At TRANSPORT Smart Class, Wales & West of England 2024, we discovered from Dr Behzad Heravi how cutting-edge AI, advanced edge processing, and hyperlocal air pollution monitoring are transforming urban traffic management and environmental health!
Behzad is co-founder of Vortex IoT and Chief Technology Officer of Smart Cities at Videalert and Vortex, both part of Marston Holdings. Introducing a proprietary ANPR system, the RDS-Mk8 edge processing unit with AI capabilities, and integrated solutions for moving traffic enforcement and pollution monitoring, his presentation demonstrated how anonymised traffic analysis and real-time environmental data provide actionable insights to optimise policy decisions, improve public confidence, and drive sustainable urban transformation. Perfect for local authorities and stakeholders aiming to create smarter, cleaner cities!
Delegates subsequently benefited from deeper dive discussions with Behzad during his hosted roundtable sessions.
Presentation highlights and notes:
- The Challenge of Urban Traffic and Air Quality…
- Growing congestion and air pollution in cities;
- Public demand for greener, healthier environments;
- Need for evidence-based policy interventions;
- Overview of the VTX/VDL Solution Ecosystem…
- Camera-based moving traffic enforcement & analytics;
- Hyper-local air pollution monitoring (VTX-Air);
- RDS-Mk8 Edge Processing Unit;
- Proprietary ANPR and integrated Edge AI;
- Measure, Analyse Act – Differentiation by technology of VTX Air Hyperlocal Air Quality Monitoring…
- Continuous monitoring and data collection – PM1, PM2.5, PM10, NO2, NO, O3, CO2, VOC, SO2 – MCERTS Certified;
- Maintenance free – Self-healing mesh network and remote calibrations and updates;
- 360-degree visibility – Identify hidden pollution hotspots with precise real-time data;
- Evidence-based decisions – Use baseline data to validate interventions and investments;
- Bundled with camera-based enforcement for comprehensive insights;
- Key Features of RDS Mk8 Advanced Edge Processing Unit…
- Designed for future demands, including scalability and upgradability options;
- Built-in NPU for AI-powered edge processing;
- 12th Gen Intel Core Ultra SoC;
- 5G modem options;
- Proprietary ANPR Technology – Delivering higher read rate and lower discards…
- Higher precision – Accurate identification of number plates with minimal errors;
- Higher recall – Comprehensive plate recognition, minimising false negatives and missed contravention captures;
- Lower latency – <10ms processing time per video frame, enabling real-time ANPR at Edge;
- Multiple VRM recognition – Simultaneous identification in every video frame;
- Modal Traffic Recognition – Road User and Modal Traffic Analytics…
- Identifying and categorising different transportation modes within a given traffic scene:
- Utilising Existing Cameras and RDS – Seamlessly integrating with existing cameras and RDS
- Preserving Privacy and Anonymity – Without relying on VRM info, ensuring data anonymisation at its source;
- MTR involves the recognition and analysis of visual characteristics and behaviours of road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, without using VRM data and DVLA look-ups, avoiding costs and GDPR challenges:
- Enforcement Systems Availability Monitoring;
- Traffic Planning and Optimisation;
- Traffic Flow Analysis;
- Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety;
- Crosswalk & Jaywalk Monitoring;
- Accessibility and Inclusivity;
- From Compliance to Clean Air – Addressing air quality concerns through compliance…
- Collecting Data; Analysing Data; Developing a Plan (e.g. CAZ, ULEZ, other Enforcement measures); Monitoring and Evaluation
If you satisfy our regular delegate qualification criteria but were unable to join us in Cardiff on December 5th for the live in-person event at Cardiff Masonic Hall, CLICK HERE and complete the short “Download form” (located at the bottom of the post) to receive a unique link enabling free access to the presentation video recordings and slides (including the film footage and slides from Behzad’s initial presentation).
Those qualifying to receive the rich presentation content from this event include commissioning, procurement, trialling, partnering and policy leads, senior influencers, strategic decision makers, programme managers and planners from local authorities (e.g. city, borough, metropolitan, district and county councils); public transport operators; regional transport partnerships, sub-regional transport bodies, combined authorities, integrated transport authorities and passenger transport executives; highways authorities and road operators; government and supporting national transport agencies; non-governmental organisations; fleet operators, parking operators, prime contractors etc.
