Artificial Intelligence to crack down on e-scooter hoons

Artificial intelligence will crack down on e-scooter riders who flout speed limits on Tasmania’s footpaths, following recent complaints. SEE THE LATEST RULES >>

Artificial intelligence will crack down on e-scooter riders who flout speed limits on Tasmania’s footpaths.

On Thursday Beam announced the launch of phase one of Pedestrian Shield, an AI that can distinguish between road and pavement surfaces and forcibly slow down riders.

It comes after complaints of riders ignoring the speed limits on Tasmanian footpaths, which are capped at 15km per hour in Hobart and Launceston.

On one occasion a mainlander rammed full-speed into an elderly lady leaving the Brew Cafe on Sandy Bay Road.

Beam’s Australian general manager Tom Cooper said this was cutting edge technology that would revolutionise the micromobility industry.

St. J's Deli owner Ben Korkmaz as part of the Beam e scooter trial at Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

“This trial is the first of its kind in Australia, and one we hope will set a new standard of micromobility technology in the country.

“As micromobility becomes more commonplace in cities, we believe its usage will only continue to increase exponentially, with more citizens engaging on the streets and leaving their cars behind.

Beam has signalled that mid-2022 they will be rolling out phase two of Pedestrian Shield, with new AI programs able to detect pedestrians and prevent crashes.

The data gathered in the trial cities will power a nationwide roll-out of the technology later this year.

Beam Group’s Chief Technology Officer Deb Gangopadhyay said this technology no longer relied on old GPS technology.

“The majority of pavement detection technology relies on positioning like GPS and detailed mapping of every road and pavement in a city,” Mr Gangopadhyay said.

“These solutions are not scalable and are unreliable due to the proximity of roads and pavements within a single metre.

“Pedestrian shield uses an on-board camera that detects when riders are riding on pavements instantly and accurately without the need for precise mapping and perfect positioning.”