Voi e-scooter and e-bike users in Cambridge. Image: Voi
Provizio has developed a 5D perception system that will help Voi e-scooters detect other vehicles and pedestrians in a bid to prevent accidents.
Swedish micromobility company Voi is teaming up with Irish start-up Provizio to trial e-scooter safety tech.
Using its AI-based accident prevention technology, Provizio aims to ensure that Voi e-scooters are able to identify other vehicles up to 200m away and pedestrians up to 60m away. The goal is to help predict and prevent potential accidents in real time.
Founded in 2019 by former Arralis CEO Barry Lunn and headquartered in Limerick, Provizio has developed a five-dimensional perception system that can continually see, track and interpret vehicular behaviour and identify roadway elements.
It raised €5.2m in seed funding in 2020 to work on this technology for preventing car accidents. Through the Voi partnership, the Irish company is now adapting its 5D Perception Platform from the motor industry for e-scooters.
The onboard tech will be deployed and tested on vehicles from Voi, which is one of several companies hoping to roll out e-scooters in the Irish market once legislation allows.
“From the outset Provizio has committed to ensuring our perception technology would protect more vulnerable road users along with drivers,” said Lunn, who is Provizio’s chief executive.
“This partnership is another step towards our goal of making mobility safer for all travellers in a mixed-mobility future. Voi shares our values in this regard, and we are looking forward to helping them deliver the safest micromobility experience possible for their riders.”
In June, Provizio also teamed up with researchers at Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland software research centre, to combine data from onboard cameras and radar sensors to help eliminate traffic accidents for human drivers and autonomous vehicles.
‘Empowering people to leave their cars behind’
Stockholm-headquartered Voi has committed to eliminating severe injuries and fatalities connected to its service by 2030. The new system will be developed over the next three months at the Future Mobility Campus Ireland in Shannon, where companies can test tech in a real-world environment.
“By partnering with Provizio, Voi continues its dedication to empowering people to leave their cars behind and move around their city in a safer, more sustainable way,” said Sam Pooke, senior policy manager for Voi Ireland and UK.
“Not all journeys will be the same as the previous one. However, working in collaboration with Provizio not only supports the notion that every e-scooter rider must act responsibly, but every journey must end safely.”
In July 2021, Voi also teamed up with Irish tech start-up Luna Systems to conduct a large-scale trial in the UK, exploring the use of computer vision to keep pedestrians safe and keep scooters off footpaths.
One of the big European e-scooter players, it raised $115m in Series D funding last December.
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