UBI policies will emerge as the driving force in reshaping the auto insurance sector. These policies usher in an era of more individualized and economically viable coverage choices for policyholders, thereby ensuring an elevated level of service quality.

It comes, however, with a significant element that cannot be ignored – the use of Computer Vision and AI generates amounts of data that are already hard to manage. Peregrine faces this challenge by identifying in real-time during the drive the events that are of interest to insurance providers. Only for these events, data will be uploaded and stored in the cloud. 

Adding a level of complexity to handling data, service providers are required to ensure that the data is stored securely and processed following data protection principles. Building a digital service which complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) becomes indeed a challenge to the fast and coherent adoption of the next generation UBI in the EU. 

In the case of insurance policy, the use of vehicle cameras and dash cams as the main source of insights and the automatic evaluation through machine learning (ML) algorithms is novel in the sector. There are, in fact, two main aspects to focus on. 

First, insurance companies and their technology partners must obtain clear and informed consent from policyholders to collect and process their data. The policyholder is then contracting the technology partner to process and evaluate the data to be provided with an objective assessment of their drives, e.g. a driving score. 

Secondly, environmental data processed by the smart cameras installed in vehicles needs to be balanced. On the one hand, to be kept to a minimum: only information that is identified as absolutely necessary to provide the requested assessment may be processed and stored. On the other hand, all stored visual information with high relevance for the service offering must not contain any personal data. Given this market setting: How does Peregrine leverage AI in our technology development to ensure that the processing and storage of video data preserve the privacy of all road users at all times?

Peregrine offers the technology that does comply with GDPR requirements and, thus, solves the data privacy challenge. We do so by using next-generation ML algorithms to automatically identify all forms of car registration plates as well as any human from the front and the side – a visible in-car person, a walking pedestrian or even a cyclist. We then point out areas in each video frame that contain personal data and process these in a way that they will be irreversibly unrecognizable.

This is what we at Peregrine call anonymization. In particular, our anonymization solutions, once created for our own needs, have been proven so efficient and cost-effective that they are used today by automakers to fulfill their data privacy strategy. Our technology improves daily through the use of millions of data points. We name this approach “the data flywheel”, as the continuous inflow of new edge cases is making it highly-trained and consistently state-of-the-art. In this way, our camera-based data opens the door for fresh innovations in the insurance market, all without the burden of GDPR compliance concerns.

All in all, camera-based policies represent the future of the auto insurance industry, as they offer tailored, efficient, and cost-effective coverage options for policyholders. Prioritizing privacy and security in the data strategy is essential to add customer value and is at the heart of Peregrine’s work. 

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Mobility has been significantly enhanced by computer vision

One of the areas in which computer vision has been adopted rapidly is the mobility sector. Earlier vision systems were utilized for automated vehicle assembling. Ongoing technological advancements led to a wider scope in the industry to entail automotive driver systems and traffic management systems. 

Computer vision systems that enable autonomous driving and other mobility services and systems require a large amount of video data and are therefore accompanied by numerous privacy-related debates and court rulings, aiming to ensure a lawful handling of personal data. 

The algorithms which are used to detect the visual context of a vehicle’s surroundings are capable of more than automatically navigating through it. Within the last few years, the use of third-party dashcams in cars, motorcycles and bikes has increased. Visual data recorded during accidents and other prohibited traffic behavior can be admissible as court evidence. 

Data privacy and computer vision must go hand-in-hand

The EU Council of Ministers passed a general safety regulation that requires OEMs to build new cars with advanced safety systems. The mandatory safety systems include “warning of driver drowsiness and distraction, intelligent speed assistance, reversing safety with camera or sensors, and data recorder in case of an accident”. Cars and vans must also be equipped with lane-keeping assistance and advanced emergency braking. The commission expects that by 2038, 140,000 serious injuries will be avoided and 25,000 lives will be saved. 

