Dubai authorities have introduced 14 AI-powered pedestrian crossings in a high-tech attempt to boost road safety.
The cutting-edge crossings in Dubai Silicon Oasis can set off flashing warning signs and activate traffic signals for oncoming vehicles when used by pedestrians and cyclists.
The forward-thinking initiative was led by the DSO free zone in partnership with Derq, a leading developer of artificial intelligence traffic technology.
The Real-Time Perception and Connectivity AI Platform was extensively tested for two years before being introduced.
Muammar Al Katheeri, chief officer for engineering and sustainability at the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority, of which DSO is a member, welcomed the implementation of the advanced technology.
“Through our longstanding partnership with Derq, we will continue to make remarkable progress in ensuring pedestrian safety and advancing Dubai's smart city agenda,” he said.
Georges Auoude, chief executive and co-founder of Derq, said the scheme was in line with Dubai's goals to cement its status as a cyclist-friendly city.
How the road project works
The system's AI algorithms are designed to detect and track vehicles and other road users approaching the pedestrian crosswalk, aiming to provide drivers with additional reaction time to slow down for those crossing.
The technology can be calibrated to activate or deactivate alerts and control their duration.
Alerts can be configured to remain active for a predetermined crossing time or as long as a pedestrian is detected in the crosswalk or its vicinity.
The platform is equipped with high-speed 5G connection, which allows for comprehensive collection of traffic data and ensures efficient remote operation.
UAE's road safety push
The UAE on Tuesday unveiled a major nationwide road project aimed at tackling accident hot spots, reducing flood risks and making the school run safer.
Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said the scheme would use interactive warning systems on routes where frequent accidents occur and pinpoint areas needing more pedestrian crossings.
Under the National Programme for Infrastructure Development – also known as Salamah 365 – authorities will monitor dams and valleys for potential flooding.
In May, Abu Dhabi Police launched a road alert system that warns drivers of bad weather and traffic accidents.
Coloured lights are used, with blue and red flashing together to indicate a traffic incident, while a yellow light alerts drivers to bad weather such as fog, rain or dust storms.
The alerts are powered by solar energy and internal batteries and are visible from 200 metres, day and night.
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Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
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- Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into
- That's about it
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
