In February, the EIT Community AI Challenge, a competition that seeks innovative AI solutions to real-world problems, announced the winners of its contest. The challenge presented by the city of Braga and the solution presented by Hayden AI to solve it was one of the projects selected to be tested.
Last week, Braga took a stride towards enhancing its urban transportation system. The city welcomed Hayden AI to initiate the preparations for the pilot funded by the EIT Community AI Challenge. This pilot will see the implementation of Hayden AI’s bus-mounted vision AI platform, a cutting-edge technology that will detect illegal parking violations at bus stops in real-time. This move is a testament to Braga’s commitment to automated bus stop enforcement, promising a more efficient and reliable transport system.
The launch of the pilot was planned and executed by the Hayden AI team, who travelled to Braga to conduct a comprehensive survey. This survey, the first phase of the pilot, involved a thorough assessment of the selected bus and transit routes. The selected bus for this pilot is one of the 43 electric buses in Braga’s municipal fleet, operated by TUB (Transportes Urbanos de Braga). The technology will be deployed in lines 40 and 41, circular lines that start and finish at the Hospital of Braga and cross very densely populated city areas. With its real-time detection capabilities, Hayden AI’s automated bus lane and bus stop enforcement platform aims to significantly reduce illegal parking violations, thereby improving bus reliability and enhancing road safety in Braga.¨For the city of Braga, winning the AI Challenge by the EIT Community is the first step towards addressing the serious problems created by drivers illegally parking in bus stops,” says Pedro Moreira, Head of Transport Authority and Mobility Management of Braga. “Blocked bus stops make it dangerous and often impossible for people with disabilities to safely and reliably board public transportation. Piloting Hayden AI’s innovative technology will allow us to quantify the scale of this problem and take steps to solve it.”The EIT Community AI ChallengeThe EIT Community’s AI challenge has been a call to action for developers, data scientists, and AI enthusiasts to tackle real-world problems through innovative AI solutions. During the challenge, all participants addressed diverse challenges in sectors such as healthcare, climate change, education, and sustainable energy. The goal was not just to demonstrate technical expertise but to create tangible solutions with the potential to drive positive change on a global scale.About the EIT CommunityThe EIT Community is a collaborative network comprising the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s (EIT) long-term partnerships, known as Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). These KICs drive systemic change in Europe and beyond, focusing on key areas such as climate change, health, energy, food, manufacturing, digitalisation, raw materials, urban mobility, culture and creativity. By harnessing the collective expertise of the KICs, the EIT Community initiatives power innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity in Europe. We believe we can foster a competitive, inclusive, and sustainable European economy for generations to come.The EIT AI Community unites diverse stakeholders in the AI domain, including startups, scale-ups, established companies, research institutions, and universities. Its primary objective is to promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation in AI-related fields.The EIT AI Community aims to foster collaboration and innovation in Artificial Intelligence (AI) across Europe. It provides ample support for AI-driven projects and ventures through diverse resources, training programmes, and events.
