Velodyne Lidar has launched a solution which combines its Lidar sensors and Bluecity's artificial intelligence (AI) software to monitor traffic networks and public spaces.
Velodyne says the platform generates real-time data analytics and predictions, helping to improve traffic and crowd flow efficiency, advance sustainability and protect vulnerable road users.
The Intelligent Infrastructure Solution creates a real-time 3D map of roads and intersections, providing precise traffic monitoring and analytics. It collects data in any lighting or weather condition, supporting 24/7, 365-days-a-year operation.
Multimodal analytics detect various road users including vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
Velodyne says its solution can predict, diagnose and address road safety challenges, helping municipalities and other customers make informed decisions to take corrective action.
The firm insists that its product offers a lower price point because a single Lidar sensor installed on a traffic pole can cover an entire intersection or highway section compared to radar- and camera-based systems that typically need multiple sensors.
Velodyne’s Lidar sensors do not identify individuals’ facial characteristics - and Lidar has an advantage in privacy over camera-only systems because its does not record details like hair and skin colour, the company adds.
Additionally, Velodyne announced an agreement with Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (Cait) to deploy the solution equipped with its Alpha Prime Lidar sensors.
Cait is to install the solution at multiple intersections in New Brunswick, New Jersey, as part of the Middlesex County – Smart Mobility Testing Ground (MC-SMTG) project in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
The project will serve as a testbed for mobility data-gathering, analysis and sharing technologies that will help implement connected and autonomous vehicle systems in the future.
Cait director Dr. Ali Maher says: “The acquisition and analysis of mobility data is crucial to integrating autonomous vehicles, and creating a safer pedestrian and cycling environment."
Velodyne’s solution will play "a critical role in helping us create a safer environment for all road users", he added.
Velodyne Lidar CEO Anand Gopalan says: “Our solution, powered by Bluecity’s AI-powered traffic monitoring software platform, will be key in the efforts to transform our roads and transportation infrastructure into smart cities, paving the way for a more sustainable, safer future.”
The solution is already deployed in multiple North America cities, including in Quebec and British Columbia.
For example, Rogers Communications collaborated with Velodyne and Bluecity on a traffic monitoring system in the city of Kelowna, BC.
Neel Dayal, senior director, innovation and partnerships at Rogers, says: “The initiative showed how this Lidar-based solution can track near-misses of accidents at problematic intersections. By using the solution’s data, municipalities can do the critical work of improving roadway safety in a cost-effective and efficient way.”
