Columbia develops VRU headphone safety system

The Data Science Institute (DSI) at New York’s Columbia University is designing an intelligent headphone system that uses miniature microphones and intelligent signal processing to detect sounds of approaching vehicles.
By Ben Spencer February 11, 2020 Read time: 1 min
intelligent headphone system (Source: Columbia University's Data Science Institute)

The institute says the system will be able to send an audio alert to the pedestrian’s headphones if a hazard appears near. 

The headset will also include a low-power data pipeline to process sounds near the pedestrian. This pipeline will also contain a custom-integrated circuit that extracts relevant features from the sounds while using little battery power, the institute adds.  

Machine learning models on the user’s smartphone will classify acoustic cues from city streets and nearby vehicles to warm users of danger. 

The prototype was awarded a £1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation and is being tested on streets close to Columbia. 

DSI’s Fred Jiang says the project will aim to develop a prototype of the smart headphone system and then transfer the technology to a commercial company. 

“We hope that, once refined, the technology will be commercialised and mass produced in a way that will help cities reduce pedestrian fatalities,” Jiang adds. 

Networking & Communication Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Excessive lighting is safety issue
    May 21, 2012
    A UK-based group has set up an Internet-based petition to tackle the safety issue of drivers being dazzled by lights from other vehicles. The organisation, Lightmare, is the combination of two road sector groups that have campaigned against the improper use of vehicle lights in daytime and against the particular hazard posed by high intensity xenon lighting. The issue is a key one as there is a move towards all EC nations requiring the use of daytime running lights on vehicles. At present only a few Europea
    Read More
  • ITS Australia Awards 2023: winners shine in 'period of great resurgence'
    February 23, 2023
    Awards reflect the 'outstanding productivity, innovation, and creativity' of ITS sector
    Read More
  • Cox to manage kerbs in Las Vegas 
    March 12, 2021
    Smart parking platform uses video analytics and cloud processing of traffic flow data
    Read More
  • Cooperative infrastructure systems waiting for the go ahead
    February 3, 2012
    Despite much research and technological promise, progress towards cooperative infrastructure system deployment is still slow. Here, Robert Cone and John Miles take a considered look at how and when it might come about. From a systems engineering viewpoint it looks logical and inevitable that vehicles should be communicating between themselves and with the road infrastructure. But seen from a business viewpoint the case is not proven.
    Read More

Highlighted Content