Last year, 171 pedestrians in Virginia were killed in traffic crashes, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Researchers at Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute are trying to figure out if Artificial Intelligence might be able to prevent similar deaths.
“The numbers for pedestrian fatalities and injuries through crashes on the roadway are increasing,” said Mike Mollenhauer, who leads a team at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute studying how effective AI technology could be to help warn drivers, and pedestrians, about potential dangers.
“We’re trying to figure out why it’s happening and what we can do about it,” Mollenhauer said.
His team tested AI technology at an intersection on Virginia Tech’s Smart Road over three months, in collaboration with a Japanese company, NEC. They programmed the technology to be able to interpret if a vehicle, pedestrian or bicycle is approaching the intersection.
They were also recently awarded funding by the Virginia Department of Transportation to compare this technology with four others, to see whether lasers, cameras, or other movement sensors are most effective. They’re also studying how to best signal to people when there’s danger.
Mollenhauer said none of this technology is meant to replace the need for drivers to pay attention, but it could help enhance our ability to be more vigilant and watchful.
“It’s coming and it’s coming quite rapidly,” Mollenhauer said. “I think in the next year or two you’re gonna see those deployments in a much broader scale.”
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
