SCCH: Smart Truck Turning Assistant with Artificial Intelligence

AVI Systems GmbH and Software Competence Center Hagenberg GmbH (SCCH) are among Austria’s top innovators in 2019!

 Accompanied by three company representatives and Dr Bernhard A. Moser, Research Director at Software Competence Center Hagenberg, Andreas Reichhardt, Federal Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technology, congratulated Johannes Traxler, CEO and founder of AVI Systems, on the development of the “CAREYE Safety Angle”. It is one of three submissions in the category “Safe design for mobility. Minimizing risks.” that were nominated for the 2019 Austrian State Mobility Award.

Recognition 

This year there were 96 submissions in four categories. In the category “Safe design for mobility. Minimizing risks.” AVI Systems GmbH and its research partner Software Competence Center Hagenberg were shortlisted by the panel of expert judges as one of 2019’s top innovators for their submission “Intelligent Road Traffic”.

The CAREYE Safety Angle intelligent truck turning assistant  

AVI Systems is a pioneer in the development of functionally safe video recognition systems. These systems use deep learning technologies to increase road safety. There are too many injuries and deaths on Austria’s roads. One problem is the so-called blind spot, which is the area to the side of the vehicle, or in front of it or behind it, which is concealed despite rear-view mirrors. The larger the vehicle the larger this area, and consequently the greater the danger of failing to see pedestrians or cyclists. To help remedy this, AVI Systems cooperated with Software Competence Center Hagenberg to develop an intelligent turning assistant, or blind spot assistant, for lorries, buses and commercial, special-purpose and emergency vehicles.

A research partner with expertise

The intelligent turning assistant uses deep learning technology to recognize pedestrians and cyclists in potentially hazardous areas in the blind spot. Acoustic and visual signals them alert the driver to the danger reliably and in real time. “One of the central tasks in this project was to adapt current deep learning methods so they can be used for object and person recognition and semantic situation recognition,” says Dr Bernhard A. Moser of Software Competence Center Hagenberg, explaining the challenges. A second research project is already in the pipeline. “In the next phase we aim to predict people’s behaviour,” says Moser.

The future of mobility

“For us, the future of mobility looks like this,” explains Johannes Traxler, CEO of AVI Systems GmbH: “Road users of all ages and genders are on the move in safety and without accidents on the roads of Austria at all times of the day and night. Pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users and other road users of all ages and genders have the security of knowing that the turning assistant recognizes them in the blind spot at all times and in real time, reliably alerting drivers to their position with acoustic and visual signals. This means that drivers react immediately and avoid potential accidents.” AVI SYSTEMS GmbH not only increases safety on the roads, but is also an expert in ultra-safe video sensors in the automotive industry, on public transport, in industrial quality assurance and traffic engineering.

Cover photo: Team AVI Systems and SCCH: All smiles after receiving the award
Michael Breiter, AVI Systems GmbH, Johannes Traxler, AVI Systems GmbH, Dr Bernhard Moser, SCCH GmbH, Wolfgang Schreder, AVI Systems GmbH, Daniel Hamann, AVI Systems GmbH
Credit: Min. of Transport, Innovation and Technology/Christoph Breneis

Photo 2: CAREYE turning assistant in operation
Credit: AVI Systems

Photo 3: Detecting people in the blind spot
The turning assistant protects people in the blind spot
Credit: AVI Systems