[TEST] Innoviz Debuts Lidar-Based Bridge Collision Detection System

While traffic camera videos showing too-tall trucks haplessly crashing into overhanging bridges make for priceless social media fodder, the costs of such crashes are real.

In fact, there are an average of 15,000 bridge and tunnel collisions in the U.S. annually, according to the Federal Highway Administration. They have an average repair cost of about $18,000 per accident, judging from University of Cambridge research. This totals $270 million annually in damage caused by such accidents.

Israeli lidar supplier Innoviz has developed a Bridge Collision Detection solution meant to prevent these collisions that will be deployed by Drive Group, a leading toll road operator in that country.

The system uses roadside lidar sensors installed a mile or so before the approach to the bridge or tunnel to gauge the height of passing trucks. When they exceed predefined ranges determined by the road operator, the system photographs the vehicle and sends the image and license plate information to authorities, who can intervene and stop the vehicle to prevent potential collisions.

Existing camera-based anti-collision systems are prone to false alarms that lidar can avoid, according to Innoviz, thanks to its accurate 3D visualization of trucks’ dimensions. "There is no reason to accept the present situation of bridge and tunnel accidents,” said Innoviz CEO and co-founder, Omer Keilaf.

“It is estimated that 2 to 3 percent of the world's bridges are damaged every year, and we believe the technologies being developed at Innoviz can be a game changer for roadways across the world.”Innoviz completed a successful pilot program with Drive Group to verify the technology before the full rollout.

 "We're excited to partner with Drive Group, who quickly embraced our all-new application for lidar-based technology to solve a decades-long problem and serve a real need that can benefit highways around the world." Drive Group, a leading operator of highways and toll roads throughout Israel, collaborated with Innoviz in the early phases of commercializing the Bridge Collision Detection system.

"We are very impressed by the technology developed at Innoviz and its potential to help reduce road accidents, and we are excited that we found a potentially world-leading solution right here in Israel,” said Itamar Ben Meir, CEO of Drive Group. “Our goal is to distribute this solution not just in Israel, but globally."

That should put a dent in the number of damaged bridges instead of denting the bridges themselves. And social media video junkies will have to satisfy themselves with funny cat videos instead of watching trucks crash into bridges.