DCU researcher Chinmaya Kaundanya is working with Luna Systems to make eScooters safer for users and those around them; employing AI to improve errant shared scooter riding behaviors such as footpath riding, collisions and disorderly parking.

‘We are developing tech that helps make shared e-scooter riding a safer experience with the goal of supporting the shared micromobility industry to deliver a more scalable service,’ says Kaundanya. ‘More and more cities are realising the potential of AI to provide a level of practical intervention, which keeps riders and pedestrians safe. This is reflected in the increasing number of cities requesting Computer Vision capabilities as part of their list of prerequisites from operators’.

Kaundanya’s work is predicated on a sustainability model. ‘My research at Luna is focused on compressing AI models into very low spec hardware,’ he says. His work to date also includes a focus on privacy – to ensure data protection for pedestrians and other road users, including facial and license plate blurring.’