Michelin, the world’s leading tire manufacturer, took advantage of the Public Works Association’s (PWX) annual convention to share its new artificial intelligence service from the Safer Roads Suite, “Near Miss / VRU”.

Before the start of the new school year, Michelin put itself in the spotlight on the mobility front. At the PWX trade show, held from August 28 to 31 in Charlotte, North Carolina, the French group presented the new service from its “Safer Roads” Suite, “Near Miss / VRU” (Vulnerable Road Users). This functionality responds to a growing problem in urban areas: the identification of risk areas for pedestrians and cyclists. The technology is based on a machine learning model and proprietary algorithms. In fact, Michelin DDi, the start-up behind the “Safer Roads” Suite, relies on its expertise in artificial intelligence to identify risk patterns and danger zones.

Safer Roads, a suite of services based on mobility and artificial intelligence

This service completes the “Safer Roads” Suite, one of the solutions developed by Michelin DDi, a start-up specialized in the processing and analysis of driving data. For the Michelin Group, this Suite confirms its expertise in data analysis and driving behavior.

Other services, such as “Atypical Turns”, are part of the Suite proposed by the French brand, which allows to anticipate the risk of extra-urban turns and their difficulties. More generally, Michelin DDi intends to make its mark on the mobility sector in the years to come, thanks in particular to robotic technologies.

What technologies related to artificial intelligence are proposed by Near Miss / VRU?

To operate in real time, the Near Miss / VRU service relies on five measurable traffic events, as well as on proprietary algorithms. According to Guillaume Puiseux, director of strategy and marketing at Michelin DDi, the urban environment is changing rapidly, and in order to cope with these increasing challenges, ” the ability to anticipate, identify and avoid these risk patterns creates a safer environment, not only for pedestrians and cyclists, but also for drivers.

The show was also an opportunity for Michelin DDi to be joined by RoadBotics, the latest acquisition by the Michelin Group. This start-up specializes in image analysis of road infrastructure and has strengthened Michelin’s ambitions in the area of artificial intelligence and mobility in tires.

Translated from Michelin accompagne piétons et cyclistes grâce à son nouveau service d’intelligence artificielle