Enfield Council has partnered with VisionTrack to develop an AI-powered vehicle camera solution for its first fully electric refuse collection vehicle (RCV).
Enfield Council and Renault Trucks have specially designed the Renault E-Tech D Wide 26-tonne truck to create the most advanced and high-performing waste management vehicle.
‘Our aim was to develop an electric RCV of the future that brings together class-leading technologies and helps achieve sustainability, duty of care and road safety goals,’ said Cllr Rick Jewell, Cabinet Member for Environment at Enfield Council. ‘The collaboration with VisionTrack will provide increased protection to our residents, refuse collection teams and other road users.’
The video telematics solution combines four AI cameras for 360-degree vision and vulnerable road user (VRU) detection, two wing mirror cameras and an external speaker for audible lefthand turn warnings. The intelligent detection cameras use deep learning technology to identify pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and people on scooters while disregarding street furniture.
With configurable safety zones, blind spots around the vehicle will be eliminated, and drivers will be alerted to the precise location of nearby VRUs. Footage will automatically be displayed on an in-cab monitor and supplemented with an audible, spoken warning. Road safety insight – including footage of collisions, near misses and harsh driving events – will also be uploaded to the Autonomise.ai IoT platform so Enfield Council has complete visibility of driver, vehicle and fleet risk.
The ultra-quiet Renault Trucks E-Tech D Wide Low Entry Cab, equipped with a CP Davidson Titan refuse body, is the first of four to be delivered and will service local households. The electric RCV has been in development for over a year, with Enfield Council and Renault Trucks working in partnership to create a prototype that met the precise needs of a large, busy London borough. It underwent extensive testing and road trials in Enfield, demonstrating impressive performance levels, reliability and battery life.
Richard Kent, President of Global Sales at VisionTrack, commented: ‘As a longstanding Enfield Council partner, we have supported their road safety strategy for several years with our proven video telematics technologies. This latest initiative uses the latest advances in AI to deliver a ground-breaking solution for a revolutionary waste collection vehicle. It will demonstrate the potential of intelligent camera solutions – especially for heavy vehicles in the urban environment – in terms of 360 visibility, people detection and fleet risk reduction.’
