AUTONEWS

AI will limit the speed of electric scooters in Australia

Australian e-scooter and bike-sharing company Beam is preparing to test the Pedestrian Shield system, which automatically limits vehicle speed on sidewalks and in difficult environments.

The technology will be tested in several Australian state capitals. The Pedestrian Shield uses an AI system developed by Drover AI – the module is capable of recognizing streets, sidewalks and bike lanes, even using just an integrated camera, so no one has to scrupulously mark territory on GPS maps.

Local city councils or fleet operators may set speed limits at their discretion. In the case of Beam, there is a speed limit of up to 25 km/h on the road and bike lanes and of up to 15 km/h on the sidewalk.

At the same time, the system is capable of more – the Drover solution will be able to determine whether users park electric scooters in permitted locations. For example, to avoid leaving vehicles in multi-story parking lots with weak GPS signals or recklessly riding a scooter in shopping malls, Drover can shut down vehicles in these locations.

In addition to scooters, the system is able to function similarly to electric bicycles and, although it somewhat limits users' freedom of decision, it is an interesting technological solution for urban environments, which can partially guarantee the safety of pedestrians. As reported on the Beam website, the next phase of testing will begin mid-year, during which the AI ​​will begin to avoid collisions with pedestrians based on the camera's video analysis.

AVnews