Bosch is deploying new traffic video sensors in the city of Peachtree Corners in the US state of Georgia which will manage and analyse traffic, including live autonomous shuttles and teleoperated e-scooters alongside conventional drivers and vehicles. Peachtree Corners is developing itself as a Smart City, and incorporates connected city infrastructure and liability insurance for both driven and driverless traffic. The city touts itself as a model for “the city street of the future”.

The city, a northern suburb of Atlanta, aims to become the foremost testbed in the United States for autonomous mobility and smart city technology. Bosch will be testing out its latest edge computing capabilities through Curiosity Lab’s connected intersection.

Curiosity Lab is a 5G-enabled autonomous vehicle and smart city living laboratory located in Peachtree Corners. The centrepiece of the lab is a 1.5-mile test and demo track which provides a real-world environment to explore emerging technologies. Additional infrastructure includes a network operations centre, smart poles, DSRC units, dedicated fibre and a 25,000 square foot tech incubator.

With teleoperated e-scooters and fully autonomous vehicles intermingling with regular traffic, drivers and citizens living their everyday lives in Peachtree Corners, the collaboration aims to yield a volume of data points that will help other cities plan better for the future.

“Our 5G-enabled living laboratory will give Bosch the opportunity to push the limits of their technology in a real-world setting that is almost impossible to replicate in a closed lab, while enhancing overall city operations and the lives of our residents,” said Brian Johnson, city manager of Peachtree Corners. “The city of Peachtree Corners also provides Bosch a real-world showcase for their customers to come and experience their technology applied to an actual city, not just in concept.”

“Bosch video-as-a-sensor technology assists city planners in making informed decisions on traffic management that are based on real-time data around events happening at and around intersections,” said Lewis Stallworth, business development manager with Bosch. “Partnering with the City of Peachtree Corners and Curiosity Lab gives Bosch an opportunity to showcase and test its Intelligent Video Analytics with machine learning capabilities on the roadway of the future, with a connected intersection, autonomous vehicles, autonomous scooters and autonomous package delivery – all in a real-world environment. We are looking forward to helping the City of Peachtree Corners become a model for other cities in creating a smarter, safer and more sustainable transportation ecosystem.”

“The addition of the most advanced video-as-a-sensor technology, along with Cradlepoint’s cellular router for testing failover connectivity, is another reflection of our city’s commitment to showcasing how government entities and the world’s top technology companies can and should work together to make the smart city vision a reality in the United States,” said Brandon Branham, chief technology officer and assistant city manager of Peachtree Corners. “It’s an honor to be working alongside Bosch to create another layer of smart infrastructure for Peachtree Corners – and we look forward to analysing invaluable, actionable data in our central control centre to make important decisions as we continue to improve our city into the future.”