Melbourne will be the world’s first major international city to roll out e-scooters with front-facing AI-powered cameras at scale.

Over the coming months, Neuron Mobility will launch its ScootSafe Vision system across its 1250-strong fleet in Melbourne. Every Neuron e-scooter will be equipped with a front-facing camera that uses AI computer vision technology to detect and correct footpath riding.

It will also be used to identify and warn riders of pedestrians in their path, and collect data on road surfaces.

The system, which was developed in-house, detects whether an e-scooter is on the footpath in under a second. Offending riders receive a real-time audio alert telling them: “Footpath riding detected; please ride on the road.” It will also provide follow-up warnings and educational material. Repeat offenders can be suspended after their trip.

ScootSafe Vision can also be configured to reduce the e-scooter’s speed, effectively forcing riders to leave the footpath.

To increase safety, the system alerts riders to pedestrians in their path using the e-scooter’s voice guidance, instructing them to: “Watch out for pedestrians and slow down.”

Looking into the future, it will be collecting data on uneven road surfaces, including potholes. This could help map potentially hazardous areas and set speed limits throughout the riding area, while providing councils with useful information for urban planning.

The ScootSafe Vision system has been tested in Melbourne over the past six months, covering over 30,000km to train the technology to recognise the city’s streets and footpaths.

“Melbourne is a great city and we are delighted to invest in world-class technology to integrate our e-scooters in the best possible way,” said Neuron (www.rideneuron.com) in a blog post.