SmartWitness highlights cloud-based AI benefits
Camera telematics provider SmartWitness has launched a new technology package which offers cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) functionality for fleets without the need for expensive camera upgrades.
SmartWitness MD Fearghal MacGowan (pictured) said one of the key advances in telematics this year is artificial intelligence and machine learning, which offer major improvements in safety. The main barrier to fleet implementation is cost, but now the company says it has come up with a solution.
“The problem with most AI telematics solutions is they have crammed all this new functionality into the camera, which makes the device really big, and increases the cost dramatically,” said Fearghal MacGowan.
“That’s why SmartWitness have launched a suite of new AI software that deals with most of the number crunching in the cloud, so there’s no need for expensive hardware upgrades.”
Cited benefits of the SmartWitness AI tech package include AIDE (Artificial Intelligence Driving Events) software, which is said to provide up to 10 times better data analysis, fewer false positives and improved contextual analysis, leading to increased safety.
“Our AIDE AI cloud software is an event analysis solution that reduces false-positive reports of risky driving behaviour tenfold, by applying contextual factors such as road type, elevation, weather conditions and traffic patterns to video captured by SmartWitness cameras,” Fearghal continued.
“This not only increases fleet manager productivity by eliminating hours of unnecessary video review, but also helps improve fleet safety and overcome driver resistance to camera deployments by avoiding inaccurate driver scoring and unneeded coaching sessions.”
He added: “We have also recently launched our SmartID software which uses facial recognition to automatically identify the person behind the wheel. This removes the need for ID codes and key fobs, and ensures that data from every trip is attributed to the correct driver.”
Meanwhile, the CARE (Computer Analysed Risk Evaluation) system offers machine learning analysis which uses video footage to spot problematic driver behaviour, including distraction such as mobile phone use, or fatigue.
Fearghal concluded: “What makes the SmartWitness tech package unique is that you can do all of these things with any of our non AI cameras. The barrier to entry for many fleets for AI technology is the cost, but we’ve now found a way to get these key capabilities with a non AI camera.”
