Rome is using intelligent vision sensors as part of a smart city trial to reduce traffic, optimise public transportation and support pedestrian safety.
Sony Europe IMX500 image sensors with artificial intelligence (AI) processing functionality are at the core of three trials being run by Greentech specialist Envision in the municipality. Set to commence in June 2021, they are intended to cut the city’s transport-related pollution and accidents at pedestrian crossings.
Smart parking
The trial’s primary objective is to evaluate and deliver a smart parking system using IMX500 to reduce pollution and gridlock from those cruising to find a parking space. For this, the trial seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of such a system, with drivers alerted via a smartphone app before being directed to the free parking space closest to the driver’s destination.
In addition to this, the test also includes a study of smart city systems that will optimise capacity and increase use of its public transport network by implementing smart bus shelters, counting those getting on and off each bus – identifying overloading to ensure better provisioning of buses and costs optimisation.
Finally, an alert system at pedestrian crossings will be progressively activated to alert drivers when pedestrians are crossing, using low-latency smart lighting on the road to make them more visible with the aim of reducing the city’s accidents on pedestrian crossings.
The IMX500 claims to be the first image sensor to integrate an AI processing functionality. The configuration used for this trial allows extraction of real-time metadata related to information of a free parking space, the presence of a pedestrian about to cross a street, or the number of people getting on or off buses. No images are stored, nor leave the sensor, in line with privacy requirements.
This allows the city to reduce the bandwidth required, to scale it easily using existing networks, and to cut power and communication costs. And furthermore, this system allows citizens’ privacy concerns to be addressed.
Sony Europe is committed to supporting the development and implementation of smart city projects with a view to help cities to solve their different issues through a sensing-as-a-service (SeaaS) business model.
Traffic caused by those seeking to park is seen by the city as a key contributor to congestion, with the trial seeking to quantify the scale of the problem. Leveraging Sony’s imaging and sensing technology to serve social causes in the cities demonstrates how sensors can alleviate some of the problems faced by busy cities.
Read more at: smartcitiesworld.net