Skip to main content

Pedestrian detection tech is big in Japan - and now coming to US

Sumitomo Pedestrian Detection sensor will be integrated into Iteris ClearMobility platform
By Adam Hill June 13, 2024 Read time: 2 mins
Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo: that's a lot of pedestrians (© Sean Pavone | Dreamstime.com)

The Sumitomo Pedestrian Detection sensor, widely used in Japan to make crossings safer for vulnerable road users, is coming to the US market.

Pedestrian fatalities in the US have increased since 2009; Sumitomo Electric Industries (SEI)'s advanced pedestrian detection sensor, launched in 2017, will be integrated into Iteris ClearMobility platform to be used on US roadways.

Currently operating in five regions in Japan, SEI says the product, which uses advanced radar technology to accurately detect pedestrians, has been instrumental in reducing traffic incidents, particularly among vulnerable populations such as the elderly. 

“This technical and commercial collaboration with Iteris marks a significant milestone for us, as we are committed to enhancing safety standards not only within Japan, but internationally as well,” said Hitoshi Hirata, general manager of Systems & Electronics Division of Sumitomo Electric. 

“By leveraging Iteris’ extensive market expertise and distribution network, we are confident that integrating our advanced pedestrian detection sensor into the ClearMobility Platform will set a new benchmark for safety and reliability for both American pedestrians and drivers."

Joe Bergera, CEO of Iteris, says the collaboration "is a testament to our shared vision for a safer, smarter mobility future". 

The detection system will provide new pedestrian mobility data for ClearMobility, which is designed to monitor, visualise and optimise mobility infrastructure for public sector agencies and private companies. 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • IBTTA: ‘The only way to keep up is to stay ahead’
    March 4, 2019
    The focus of the IBTTA’s Annual Technology Summit is changing. The tolling organisation’s Bill Cramer explains why this is good news for ITS professionals looking to embrace new technologies For a decade or more, the technology summits hosted by the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) have helped drive the tolling industry’s embrace of the systems, services and breakthrough concepts that are building a 21st century transportation sector. Now, the summit itself is adjusting its
  • Iteris wins $4m Corona smart mobility deal
    May 5, 2025
    California city will use firm's traffic management solutions at 100 intersections
  • 'Significant and universal decline' in walking in the US: StreetLight Data
    February 16, 2024
    Walking has declined over the last three years in the US – yet pedestrian fatalities have been rising. Adam Hill looks at new research from StreetLight Data to find out why this is happening
  • VeoRide to launch e-scooter with swappable battery in US
    February 13, 2019
    VeoRide is to launch an electric scooter with a swappable battery in the US – which it says sets the product apart from anything on the market. The company could not resist a dig at commercial rivals, saying that its R&D team designed vehicles “from the ground up for commercial/shared use, rather than sourcing the same Ninebot or Segway scooters that Lime, Bird and others use”. VeoRide claims that its scooter will last four to eight times longer than others – and suggests that it will also improve s