Ex Machina

Since 2003, MTData has worked to service Australia’s transport operators and logistics providers with telematics and safety services, adapting to the myriad waves of technological change that have come over the last two decades by incorporating them into the company’s own product line.

The arrival of Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be the biggest wave yet.

The introduction of AI products has received something of a mixed bag of responses from the commercial road transport industry, with much of the apprehension from various operators and customers stemming from uncertainty as to what the application of this technology would look like.

MTData, on the other hand, was quick to recognise this technology as the latest conduit for the delivery of driver safety and monitoring to its customer base, according to Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Lauren Demarchi.

“We know from our customers that safety is their most important concern,” she says.

“We want to be aligned on this. This technology offers an extra way to monitor safety both for truck drivers and those around them. Initially, it wasn’t essential for us to be leading this industry charge into AI, but as soon as we understood how it could serve our mission, we were immediately involved.”

This point is further reinforced by Chief Technology Officer, Neil Dando, who explains that AI has further enabled MTData to perform what it has always done.

“Our company purpose is enhancing productivity, while protecting lives,” he says.

“AI is a new means to help us achieve that purpose. AI is only one tool in our toolbelt and we are using it where we feel it can bring the most impact to deliver improved safety to drivers and other road users in turn”.

In order to take advantage of AI MTData first needed to build a device that could run AI models in the vehicle.

“With the challenges of intermittent network coverage there could be no reliance on continuous network connectivity and cloud services in order to deliver the new safety features we wanted” Neil explains.

“We are very proud of our tradition of building devices and solutions that are specifically designed to operate in the harsh environment of Australian fleet operations and the 7000AI is our latest device that takes our solution to a new level of capability”.

The 7000AI was released at the beginning of this financial year.

Designed as an all-in-one hub and touch-screen within the truck cab, the device monitors driver behaviour and vehicle data, streamlining communications between drivers and their fleet managers during transport journeys.

Promoting safety and efficiency, the 7000AI features a text-to-speech function which can relay important information to drivers without them needing to look away from the road.

Cameras in the truck cab monitor signs of fatigue and distraction in the drivers themselves, while a device embedded in the driver’s seat can refocus attention with vibrations and other movements.

This product, and its plethora of AI safety applications, had been years in the making, long before customers in the industry were even using the technology.

“Our customers first started using our AI products last July,” Lauren recalls.

“But we at MTData had been working on this integration in the background for years leading up to that. This kind of work can’t be rushed ­— when we’re talking about driver safety, we’re talking about people’s lives.”

Driver fatigue and distraction has been MTData’s market for many years, with a push into AI more recently.

There are expectations from the customers who have already been exposed to competitors’ AI solutions and the company is driven to meet and exceed these expectations.

“The 7000AI has provided drivers with situational awareness from the perspective of the truck cab,” Neil says.

“But what it also does from an operational perspective, is to provide a view of the risk present across an entire fleet of vehicles and drivers.”

Not all of the new features are reliant on AI, these include ‘rollover risk protection’ and ‘preventative maintenance’.

MTData’s rollover risk protection monitoring works specifically to maximise a driver’s awareness of the safety and security of the terrain it travels.

This technology, currently being used by a mining customer for MTData, provides safety warnings on any present threats to drivers or the truck in real-time.

“The risk of vehicle rollover is especially present in the mining space,” Lauren says.

“These vehicles work with terrain that isn’t necessarily even, in difficult areas. Our technologies are looking to maximise the driver’s understanding of risk around them as they travel.”

MTData, per Lauren, is measuring vehicle tilt and roll, and can use these to inform drivers of what these values are and when they approach or exceed a safe threshold and risk a roll-over.

“We are now turning our focus to how we can extend our driver monitoring using video based AI to understand what is happening around the vehicle and assist driver awareness of dangers with improved real-time situational awareness,” she says.

“This all without adding to their already complex and distracting working environment”

This next level of AI application for truck fleets, Neil believes is just as essential for ensuring safety on the road.

These capabilities can also alert drivers of other vulnerable people around the truck at any given time to prevent accidents. A major concern for any fleet as Neil points out.

“Organisations aren’t just thinking about the safety of the drivers, but the safety of those around the vehicle, too,” he says.

“Their safety is of paramount importance, and it’s something we can take great care of with the implementation of this technology, with the AI we provide within the vehicle.”

Pairing the advent of AI devices with the tried-and-true value proposition of driver safety through technology, MTData’s growing product line looks to embrace the future with the creation of the 7000AI and more products to come, in a time where the industry doesn’t seem as quick to do so.

This growing product range helps to cement MTData’s role as a trailblazer of this new technology in the industry, setting the standard for how to implement these devices effectively.

“Across the industry, the adoption of AI has been slow,” says Neil.

“Not everyone knows what to make of it and some are afraid of how it will be used. We understand that fear and our approach is to respect a driver’s privacy and use any data responsibly. Ultimately we are using technology to reduce risk and improve safety, an outcome that benefits everyone.”