Kentyou is thrilled to announce its participation in the groundbreaking AI4LIFE project, an initiative aimed at transforming urban intersection management through advanced artificial intelligence solutions.
Funded by EIT Urban Mobility, this project addresses critical urban challenges by targeting intersections, which are key bottlenecks in city infrastructure and hotspots for traffic accidents.
The Urgent Need of Addressing Traffic Congestion and Pollution in Urban Areas
Cities are responsible for approximately 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with road transportation contributing a quarter of these emissions. Traffic congestion alone costs Europe €110 billion annually, exacerbating air pollution-related health issues and resulting in several hundred billion euros in economic costs. This congestion not only leads to wasted time and productivity losses but also contributes to severe air pollution, which in turn causes numerous health problems and inflates healthcare costs by several hundred billion euros annually.
Beyond the economic and environmental toll, urban traffic poses a grave risk to public safety. Each year, 20,000 people lose their lives in road accidents across Europe, with 40% of these fatalities occurring in city environments and 50% at intersections. These figures underscore the critical need for smarter, safer intersection management systems.
The AI4LIFE project aims to address these multifaceted challenges by developing an integrated, AI-based smart intersection management system. This system is designed to reduce congestion, thereby cutting greenhouse gas emissions and reclaiming hours otherwise lost in traffic. By optimizing traffic flow and reducing stop-and-go driving conditions, AI4LIFE will help lower urban pollution levels, contributing to cleaner air and healthier cities.
AI4LIFE: Scaling Up for Urban Traffic Solutions
The AI4LIFE project builds on Kentyou’s successful collaboration with Columbia University, where an initial proof of concept focused on a single intersection. This research demonstrated the potential of AI-driven intersection management and earned recognition as a winner in IDC Government Insight’s 2023 Smart Cities North America Awards in the transportation category.
Now, AI4LIFE aims to scale this concept significantly by piloting the technology in two major cities: Istanbul, Turkey, and Santander, Spain. These pilots will involve more than 70 intersections and integrate over 1,000 diverse data sources, including cameras, sensors, mobile apps, and open-data platforms. This extensive data integration will leverage our Eclipse sensiNact platformand its ability to harmonize heterogeneous data sources.
Also central to the project’s success is the Kentyou Eye hypervisor, a cutting-edge solution that gathers insights from the multitude of integrated data sources. The Kentyou Eye hypervisor provides comprehensive analytics visualization and decision support capabilities, enabling city planners and traffic managers to make informed, real-time decisions. By harnessing the power of advanced AI and machine learning algorithms, the system can predict traffic patterns, optimize signal timings, and proactively address potential safety hazards, thereby improving traffic flow and reducing accident risks.
These large-scale pilots will serve as critical demonstrations of the AI4LIFE system’s capabilities. The insights gained from these pilots will be invaluable in refining the technology and developing robust commercial strategies for widespread adoption.
Collaboration for a Smarter, Safer Future
The AI4LIFE project unites the expertise of two complementary enterprises: ISBAK and Kentyou and of the research teams of the University of Cantabria.
ISBAK, the municipal company of Istanbul, will contribute its cutting-edge Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure and an innovative adaptive signalized intersection management system. Kentyou, an award-winning startup known for its pioneering work in AI-driven data platforms, will offer its interoperable data solutions and visualization and decision-making support tools.
The collaborative effort in the two pilot cities will showcase the effectiveness of the integrated solutions in diverse urban environments, laying the groundwork for scaling the technology across Europe and beyond.
“We are excited to be part of the AI4LIFE project and to bring our expertise in AI-driven data platforms to the table,” said Levent Gürgen, Kentyou’s CEO.
“By integrating our technology with ISBAK’s advanced intersection management systems, we aim to create safer, more efficient urban environments that significantly reduce emissions and improve the quality of life for citizens.”
As cities continue to grow and the pressures on urban infrastructure intensify, the AI4LIFE project represents a vital step towards smarter, greener, and safer urban intersections. Stay tuned for more updates on our journey to reshape urban mobility and contribute to a sustainable future.
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