A Bulgarian company offers a smart walkway/pedestrian crossing with artificial intelligence

A Bulgarian SME with experience in the R&D of specialised technologies, products, and engineering solutions has developed an automated smart system for light signalisation of pedestrian crossings / walkways using artificial intelligence (AI) for more safety and traffic control on the roads. The company is looking for commercial agreements with technical assistance with interested companies and public authorities.

The Bulgarian company was established in 2011 and has an experienced team of researchers and engineers in the field of innovative solutions applicable in urban environment, sensors, control measurement systems and devices. A pedestrian crossing is a place designated for pedestrians to cross a road keeping them together where they can be seen by drivers, and where they can cross most safely across the flow of traffic. Marked pedestrian crossings are often found at intersections, but may also be at other points on busy roads that would otherwise be too unsafe to cross without assistance due to vehicle numbers, speed or road widths. They are also commonly installed where large numbers of pedestrians are attempting to cross (such as in shopping areas) or where vulnerable road users (such as school children) regularly cross. Nevertheless, a lot of accidents still happen on pedestrian crossings due to low visibility or insufficient driver alerting and signalisation. The proposed system gives early signalisation to the drivers concerning the presence of pedestrians, indicating the direction of crossing even before they have stepped on the roadway. Every module of the system is a microcomputer that receives information about light intensity, depending on the illumination of the environment and the transparency of the air. On the basis of the data received from the sensors, the main computer determines which changes of intensity are necessary during the day and night, whether it is raining or snowing or if fog is present. The main computer also determines the speed of the light wave, the period for signalling, etc. The normal work of the mounted light signalisation can be controlled via a GPRS (general packet radio service) line at a control centre for the management and diagnostics of the equipment. When a pedestrian is recognized the main computer sends signals to the light modules, mounted on the roadway, and thus, signalisation is generated in the form of a running light wave. Pedestrians in the crossing zone are recognized by infrared sensors especially designed for the purpose, ensuring high reliability of the recognition algorithm. When any of the sensors malfunction the system switches automatically to emergency mode and indicates the presence of pedestrians on both sides of the roadway to the drivers. The system also has prototypes of sensors developed to measure the traffic and speed of the vehicles passing on the roadway where the system is mounted. The SME is looking for commercial agreements with technical assistance with interested companies and municipalities in order to implement the system or to integrate the innovative solution in existing solutions / projects, receiving the necessary technical assistance from the developer.