Data fusion from speed cameras can make Europe’s cities safer
Originally published Tue. 09. Apr. 2024
By Peter Liljenberg
One of the first to test and develop their AI-powered technology at CitCom.ai’s facilities is a Belgian company with a history that pre-dates both the personal computer and the television. Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Macq has plenty of experience in adopting new technologies and is now investing in AI across its product range, hoping CitCom.ai can offer proof of a new concept for safer roads.
Macq is a key player in supporting municipal decision-makers with insightful data and analytics through the instalment of advanced sensors and cameras. Their platform is designed to be both modular and user-friendly, simplifying the deployment process. The cameras provided are not only high in performance but also easy to use and versatile in their functionality – they are also at the heart of the latest AI-testing in CitCom.ai’s Northern Supernode.
Fusing camera and sensor data in a Danish living lab
Through a partnership with DOLL Living Lab, which offers mobility test infrastructure in Albertslund, Denmark, they are now testing the fusion of data from their latest QCAM cameras and Qsense-Air, an environmental sensor. When combined they can provide unprecedented, detailed analyses of specific areas in a wide range of categories, from air quality and weather conditions to vehicle types, speed and traffic flow – down to details such as if front passengers are using their mobile phones or even wearing seatbelts.
Speed detection technology catches authorities’ attention
But it’s the potential impact of their highly accurate speed detection technology that is currently catching an interest with local authorities and city planners. By monitoring vehicles along a chosen entry and exit point of a road, they can obtain the average speed of each individual vehicle, and thereby empower the local public administrators to issue fines for drivers who would otherwise; literally, go under the police radars spot-checks, who typically only focuses on the worst offenders.
“We don’t want a spot fine cash cow, but a real change of behaviour – this is what municipalities get with section monitoring. It offers them a powerful and holistic tool to fusion data from a variety of sources to reduce the environmental impact from traffic and increase the safety in selected areas,” says Jean-François Coppieters, account manager at Macq.
The system can also predict different scenarios in a city, for example, traffic density, depending on what sensor data is available. And even when sensor data is lacking, from smaller roads in the network for instance, the algorithm can still predict with a high accuracy the likelihood of traffic spill-over to the rest of the road network.
Regulatory approval paves the way for expansion
European regulation is a major obstacle to the homologation of new technology, and so far, Macq has had the blessing from the authorities in Belgium and Lithuania so far and hopes to finalise the procedure with Austria, Poland, Slovenia and Switzerland before the end of this year.
“Through our partnership with DOLL and CitCom.ai, we can enhance our ecosystem presence and increase our market reach. By leveraging our 25-year legacy in mobility and our innovative use of AI to augment our comprehensive offerings, we also show our commitment to integrate more diverse data and models,” he says.
Read more from Macq
Macq Explores Opportunities with CitCom.ai TEF for Market Expansion
Belgian tech company Macq is using the CitCom.ai TEF platform to expand its smart mobility and data-driven solutions into new markets, forge partnerships, and help shape EU regulations around mobility technology. Representatives Jean-François Coppieters and Jean-François Delplace see the initiative as a way to harmonize fragmented city-level standards through shared data fusion and common platforms. Ultimately, Macq hopes CitCom.ai will help launch collaborative smart city projects that bring consistent, scalable solutions across Europe.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.