CHARLOTTE Channel 9 got an early look at first-of-its kind technology thats designed to keep drivers and passengers safe on the highway.<\/p>\n
Part of Interstate 77 will soon have so-called smart cameras. Theyll be used to help alert crews to any dangers on the drive through the 26 miles of toll lanes between uptown Charlotte and Mooresville.<\/p>\n
Traffic Team 9s Mark Taylor visited the Charlotte Traffic Management Center with Channel 9s partners at I-77 Mobility to see how they work.<\/p>\n
[ALSO READ: Why are deadly crash trends on the rise around Charlotte?]<\/p>\n
Heath Holland is the manager of the CTMC.<\/p>\n
Once we pull the incident up on camera and verify it is an actual incident, the operator is trained at that point to dispatch necessary emergency crews, Holland said.<\/p>\n
The system is impressive but it can be overwhelming to manage. A new pilot program using artificially intelligent cameras along I-77 could alert crews to danger more quickly.<\/p>\n
AI technology isnt totally new, but the new pilot has the first cameras of their kind in North Carolina and the technology is remarkable.<\/p>\n
What we want to look for is the past and present images to be constantly moving, said I-77 Mobility Chief Information Officer Farouk Soliman. Any changes when something is not moving, the system goes thats a problem. Or it will see something that wasnt there in the previous image and it senses something there that is new.<\/p>\n
[ALSO READ: SC motorcycle deaths reach four-decade high of 154 in 2021]<\/p>\n
Thats when emergency services are alerted, getting first responders to those hazards faster. That shorter response time could save lives.<\/p>\n
But the new cameras arent cheap; they can cost up to $8,000 apiece. But whos paying?<\/p>\n
This does not cost motorists anything, Soliman said. This is part of our budget to maintain the road safe for everyone.<\/p>\n
And I-77 Mobility said it will be worth it. Last year, crews responded to more than 2,200 incidents -- 950 of them crashes. The numbers show a decline in the previous three years, but it wants those numbers to reach zero.<\/p>\n
Our goal is to always have the latest in innovation out there to make sure the road is safe for our motorists, Soliman said.<\/p>\n
Mobility Partners hopes to have a significant number of cameras installed along the 26-mile corridor by the end of the year. The cameras will be installed in stages, starting with sections of I-77 that see higher traffic volumes and accident-prone areas, like on- and offramps.<\/p>\n
(WATCH BELOW: Expect officers to crack down on fast drivers along Charlottes speed corridors)<\/p>\n
2022 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Here is the original post: <\/p>\n
I-77 will have smart cameras that use AI to alert first responders to crashes - WSOC Charlotte<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" CHARLOTTE Channel 9 got an early look at first-of-its kind technology thats designed to keep drivers and passengers safe on the highway. Part of Interstate 77 will soon have so-called smart cameras. Theyll be used to help alert crews to any dangers on the drive through the 26 miles of toll lanes between uptown Charlotte and Mooresville. Continue reading