Utilized for Risk Alerts Among All Traffic Modes Including Pedestrians, Vehicles, Motorcycles, and Kickboards
Demonstration Service in Children's Protection Zones Near Singok and Sinjeong Elementary Schools in Hwagok-dong, Gangseo-gu
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] A service that uses autonomous driving communication technology to warn pedestrians of traffic accident risks in advance by simply installing a smartphone app will be introduced in Seoul. It requires no separate device and can be used with all types of transportation, marking a turning point in traffic accident prevention.
On the 16th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will officially launch the ‘Traffic Safety Smart Notifier’ app, a child traffic safety specialized system, in collaboration with LG Electronics. The ‘Traffic Safety Smart Notifier’ app integrates vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication technology essential for autonomous driving into smartphones, enhancing pedestrian safety through advanced technology in everyday life.
The technology used in this service is called Soft V2X, a communication technology that connects both vehicles and objects to exchange various traffic information via software implementation of V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication. Previously, a dedicated terminal was required, but now anyone with a smartphone can use the technology in daily life, laying the foundation for commercialization.
Accordingly, pedestrians can detect collision risks between vehicles operating nearby in advance simply by installing the app on their smartphones. It enables the prediction of collision risks between vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, kickboards, pedestrians, and others when passing nearby, and can be used by all transportation users including vehicle users and pedestrians.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to prioritize pilot operation of the ‘Traffic Safety Smart Notifier’ app around elementary school zones where many vulnerable children travel, in collaboration with LG Electronics. The pilot operation area is around Hwaggok-dong (2, 4, 8 districts) in Gangseo-gu, considering the pedestrian environment and vehicle operation conditions. In the first half of next year, after verifying the pilot operation effects, user feedback will be assessed to consider expansion possibilities.
Also, considering that the pilot operation area is a child protection zone, smart CCTV will be simultaneously used to detect collision risks between children pedestrians without smartphones and vehicles. To this end, 22 smart CCTVs will be installed at seven major points with high pedestrian traffic. When vehicles or motorcycle drivers pass through this area, an alarm can be issued by recognizing child pedestrian movement through deep learning-based video analysis technology.
Citizens who wish to use the service can search for and download the ‘Traffic Safety Smart Notifier’ app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. After completing the registration process, running the app around Hwaggok-dong (2, 4, 8 districts) in Gangseo-gu, the pilot operation area, will activate the service automatically without any additional operation.
Users can also select various usage modes according to their transportation situation. Modes such as pedestrian, bicycle, kickboard, danger zone, child, public transportation, motorcycle, vehicle, and school bus are available, allowing customized alert settings. Users can choose which transportation modes to set as risk targets to receive alerts.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government and LG Electronics will hold various promotional events to announce the smartphone app distribution. On the 18th, a promotion will be held at the park next to the main gate of Singok Elementary School so that students, parents, and residents near Hwaggok-dong can directly experience the app’s functions. From the 21st to the 23rd, information about app installation and events will be available at a pop-up booth inside Kkachisan Station.
Baek Ho, Director of Urban Transportation at Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, “We are making efforts to introduce evolving transportation services by integrating various advanced technologies,” adding, “We will do our best to create a transportation environment that anyone can use safely while reducing accident risks for children and vulnerable traffic users.”
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