AI to Boost Ford’s e-Scooter Safety and Security
Ford’s micro-mobility unit, Spin, will incorporate AI technology into its e-scooter share scheme in a bid to boost rider safety and vehicle security.
It has partnered with Drover AI to incorporate that company’s PathPilot technology into the next generation of is Spin Insight e-scooter monitoring platform to cities in the United States, across the United Kingdom and other regions around the world in 2021. The platform equips Spin’s vehicles with a camera, an array of sensors and on-board computing power.
AI enables the on-board technology to adapt and scale up to new environments, allowing an e-scooter to understand its surroundings in real time and assist riders in making safe riding decisions. Similar to a car’s ADAS, on-board sensors can help riders with local regulation compliance enforcement and create a safer experience for riders and pedestrians.
It claims to be also able to share insights with cities about the prevalence and location of pavement riding and bike lane riding, which can be used to identify potential congestion issues and road damage and highlight areas that may benefit from infrastructure improvements. Eventually, the technology could include detecting wrong-way riding, adjusting vehicle speed based on riding conditions and collision warnings.
Derrick Ko, chief executive officer at Spin, said: This is Spin’s latest step in building trust in e-scooters among consumers and cities by enabling technology that creates a safer riding experience for riders and pedestrians. With nearly all municipalities prohibiting scooter use on pavements, Spin Insight data, in combination with Spin’s in-app mapping technology that enables riders to find routes that maximize bike lane use, can be used as a key tool by cities to help enforce local regulations and promote safe riding behaviors in dense, urban environments.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