To create such systems, it is inevitable to capture and process a wide variety of traffic situations as a representation of the reality in which vehicles operate. The indispensability of real data has been recognized and appreciated by lawmakers. The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and Germany’s federal and state data protection authorities have drafted a joint declaration to regulate the use of video data, derived from rides that are intended to collect data for scientific purposes and help to develop autonomous vehicles and increased safety systems.

The legitimate interest of companies to enhance driver assistance systems and autonomous driving serves as the legal basis for collecting and processing traffic video data. These developments are furthermore in public interest as they contribute to the increase of traffic safety. Of course, there are more regulations to be considered and taken care of, when collecting traffic data for the development of such systems.

The important message here is that regulators understand and appreciate the fact that the use of video data is a crucial factor for the future of mobility and transportation.

The collection of visual data is a great chance and a great challenge at the same time. Globally, private and public organizations have realized the importance of collecting visual data and the importance of collecting it in a privacy friendly way. Visual data is the fuel that is needed for technical solutions that are desirable for companies and governments alike: enhancing profitability, increasing safety and ecology, while ensuring public privacy protection.

At Peregrine we are committed to Vision Zero, while maintaining the highest standards of privacy by design.

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When it comes down to it, urban roads are primarily shared by a number of different road users. From mass and public transportation like busses and cabs, to trucks making deliveries, first responder vehicles, and of course, private automobiles, it’s clear to see just why accidents occur so frequently out on the road.

And even though COVID-19 has increased demand for alternative mobility concepts and delivery services, accident rates still remain quite high, especially taking into account pedestrians and cyclists. In fact, 9 out of every 10 accidents are caused by human driver error. And in the EU, 73% of accidents that cause life-changing injuries occur in cities and urban areas.

With that in mind, it’s clear that changes are in order.

The Future of Urban Driving

Commercial fleet managers and automotive insurers alike are looking for new approaches to the transportation of goods and delivery services to make our streets safer in cities across the EU. They seek visual context and a visual solution to help identify and understand the most high risk environments to prevent accidents on the road. Instead of using GPS-based telematics solutions, they’re turning to dashcam video and video analytics to gain greater insight into their routes and driving habits.

Intelligent video analytics could be the pathway forward. So far, research has shown that video analytics has the potential to help drivers avoid high risk events on the road, with approximately 80% of drivers improving their safe driving habits. Not to mention, video analytics can be used in driving instruction and teaching, ultimately customizing the software to meet the needs of drivers.

However, it’s important to remember that this type of technology isn’t just applicable to vehicles — it can be used on bikes, eScooters, and so much more. The potential uses for pedestrians is far reaching, and that’s why AI is poised to pave the way for the future of urban transportation.

AI-Equipped Mobility Solutions

Along with intelligent video analytics, commercial fleet managers and logistics companies are turning to AI-equipped smart dashcams to collect critical road data using computer vision and the latest breakthroughs in technology — also known as “Vision Zero.”

The Cities of Tomorrow

Along with these practical benefits for improving safety on the road, this type of technology also helps to paint a clearer image of the larger picture in terms of urban safety. Urban planning stands to benefit from the insights gained through these types of systems as they will allow planners and city designers to create safer roads and more effective infrastructure moving forward.

The Peregrine Difference

Here at Peregrine, we’re bringing the future of urban driving front and center. Our product offers ground-breaking video analytics through technologies like computer vision and AI to ensure that roads are safer for every road user in every city.

Peregrine’s fleet intelligence platform empowers fleets to score and train their professional drivers with technology at the root of their approach, so that we can pave the way for a safer city and a safer future.

With Peregrine — you can count less accidents, less cost, and fewer claims.

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In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear to see that delivery services are being used by consumers more than ever before. From food, to packages, delivery services have quickly been thrust into the spotlight within the transportation and mobility industry. And with this new fame comes an increased market growth rate that is providing commercial fleets with new opportunities to scale, branch out, and take advantage of an expanded market.

