Every year millions of people die in road traffic crashes, and many are cases of road slips, where the vehicle goes out of control because of elements on the road like snow, oil, or black ice.
Korean startup MoveAWheeL has developed an advanced road infrastructure solution that uses AI sensors to pre-measure whether black ice occurs on the road. The sound wave-based technology can detect black ice occurrence with 98% accuracy and help avoid road crashes.
By using AI and physical properties such as sound waves, the solution detects and categorizes nine road surface conditions like rain, ice, asphalt, soil, etc., to send the information to the person in the traffic control room. It is install-friendly and can give an instant effect if installed on heat line-buried roads.
According to Min-Hyun Kim, CEO of MoveAWheeL, “The sensor detects black ice, automatically runs the heat lines, and sprays the brine by skipping those existing hassling removal processes. The warning also appears on the electronic display of the road for drivers to know in advance that there is black ice in front. If collaborating with navigation services providers, drivers can also get real-time information of black ice and pot-holes while driving.”
If the sensor is installed directly under the front bumper of the car, the sensor gets hold of the surface condition and types of road surfaces beforehand to help the driver slow down the speed and act accordingly.
MoveAWheeL CEO Min-Hyun Kim has studied at the KAIST Automotive Control Laboratory and has been part of the research and trials carried out on black iced, snowy, and rainy roads at the lab. MoveAWheeL was founded in 2020 and is based in Daejeon, South Korea.
The startup has won the best prize twice at the Startup Festival organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the grand prize at competitions held by KAIST and the Smart City Association. The MoveAWheeL sensors are already used domestically in South Korea in places like Cheongra Incheon, Yeongjong-do, Jeju-do, etc. The company has made $3.6 million worth of sales in 2022.
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