus performance, prevent accidents, and keep bus stops accessible for people with disabilities.
Syed Rahman, vice president of transit at Hayden AI, said:
Blocked bus lanes and slow bus speeds increase travel times and put lives at risk. Hayden AI’s automated bus lane control reduces congestion and improves commuter safety, reliability and fleet performance.
The platform also uses edge processing – a technology that involves processing data close to where it is collected to minimize lag and bandwidth usage – to record possible breaches of the highway code along the way. However, privacy remains a priority as the platform only records the bare minimum of data necessary to issue fines for traffic violations.
Affected organizations can log into Hayden AI’s data portal to view recorded violations, and since the system is linked to theirs, it’s a quick and easy process to issue citations.
Big Data generates information in real time
Hayden AI’s perception platform is an innovative example of how big data analytics can be used to improve fleet operation and efficiency. Additionally, big data analytics can also be used to generate real-time insights into key areas such as vehicle utilization, fleet schedules, fuel consumption and driver performance, to help fleet operators to make improvements to their operations where necessary.
Notably, 74% of fleet operators, all sectors combinedwhich includes the auto transportation industry, say real-time tracking and big data are either “very” or “extremely” beneficial to their operations.
Gabriel Valmonte, Senior Marketing Director at Monsterlab said:
The data can help predict estimated arrival times of shipments and automate the scheduling and dispatch of ground vehicles.
Therefore, technologies such as Big Data can significantly improve planning efficiency.
Technology to reduce idle time and improve fuel efficiency
As Haydan AI’s mobile perception platform helps buses operate more efficiently, it also reduces idle time in all fleets.
U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency and Energy Efficiency Renewable Energy Reveals:
During a typical weekday, a city bus idles for an average of 3.7 of the bus’s 9 hours of operation.
This is a waste of valuable money, as the average bus that spends 25% of its day idling therefore wastes approximately $2,500 in fuel each year in total.
Buses spend 50% of their time idling because they are held up and stuck behind other vehicles, notes Chris Carson, CEO of Hayden AI:
If we can keep these vehicles out of the way and speed up these buses, we can also reduce the CO2 emissions they generate.
Fortunately, Haydan AI’s perception platform can also be combined with other fleet management software to further reduce downtime and reduce costs. For example, Geotab’s Green Fleet Dashboard gives fleet operators insight into fleet operational costs and overall environmental impact, and highlights areas responsible for unnecessary fuel consumption. Fleet operators can therefore 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 worldwide for being at the forefront of urban mobility and sustainable development – is incredibly exciting for us. We are honored to work with Barcelona to test our technology in this incredible city.