With more delivery demand, there is an increased need for commercial fleets to provide extensive delivery services that continue to meet the needs and expectations of today’s consumers. With more trucks on the road, there also is an increased need for safety precautions that ensure the safety of drivers, pedestrians, and commercial fleet operators.

Remember, it’s not only commercial fleets that are feeling this — even car sharing, ride hailing, ride pooling, etc. are growing. How exactly can fleet operators ensure that they’re taking the right precautions?

Telematics & Fleet Management Software

To answer that question, most commercial fleets rely on their telematics service provider and their chosen fleet management software to keep their drivers and pedestrians safe. Their TSP will build upon things like GPS data, acceleration and deceleration values, and related insights to understand what’s going on during a delivery service. However, they don’t paint the whole picture.

More recently, commercial fleet operators have mandated the use of dash cams. And while these dash cams have been proven useful in cases that involve accidents and driver error, they still don’t provide commercial fleet operators with the detailed insights they need to really know how and why things are happening on the road.

The Peregrine Difference

Here at Peregrine, we’re providing commercial fleet operators with advanced, ground-breaking video analytics systems built on computer vision and AI technologies to make vehicle operations safer for all parties involved. Our system empowers fleets through a unique approach to score and train their professional drivers to ensure that our roads are safer than before — even when the demand for delivery service is at its highest.

We believe that the increasingly competitive environment for commercial fleets makes it necessary to have the very best tools at your disposal to make the most out of every ride. Through our state of the art AI-based solution, you can keep your fleet protected and ensure better business today, tomorrow, and well into the future.

Gain automated insights directly from our computer vision systems to help you better analyze your drivers’ decisions while on the road. From there, teach and train them, and equip them with the knowledge needed to pave the way for safer driving practices.

Remember, less accidents means less claims, less costs, and more satisfied customers.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted nearly every industry that our global economy has to offer — and sure, while some industries may have experienced a bit of an upswing, it’s clear to see that none have gone without interruption, disruption, and transformation. In fact, the transportation and mobility industry has shifted quite a bit during the pandemic — and while it could be argued that there was a shift, or a transformation, already underway, the pandemic has certainly accelerated it.

The Observable Shift

Time.com recently referred to public transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic as “apocalyptic,” and that’s not exactly an exaggeration. As people have continued to embrace social distancing guidelines, ridership across cities has been at a near all-time low. In addition, with businesses remaining closed and workers remaining remote, there has been less of a demand for public transportation — but that will obviously change as things continue to open back up.

Along with a decrease in public transportation, there have been some new developments that are increasingly coming up in conversation amongst urban planners and city designers. For instance, eScooters have become an exciting new technological solution that allows the everyday citizen to quickly travel from point A to point B within an urban space without putting themselves in harm’s way. Not only are eScooters convenient because they can avoid traffic jams, they can avoid mass transit, and they can reach their destination without coming into contact with others as scooters are single-rider vehicles allowing for social distancing.

In other words, urban transportation isn’t as simple as it once was — people are looking for ways to avoid mass transit, which is ultimately going to correlate with more people on the road, an increased complexity of traffic patterns, and greater instability on the roads.

What does this mean for the industry? Well, it means that drivers on the road will now have to take into account more vehicles, more pedestrians, and a complex new system of rideable technology like eScooters, hoverboards, bicycles, and more.

As it relates to commercial fleets, the attention of fleet managers has been directed to this shift in transportation. The focus is now on advanced video analytics and computer vision technologies that can be used to make their vehicle operations safer for drivers, pedestrians, and the industry at large.

How Peregrine contributes to this transformation

Here at Peregrine, we offer a ground-breaking video analytics approach that leverages computer vision and AI technologies to make vehicle operations safer for all parties involved in urban spaces. We empower commercial fleet operators to embed advanced technologies into their operations to help support this new shift in mobility and transportation.

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