Tag Archives: smart transportation

Notes from the field: checking out the potential of LSEVs

October 21, 2019 Richard Brown Leave a comment

Unable to find a taxi or bus to my hotel from the Confucius Museum in Qufu, I had just about reconciled myself to a long walk back when an old guy driving a small red contraption beeped his horn from behind and asked me if I wanted a ride.

It was only when I got inside the cramped rear of it that I realized I was sitting in a so-called LSEV (Low Speed Electric Vehicle). These small battery-powered vehicles are mainly manufactured in Shandong province, of which Qufu is the capital, and are touted by some observers such as David Li and Clayton Christenson for their disruptive potential because of their low cost (below $5,000), ease of design and manufacturing, and multiple potential last-mile mobility applications. It is estimated that 1.75 million LSEVs were sold in China in 2017. Continue reading Notes from the field: checking out the potential of LSEVs →

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Notes from the field: VIA showcases safety solutions at CIIF 2019

October 1, 2019 Richard Brown Leave a comment

VIA recently returned to Shanghai for the China International Industry Fair 2019 (CIIF 2019), where we showcased our latest transportation, industrial, and smart city solutions. The headline act was the VIA Mobile360 Forklift Safety Kit – a highly-customizable computer vision system designed to reduce accidents and fatalities in warehouses and shop floors. Other highlights included the VIA Mobile360 D700 Drive Recorder and the latest VIA Smart Facial Recognition system. Continue reading Notes from the field: VIA showcases safety solutions at CIIF 2019 →

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Why drive recorders can help improve ridesharing services

August 13, 2019 Richard Brown Leave a comment

Ridesharing companies and their drivers provide a convenient answer to some of the 21st century’s most pressing transport problems. With millions of worldwide users, Uber, Lyft, DiDi and their rivals provide a valuable service, but the disruptive nature of this service can present additional challenges relating to unprofessional, and even criminal behavior from a small minority of drivers. By investing in drive recording technology, ridesharing operators are far better equipped to protect passengers, drivers, and their reputation.

Like so many other disruptive technologies, it’s hard to imagine a world without ridesharing and ride-hailing companies like Uber. Founded in 2009, Uber has grown to account for a staggering 5.23 billion rides globally in 2018, with the company now operating in nearly 800 towns and cities worldwide. For millions of city-dwellers, Uber and its competitors have become a popular choice for commuters, beating more traditional transportation options in terms of convenience, value and integration with our increasingly digitized lives. Continue reading Why drive recorders can help improve ridesharing services →

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Introducing the new VIA Mobile360 D700 commercial-grade drive recorder

June 24, 2019 Richard Brown Leave a comment

One of our primary objectives with the VIA Mobile360 family is to create a range of commercial-grade systems and devices that make it easier for fleet operators to add intelligent driver assistance capabilities to their existing vehicles in order to enhance safety and efficiency.

For operators of buses, trucks, and heavy equipment such as excavators and cranes, we have been developing highly-integrated solutions such as the recently launched VIA Mobile360 Mining Kit that deliver an optimized blend of ADAS, 360-degree Surround View, DMS, and related technologies for the target application. On top of that, we also offer flexible hardware, software, AI, and cloud customization services to ensure that the installation meets the specific deployment needs of the customer. Continue reading Introducing the new VIA Mobile360 D700 commercial-grade drive recorder →

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How dual-cam drive recorders can improve fleet safety and efficiency

June 21, 2019 Richard Brown Leave a comment

If you manage a delivery service, taxi company or a haulage fleet, your vehicles and drivers represent a considerable investment. As the demands on these services continue to change and evolve, it’s imperative that you do what you can to protect your investment and maximize the efficiency and performance of your operations. To this end, in-vehicle dual-cam drive recorders are fast becoming a must-have. Let’s explore how these technologies can deliver measurable benefits in terms of safety for your fleet and save you money in the process. Continue reading How dual-cam drive recorders can improve fleet safety and efficiency →

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Drive recorder market trends in 2019 and beyond

May 5, 2019 Richard Brown Leave a comment

The drive recorder market is crowded and fast-moving. Staying ahead of the latest trends in such a dynamic environment can be a challenge. This is why making the right hardware choices can be vital to delivering value to an enterprise over an extended deployment period. Let’s consider each of the core drive recorder technologies in detail, starting with cameras. Continue reading Drive recorder market trends in 2019 and beyond →

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From Dashcam to AI Drive Recorder – the evolution of smart driving aids

May 3, 2019 Richard Brown Leave a comment

Dashcams have come a long way from their early days as disconnected, dumb, low-quality video recorders. Now incorporating high-quality dual-lens cameras, 4G wireless, and CAN Bus integration for vehicle telematics, dashcams have become far more than the sum of their parts.

Dashcams have been on a long journey. From those bulky early models with low-quality sensors to the smart, connected, slimline versions of today, there has been significant progress. This isn’t just evident in the hardware powering the devices themselves, but also in the supporting sciences of telematics and risk management for commercial carriers and fleet operators. Continue reading From Dashcam to AI Drive Recorder – the evolution of smart driving aids →

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Boosting mining vehicle safety with the VIA Mobile360 Mining Kit

May 2, 2019 Richard Brown Leave a comment

The mining and excavation industry operates some of the largest vehicles on earth, moving several hundreds of tons of material every day by using super-sized vehicles like trucks, diggers and and excavators. The challenge from a safety perspective is that these massive vehicles can represent quite a danger to other on-site workers, largely due to blind spots in the driver’s field of view. To reduce the risk of injuries and fatalities, many mining and quarry operators are turning to advanced surround view technologies to improve safety. One such solution is the VIA Mobile 360 Mining Kit which VIA officially launched just days ago at the CIM 2019 Convention in Montreal. Continue reading Boosting mining vehicle safety with the VIA Mobile360 Mining Kit →

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Unpacking the vehicle logistics compliance conundrum

April 7, 2019 Richard Brown Leave a comment

Commercial fleet managers are increasingly subject to a raft of new legislation. Although requirements may vary by jurisdiction, there are many common elements. In some cases a cool head is required to negotiate the tightrope. Businesses need to keep abreast of the latest data-processing regulations in order to ensure they are not unknowingly accumulating risk in other areas.

Commercial fleet operations is a complex environment; from the pure logistical management required, through to client acquisition and retention, and recruitment and marketing, there are plenty of balls to juggle. However, one area raises arguably more pitfalls and hidden snares than any other – regulation. Continue reading Unpacking the vehicle logistics compliance conundrum →

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Embedded World 2019: making final preparations

February 26, 2019 Richard Brown Leave a comment

No signs of 5G at Embedded World. Not a single poster heralding the impending arrival of the next big connectivity revolution. Not even a single dodgy benchmark showing amazing performance speeds.

This comes as no big surprise given that the technology will be rolled out in consumer smart phones first. But I’m sure it will make an appearance at next year’s event as the main applications for 5G will be found in large-scale industrial and smart city deployments in which the embedded industry’s experience and expertise in implementing complex, large-scale projects requiring the integration of diverse communications and computing technologies will come into play. Continue reading Embedded World 2019: making final preparations →