Chattanooga DoT deploys digital lidar to improve pedestrian safety

Earlier this month we deployed sensors in downtown Chattanooga, in partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Center for Urban Informatics and Progress (CUIP), the Chattanooga Department of Transportation (CDOT), and Seoul Robotics to improve pedestrian safety with high-resolution digital lidar sensors. 

Our sensors are working in combination with Seoul Robotics’ SENSR perception software to help CUIP and CDOT understand pedestrian and traffic patterns, identify situational factors that impact safety, and mitigate those safety risks.

The smart city systems have been deployed at two downtown intersections that were selected for their close proximity to high pedestrian traffic locations: city parks and event spaces. 

“We continue to find ways to work with CUIP and industry partners to further our goal of a safer, smarter Chattanooga,” Chattanooga Smart Cities Director Kevin Comstock said. “We know that technology, data, and collaboration can help us reduce the number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities.”

Our digital lidar sensors offer the resolution and price point that makes deployments like this possible. The sensors will be working in combination with existing camera infrastructure, and provide a smart city solution that can analyze pedestrian traffic while still preserving individual privacy. We’re looking forward to expanding our relationship with Chattanooga over time, but more importantly, lidar deployments in smart city infrastructure is just beginning. Lidar is on its way to becoming the critical new sensor for governments to provide safer and more efficient infrastructure.