A new roadside worker protection system has been winning fans in Florida by combining safety solutions provider SmartCone Technologies with Samsung's smart watches.
The RoadDefender system provides real-time alerts for crews working near traffic, giving workers more time to react to an incoming vehicle.
The RoadDefender uses a “Sense-Decide-Alert” loop that combines long-range radar and artificial intelligence-driven video analytics to identify approaching vehicles. It determines the risks associated with the vehicle and sends alerts to workers via Samsung Galaxy Watches. The system has delivered alerts within milliseconds, according to SmartCone.
The RoadDefender captures data, including vehicle movements and irregular traffic behavior from up to a mile away with SmartCone’s technology. The data are algorithmically translated into safety alerts. The Samsung Watches worn by workers also offer glove-sensitive and wet-touch-friendly touchscreens and can function using their own phone number and cellular connection when necessary.
A RoadDefender camera on construction equipment.SmartCone
The RoadDefender system integrates simply with existing traffic control setups and includes ruggedized roadside units and visual beacon alerts. The indicators work alongside the alerts coming from the Samsung watches, which immediately deliver haptic, visual and audible cues to get the attention of workers in high-noise and high-distraction conditions.
An early access partner on the RoadDefender was Florida roadbuilding contractor Ranger Construction. Deployment of the RoadDefender system, according to Samsung, resulted in a four-time increase in worker response times compared to traditional safety measures and a measurable reduction in near-miss incidents.
SmartCone and Samsung are deploying RoadDefender, which is listed on the Florida Department of Transportation’s Approved Products List, on other select projects. RoadDefender has also been recognized through FDOT’s SWIFTT innovation program.
