Tiziano Albani, the head of VIA Europe, recently sat down with the Sicurezzamagazine.it, a leading Italian B2B monthly magazine focused on security and innovation, to talk about how the integration of AI and cloud technologies can boost warehouse and factory safety. Here is a translation of Tiziano’s remarks. You can read the original Italian version here.
The VIA WorkX Connect Cloud Management Service and Its Potential Applications:
Our primary objective with the VIA WorkX Connect Cloud Management Service is to enable our customers to capture and analyze a wealth of critical vehicle utilization, driver performance, and safety alert data about their forklift fleet operations that they can leverage to boost safety, efficiency, and staff wellbeing.
VIA WorkX Connect collects camera, location, and vehicle utilization data from the VIA Mobile360 Forklift Safety System featuring a 4G adaptor. One of its key benefits is that it enables the collection of the safety alerts generated by the system when it is in operation. These alerts include driver fatigue, phone usage, and smoking; front and rear pedestrian detection incidents; driver camera blockages; unauthorized drivers; and geofencing. Snapshots of each incident are automatically taken by the appropriate camera and stored on the cloud for further review. Video retrieval is also available for deeper analysis of events and accidents.
A second important benefit is that the platform provides a comprehensive picture of forklift usage and driver behavior patterns that helps managers to identify opportunities for increasing vehicle utilization levels, improving operator behavior, and strengthening accident prevention measures. By analyzing where most pedestrian detection alerts occur, for example, managers may identify areas of the facility that need to be laid out differently to eliminate the risk of pedestrian collisions. In the same way, by finding out which forklift operators generate the highest number of safety alerts, managers may decide to provide additional training to the individuals involved. The possibilities for both small and large-scale improvements to safety and efficiency are limitless.
Increasing Safety in Logistics and For Forklift Operators:
The VIA Mobile360 Forklift Safety System acts as a second set of eyes for the vehicle operator. Its people detection cameras prevent pedestrian collisions, one of the most common forms of forklift accidents, by alerting the operator whenever they detect someone stepping too close to the vehicle in time for them to take evasive action. The system is available in a choice of 2PD and 3PD Packages to meet diverse customer requirements:
The 3PD Package features one rear and two side people detection cameras supporting a 240° – 300° people detection zone compared to a 60° – 120° people detection zone for the 2PD Package. The 2PD Package also comes with a driver camera that alerts the operator when it detects signs of fatigue, smart phone usage, and smoking. By ensuring that the operator remains fully attentive and does not engage in risky behaviors, the Driver Safety System further reduces the possibility of an accident.
Increased Safety on Construction Sites:
The emergence of camera-based AI systems and applications provides myriad opportunities for increasing safety in warehouses, factories, and construction sites by making it possible to automate inspection and prevention procedures without adding staff costs. One area we are focused on is the development of intelligent safety inspection solutions that detect whether staff are wearing the correct clothing and equipment, including high-visibility jackets, helmets, and glasses, when they are on the worksite. When they identify a noncompliance, these solutions automatically alert staff to take corrective action and record the incident for review and analysis.
Other intelligent safety solutions we offer include smoke and gas detection for fire prevention and pipeline weld inspection for leak and explosion prevention in large petrochemicals facilities.
As the performance, precision, and affordability of camera-based AI systems continue to improve, we believe that enterprises will deploy them at scale to boost safety coverage in the same way that they have adopted CCTV cameras to increase security. With their ability to identify specific safety threats while operating 24/7 in demanding operating conditions, the potential applications for intelligent safety systems across all types of enterprise usage scenarios are enormous.
