Shared micro mobile company Voi is deploying e-scooters in Oslo, Norway with Drover AI’s computer vision technology that can determine if the scooter is on a sidewalk, road or bike lane to help prevent ride on the sidewalk.
As the mobile industry consolidates around a few key players and cities become more discerning about which operators they allow on their streets, operators are looking for ways to have more attractive to cities. If there’s one thing cities seem to hate more than sidewalk scooters, it’s ownership why Scooter riders from the start have been on the sidewalk and met with dedicated bike lanes. As a result, its operators like Elephant have switched to advanced driver assistance system to bring them a good reputation.
And it seems to be working.
Elephant, which has been active in Oslo for more than two years, recently bid for another year, with Tier and Bolt (Bolt is one of Drover’s other customers, as are Spin, Beam, Helbiz, and Fenix.) According to a person familiar with the matter, the inclusion of Drover’s technology is one of the reasons Elephant’s Parking & Safety score on its app ranks highest among 12 companies that also participated. .
Of the 2,000 scooters the Swedish startup is rolling out in Oslo, hundreds will be equipped with Drover’s PathPilot AI technology over the next few months. Drover’s technology is not only capable of detecting when a driver is on the sidewalk or parking the scooter inappropriately, but it can also warn drivers of their behavior and even slow them to a stop. again. These more concerning possibilities are up to the discretion of the operator and the city, and Voi has yet to clarify how or if it will step in if a motorist is engaged in misconduct.
This is not the first time Elephant has deployed camera-based technology to prevent scooter riding or parking on sidewalks. Last summer, Elephant launches a UK pilot with Dublin-based Luna study how smart AI cameras can help better assist with scooter parking, prevent sidewalk rides, and avoid potential hazards. A spokesperson for Voi told TechCrunch that the partnership with Drover is similar, though it will also help improve geofencing capabilities to manage how and where the scooters are driven and parked. , and it will be done on a large scale.
Elephant also intends to use its partnership with Drover to build a profile of where and how to ride scooters in Oslo. PathPilot will automatically provide insights into fleet usage or driver behavior that Voi says it can share with Oslo City Council to help improve service by optimizing location. location of the e-scooter or recognize a dropped scooter to be picked up by Elephant workers, the company said.
