 | |
| Industry | Artificial Intelligence |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Alexander Jannink and Ravin Mirchandani |
| Headquarters |
Queen Street,
Melbourne, Australia |
Number of employees | 105 |
| Website |
www |
Acusensus is a technology company that provides automated recognition of drivers using mobile phones while driving in order to enforce traffic safety laws intended to prevent distracted driving. [1]
History
Acusensus was founded in 2018 by Alexander Jannink and Ravin Mirchandani. It is headquartered in Queen Street, Melbourne, Australia. [2] Jannink was inspired to co-found the company after a friend riding a bicycle was killed by a driver who was allegedly driving drunk and using a cell phone. [3] Jannink wanted to address issues of road safety, where fatality rates have been increasing since 2013. [3] With Mirchandani, the chairman of Ador Powertron, an Indian industrial electronics company, raised $600,000 to launch the company, and enrolled it in an accelerator program at the University of Melbourne. [3] [4]
In 2018, Acusensus led a three-month-long trial in partnership with Transport for NSW to test its technology for detecting the illegal use of mobile phones while driving, such as texting or accepting incoming calls while holding the phone. The trial was a success, detecting the illegal use of mobile phones by 11,000 drivers, who were issued warning letters. [5] It was followed by an operational pilot in two Sydney locations from January to April 2019. [5] Transport for NSW believes the pilot to have been the first of its kind in the world. [6] It successfully detected 100,000 drivers using a mobile device illegally among 8,500,000 vehicles checked. [7] [8]
The project drew scrutiny from the state's Privacy Commissioner, who raised concerns about the legality of collecting personal information of every individual in a vehicle that passed the pilot's cameras, even those that were determined to be non-offenders, and urged Transport for NSW to develop a policy that balanced the public interest in improving road safety with the risk of privacy harms. [9] Transport for NSW made the program permanent starting in December 2019. [8] During the first three months, violators received warning letters, and enforcement via fines and demerit points began on 1 March 2020. [10]
Acusensus's technology has since been used in similar pilots in the United Kingdom [11] and Canada, [12] [13] and in a New South Wales trial that examined compliance with stop signs at railway crossings. [14] In January 2023, Acusensus listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. [15]
References
- ^ Mohn, Tanya (2022-04-19). "Can A.I. All but End Car Crashes? The Potential Is There". New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
- ^ "Contact Us About Road Safety Solutions and More". Acusensus. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ a b c Waters, Cara (2019-09-01). "Tragedy inspires Alex to tackle mobile phone use by drivers". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ Pearce, Rohan (2019-09-23). "Road safety: NSW says mobile phone detection program a 'world first'". Computerworld. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ a b Walker, Christopher (2019-06-26). "Digital regulation: Transforming policy frameworks, implementation and delivery systems" (PDF). International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP4).
- ^ "World first mobile phone camera detection pilot". Transport for NSW. 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- ^ "AI cameras to catch texting Australian drivers". BBC News. 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- ^ a b Frost, Adam (2019-12-20). "Thousands of drivers caught using a phone during first week of Australian program". Traffic Technology Today. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Matt (2019-07-18). "High-tech cameras to nab motorists catch eye of Privacy Commissioner". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
- ^ "Mobile phone detection cameras - Mobile phone use - Staying safe". NSW Centre for Road Safety. Transport for NSW. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- ^ "Pioneering cameras that catch drivers on their phone to be trialed in Devon and Cornwall". Devon County Council. 2022-09-23. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
- ^ "Future of distracted driving technology makes Edmonton pitch". CBC. 2022-12-12.
- ^ Panza-Beltrandi, Gabriela (2022-09-13). "Could artificial intelligence catch distracted drivers in Edmonton? U of A piloting program". CBC News.
- ^ "Camera trial reveals drivers failing to stop at regional NSW rail crossings with 'disturbing and alarming' regularity". ABC News (Australia). 2022-06-23. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
- ^ "Maddocks advises road safety technology developed Acusensus on IPO…". Maddocks. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
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