Bus Stop Monitoring for Smarter Urban Mobility: Start Romagna's Approach
Context and Objectives
In the context of public transport management and improving efficiency and safety, Start Romagna (https://www.startromagna.it/) embarked on an innovative project to optimize the monitoring of The Metro Mare bus stops, which connects Rimini to Riccione through the coast.
The main goal of the project was to collect data on various aspects related to bus stops, with a particular focus on:
Passenger Flow Monitoring: Collecting data on the number of passengers waiting and the average waiting time.
Cleanliness Analysis: Identifying abandoned trash or objects at bus stop areas.
Safety: Detecting possible aggressions or dangerous behaviors.
Unauthorized Presence Detection: Monitoring to identify the presence of vehicles, bicycles, or pedestrians on dedicated bus lanes, preventing violations of one-way lanes.
Real-Time Notifications: Sending immediate notifications to the central control room to ensure rapid responses in case of incidents or the need for intervention.
A crucial aspect of the project was that no additional hardware could be installed at the bus stops, meaning the solution had to integrate seamlessly with the existing infrastructure without causing disruptions or additional costs.
The Solution and Technologies
To address the challenge, an advanced technological solution was adopted that leveraged the already existing resources, with a particular focus on optimizing performance and managing real-time data.
Existing Video Stream: The solution utilizes the already installed surveillance cameras, connected via fiber optic cables. No additional hardware installation was needed, reducing costs and implementation time.
Centralized Server: A central server equipped with multiple GPUs (graphics processing units) was set up to allow parallel decoding and processing of the video streams. This approach ensured that data analysis was fast and without delays.
Real-Time AI Algorithms: Artificial intelligence algorithms were developed to continuously analyze passenger flows, cleanliness at bus stops, and safety. The algorithms were optimized to handle around 50 simultaneous video streams, ensuring continuous, real-time monitoring without compromising performance.
Low Latency Architecture: The design of the architecture ensured that data was processed in real-time with minimal latency, allowing for efficient management of multiple video streams.
Results and Impact
The project had a significant impact on public transport management in La Spezia, with several tangible improvements:
Improved Passenger Flow Control: Real-time data on the number of waiting passengers and average waiting time allowed for optimized service planning and timely responses to fluctuations in demand.
Bus Frequency Optimization: Passenger flow analysis enables more precise planning of bus frequencies, preventing overcrowding and improving service efficiency.
Increased Safety at Stops and Dedicated Lanes: Safety analysis, particularly detecting aggressive behavior, led to improved safety for both passengers and operators, with a positive impact on service quality, especially during night hours.
Obstacle Detection: The system helped prevent delays by detecting the unauthorized presence of vehicles or pedestrians on dedicated lanes, enabling the control room to intervene quickly to ensure rule compliance and prevent accidents.
Key Benefits
The project with Start Romagna provided several operational and strategic benefits:
Prevention of Unauthorized Occupancy on One-Way Lanes: The ability to monitor in real-time and detect the presence of vehicles or people on dedicated tracks, improved rule compliance and the fluidity of the service.
Increased Safety: The introduction of aggression detection algorithms enhanced safety, especially during night hours when the risk of incidents or dangerous behaviors is higher.
Improved Operational Efficiency: The integration of real-time surveillance data allows for more efficient bus management, optimizing response times, and improving emergency management.
Conclusion
The collaboration between Start Romagna and NCM technology demonstrated how artificial intelligence can significantly improve public transport management by optimizing passenger flows, enhancing safety at stops and along dedicated lanes, and ensuring greater operational efficiency.
The adoption of an AI-based solution that leverages existing resources is an example of how advanced technologies can be integrated in a sustainable and scalable manner to enhance the effectiveness of public services.