Turning bus stops into data centres and cameras with AI to improve bus lane circulation, the two winning projects by Barcelona Innova Mobility LAB
These projects, submitted by the companies Buspas and Hayden AI, are the winners of the challenge launched by Barcelona City Council, via collaboration between its Area for Mobility and the BIT Habitat Foundation, TMB and Fira de Barcelona, in order to road test innovative solutions in a real environment.
There are now two winning projects in the challenge to improve the efficiency of the bus network, set by Barcelona City Council, via its Area for Mobility and the BIT Habitat Foundation, the municipal urban-innovation agency, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) and Fira de Barcelona. The competition, launched in February, had a twofold objective that the selected projects needed to resolve: to improve the experience of service users and to optimise travelling times.
The first solution aims to provide the bus stops real-time information and data, about the city’s bus network in particular and its roadways in general, while the bus stops themselves compile and provide information on what is happening in the surrounding area. The second uses artificial intelligence to detect, from the bus itself, the occupation of bus lanes and bus stops, with the aim of improving commercial speed. Both solutions comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) at a European level.
A total of 25 proposals were submitted to the challenge by both national and international companies from various European, American and Asian countries, including Canada, France and South Korea, thanks in part to the support and dissemination provided by Acció, through its Foreign Offices Network.
Smart bus stops
The first winning project, submitted by the Canadian firm Buspas, offers new technology for bus stops that functions as an information screen for passengers and as a data centre that transforms the existing bus shelter infrastructure into a connected environment. Buspas aims to improve the overall experience for bus-service users via the creation of a comprehensive, accessible information system that provides real-time updates and data on the bus network, while also offering real-time information to the transport operator on what is happening at the bus stop, in order to provide better service.
The project has a sixteen-month schedule from production, prototype testing, installation to testing in a real environment. The project will receive €97,200, covering 80% of the total cost.
AI to improve the commercial speed of the bus network
The second project, from the American company Hayden AI, uses computer vision, cameras and sensors with 5G connectivity to protect bus lanes and bus stops. The system, which is installed inside buses, can identify parked vehicles that obstruct traffic and uses technology and artificial intelligence to help understand how, where and when these stationary vehicles at bus stops and in bus lanes affect the functioning of public transport. This makes it possible to improve traffic flow in bus lanes and optimise their commercial speed.
What makes the system unique is that it can be installed inside buses, thereby protecting it from meteorological conditions and external factors, while maintaining the complete precision of the situation-capture systems. In addition to detecting vehicles parked in bus lanes, the technology and artificial intelligence are also used to help understand how the obstructions at bus stops and in bus lanes affect the speed of public transport.
The Hayden AI perception platform only uploads the data necessary for detecting traffic offences in bus lanes, making it possible to identify the points in the network that cause a greater decrease in bus speeds. The pilot test will last six months, and will receive €100,000 in funding, covering 50% of the total cost.
Furthermore, the two winning projects will get international exposure, as that they will be taking part in the next edition of Tomorrow Mobility, which is taking place in November, along with the Smart City Expo World Congress, at the Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue.
Barcelona Innova Mobility Lab
This new call for applications is part of the Barcelona Innova Mobility Lab initiative, promoted by Barcelona City Council through its Area for Mobility, BIT Habitat and Fira de Barcelona, with the aim of fostering and facilitating pilot projects and new projects in the area of smart, sustainable urban mobility, in order to diversify the city’s economy and consolidate Barcelona as the Southern European capital for innovation in mobility.
This is the second mobility challenge to be launched as part of this programme, after it began last year with two pilot projects focusing on improving traffic safety for motorcycles, which are now being fully implemented.
