Bengaluru Techie Builds AI-Enabled Helmet To Catch Traffic Rule breakers
Bengaluru’s infamous traffic and mobility-related chaos have long been testing the patience of commuters. A software professional from the city is now going viral on social media for one of his ‘fun projects’- a helmet with an integrated AI-enabled camera system that flags lane and traffic violations and reports it to the police department in real-time. The idea itself has attracted a lot of attention and has even made the Bengaluru City Police commissioner’s office get in touch with the person who built it, appreciating his efforts and opening new doors to opportunities.
Pankaj Tanwar, a Bengaluru-based techie and an AI expert, built this device after getting frustrated by the violations and traffic indiscipline in the city. Tanwar used his X handle (formerly Twitter) to tell people about the project.
In simple words, Tanwar fitted a dash camera into a helmet and integrated it into a system that will automatically flag violations and report them to the police department.
First, the system identifies violations using the camera and a locally running AI model. The system then generates an email message automatically, including the details of the violation, visual proof of the number plates, and the location details. In short, the mail will have everything for the enforcement department to issue a challan. This mail is then sent directly to the traffic police email IDs. The best part is that this workflow requires zero manual intervention.
Images shared by Tanwar on X confirm that the system is powered by a Raspberry Pi board and computer vision models. It turns a two-wheeler rider into a mobile enforcement unit.
The X post has had over 2 million views so far. Bengaluru Traffic Police’s official handle has come up with a comment that suggests a better way to report violations. It reads: ‘We appreciate you for letting us know about it. To report the traffic-related violations, you can use ASTraM App portal, which facilitates the public to enforce the traffic violations.’
The Bengaluru Police commissioner’s office, as revealed by Tanwar himself, has reached out to him, appreciating his efforts and the quality of the technology that he developed. The department said that it found the idea innovative and interesting from a road safety perspective. Citizen-built tools like this can sometimes be real game changers.
As the post continued to gain traction online, many entrepreneurs and investors showed up in the comments section. Actor Kunal Kapoor commented that he would want one of these devices and further offered to invest if Tanwar had plans to mass-produce this helmet. Several other entrepreneurs have also expressed their willingness to invest in this project. Many also wrote in comments that they need copies of the helmet. We hope Pankaj Tanwar takes this model to mass-production.
Frankly, this is indeed an innovative product and can be very useful in places with chaotic traffic. More importantly, the actual scope of this product is very broad. Imagine supplying these devices to daily gig workers- food delivery partners and courier agents, turning each of them into a micro enforcement unit.
Furthermore, if they are incentivized the right way (maybe giving out 10% of the challan amount issued for reported violation), the overall efficacy of enforcement will shoot up. This will make more people sign up for the program. This will, in the larger picture, make enforcement more efficient.