A Smarter, Safer Intersection: How AI and Industry Collaboration Are Improving Road Safety in Knoxville
A private-public partnership powered by AI is seeking to make Knoxville’s streets safer.
The AI TechX Consortium at the University of Tennessee, Cubic Corp., and the City of Knoxville have partnered to improve road safety in Knoxville and beyond. They are applying artificial intelligence (AI) research to make streets safer for drivers, pedestrians, and all other roadway users.
Project Beginnings
The foundation for this work was laid in 2023 when the University of Tennessee launched AI Tennessee, a statewide initiative focused on developing and deploying AI solutions that improve the health and prosperity of communities across the state.
From that initiative, the AI TechX Consortium was formed to connect academic researchers, industry partners, and seed funding to develop scalable, applied AI technologies. Dr. Airton G. Kohls, a researcher at the UT Center for Transportation Research, proposed using AI to improve vulnerable road users’ safety at intersections, and through the consortium, the right partners quickly came together.
“It was actually very serendipitous,” said Andrew Hall, director of software engineering at Cubic Corp. “Dr. Kohls has been a long-time collaborator with us. He mentioned this project through the AI TechX consortium, and it aligned perfectly with our computer vision expertise. Our president is a huge proponent of research collaboration with universities. It all just fell into place.”
For the City of Knoxville, the project supports its Vision Zero commitment, a promise to eliminate traffic deaths and injuries on Knoxville roadways by 2040. It also aligns with their larger commitment to leveraging data and technology to inform policy and service delivery.
Read the full article here: www.knoxvillechamber.com