AI to make traffic safer for people with reduced mobility
People with reduced mobility face many obstacles and risks in traffic. To improve their safety, an interdisciplinary research team from the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers is developing an Artificial intelligence (AI) platform designed to support and facilitate the journey. This platform will be able to warn, assist and provide tips to the user in various traffic situations.
During the coming years, researchers at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Chalmers university and the University of Gothenburg, and the Department of Social Work at the University of Gothenburg, will explore how traffic can be made safer for people with disabilities.
“Currently, there is a significant lack of such data and technical orientation. If you have limited mobility, every step can be a calculated risk, and every intersection feels like an obstacle course. With this project, we strive to create a safer environment for more people”, says project leader Yinan Yu, who studies the use of AI at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in Gothenburg.
Through sensors on vehicles and by interviewing road users, the researchers will collect and process data to analyse movement patterns and identify safety challenges that people with reduced mobility face. The hope is to, with the help of AI, build an inclusive traffic monitoring system that is aware of its surroundings.
“Traffic safety must include everyone. We need safety systems that recognize the aids and movements of people with disabilities”, says Jörgen Lundälv, lecturer in Social Work at the University of Gothenburg.
Platform learning from the user
The goal of the project is to develop an automated AI platform that can learn from the user’s behaviour and preferences. The platform will also be able to provide feedback and suggestions on how road users can move safely in traffic.
"We want the system to adapt to different needs and situations. Therefore, it is important that we include people from different life conditions in the project, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, or those who use wheelchairs or walkers", says Jörgen Lundälv.
The hope is that the system will be able to warn and assist in potentially dangerous traffic situations, such as when a car is approaching or a confusing crosswalk. The platform will also be able to offer advice and tips on how to plan one’s route in a safe and comfortable way.
"We believe the results will benefit those reponsible for designing our traffic environments and vehicles, and ultimately contribute to a safer and more inclusive transport system," says Yinan Yu.
Text: Natalija Sako, communications officer Department of Computer Science and Engineering and Louise Älgne, communications officer Department of Social work
- The project is called “No AI About Us Without Us: Enhancing Safety for Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) with Reduced Mobility" and is abbreviated as NOAI.
- It runs from 2024 to 2026.
- The project has received 2.2 million SEK in funding from Vinnova and AoA Transport.
- The research is a collaboration between the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg, Chalmers Industrial Technology, the traffic research center SAFER, and the Department of Social Work at the University of Gothenburg.
- The responsible researchers in the project are Jörgen Lundälv (Social Work) and Yinan Yu (project leader and researcher in AI application at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering).
