The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology showcased artificial intelligence (AI) technology that automatically recognizes and regulates abandoned electric kickboards on the street.
Shared personal mobility devices (PM), represented by electric kickboards and electric bicycles, are gaining attention as environmentally friendly means of transportation that enhance mobility convenience in urban areas. However, the issue of illegal parking has become serious, threatening pedestrian safety and causing inconvenience for the mobility-impaired, thus surfacing as a social problem.
Some local governments, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, have enacted a 'local government ordinance on enhancing the safety of personal mobility device use' based on the Road Traffic Act, and are implementing administrative measures such as movement, storage, and sale for illegally abandoned shared PM. The problem is that these measures rely on manpower-centric methods like citizen reports and on-site regulation, which reduces their effectiveness.
The research team at the Road Traffic Research Institute of the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology developed a technology that uses AI to automatically detect illegal parking of shared PM by analyzing existing public CCTV footage, assessing the risk based on whether a device has fallen and the duration of parking. This technology can identify the operating companies based on the shapes and colors of each device and prioritize movement action according to the risk level of illegally parked shared PM.
Using existing public CCTV incurs no additional infrastructure installation expenses. The institute is transferring this technology to PINTEL to assist in its commercialization.
Park Sun-kyu, head of the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, noted, 'This technology development will secure pedestrian safety and greatly enhance the management efficiency of shared PM in urban areas,' adding, 'We will continue to strive for research and development for the creation of a safe traffic environment.'