This joint project is the first for Volkswagen globally. The company says that its software could have applications in various multi-modal transportation solutions in cities worldwide.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) and the City of Carmel, IN, have a research project that uses existing city cameras and Volkswagen machine-vision software to help optimize traffic flows, analyze street usage patterns and support emergency response.
The city will have a dashboard that gathers data from various locations and highlights key learnings. The software does not track individuals or individual vehicles; it automatically pixelates faces and license plates. Still, there are privacy concerns here. The software also does not store images, but only the counting data it generates, as a further form of privacy protection. Still, there are privacy concerns here as there is no assurance that tracking could be enabled.
This joint project is the first for Volkswagen globally. The company says that its software could have applications in various multi-modal transportation solutions in cities worldwide. The project actually grew from an advanced machine-vision software that Volkswagen developed in-house to help optimize production. In Wolfsburg, Germany, Europe’s biggest automotive factory, and VW’s EV hub in Zwickau, the software is used in cameras for quality checks on vehicle assembly and in logistics. The developers think the software could have applications in a city environment.
Using cameras already in place around key Carmel intersections, the Volkswagen software will analyze traffic flow of cars and bicycles, pedestrian movement and other data such as parking spot use to help city planners identify trends in mobility and usage. It can also provide an automated data snapshot of an intersection or street location to support emergency responses and reaction to natural disasters. It could in theory help with immediate needs, such as the flow of traffic before and after major events. An efficient traffic flow could also help to reduce environmental impact of transportation.
“The future of transportation will require more data connections and sophisticated analysis than ever before,” said Johan de Nysschen, chief operating officer at Volkswagen Group of America. “We see our tool as an opportunity to provide cities with more usable data on mobility to help shape their future transportation needs.”
Teams at Volkswagen Group in Germany have been in discussion with other cities around the world about deploying machine vision software and believe it could have applications in various multi-modal transportation solutions.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Volkswagen, Carmel, IN to Test Cameras and Machine Vision Software to Speed Traffic. Potential Privacy Threats?
This joint project is the first for Volkswagen globally. The company says that its software could have applications in various multi-modal transportation solutions in cities worldwide.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) and the City of Carmel, IN, have a research project that uses existing city cameras and Volkswagen machine-vision software to help optimize traffic flows, analyze street usage patterns and support emergency response.
The city will have a dashboard that gathers data from various locations and highlights key learnings. The software does not track individuals or individual vehicles; it automatically pixelates faces and license plates. Still, there are privacy concerns here. The software also does not store images, but only the counting data it generates, as a further form of privacy protection. Still, there are privacy concerns here as there is no assurance that tracking could be enabled.
This joint project is the first for Volkswagen globally. The company says that its software could have applications in various multi-modal transportation solutions in cities worldwide. The project actually grew from an advanced machine-vision software that Volkswagen developed in-house to help optimize production. In Wolfsburg, Germany, Europe’s biggest automotive factory, and VW’s EV hub in Zwickau, the software is used in cameras for quality checks on vehicle assembly and in logistics. The developers think the software could have applications in a city environment.
Using cameras already in place around key Carmel intersections, the Volkswagen software will analyze traffic flow of cars and bicycles, pedestrian movement and other data such as parking spot use to help city planners identify trends in mobility and usage. It can also provide an automated data snapshot of an intersection or street location to support emergency responses and reaction to natural disasters. It could in theory help with immediate needs, such as the flow of traffic before and after major events. An efficient traffic flow could also help to reduce environmental impact of transportation.
“The future of transportation will require more data connections and sophisticated analysis than ever before,” said Johan de Nysschen, chief operating officer at Volkswagen Group of America. “We see our tool as an opportunity to provide cities with more usable data on mobility to help shape their future transportation needs.”
Teams at Volkswagen Group in Germany have been in discussion with other cities around the world about deploying machine vision software and believe it could have applications in various multi-modal transportation solutions.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.