Discover CAM Scale-Up through Gaist.
Steve Birdsall describes Gaist’s experience leading up to, and navigating the CAM Scale-Up journey.
Learn more about their specialty, the testing process and the results.
Gaist and the Zenzic CAM Scale-Up programme
Providing roadscape insights for robust, intelligence-based decision making
Gaist has developed an intelligence platform that is designed to help a wide range of sectors and stakeholders with decision-making when it comes to road maintenance and infrastructure management.
A disrupter and pioneer in image-based road surveying, Gaist was established in 2007 by Founder and CEO, Steve Birdsall. He formed the company in reaction to the prevalence of outdated road condition data that centred on monolithic data-collection methods and lack transparency. In contrast to the existing methodology, Steve believed image-based surveys were a superior method of road surveying.
Steve Birdsall, Founder and CEO of Gaist explains:
There was a clear gap in the market for high quality, detailed data about infrastructure, in particular highways. The data collected about them was compiled in quite an analogue way, through lasers and road profilers, etc. It was clear that we needed to understand the entire landscape. The road is an integrated system that fits together, and there was very little information about the infrastructure that sits alongside the streets. We designed a methodology that enables us to look at the entire roadscape, not just the road itself.”
He found the outputs using Gaist’s new methodology to be more robust across different environments, while also being easily verifiable by human experts. Over time Gaist’s potential was evident, with the methodology and superior data outputs having clear uses that stretched far beyond road surveying.
What makes Gaist special?
Gaist aims to offer data to those responsible for highway development and safety planning to help with their decision-making. The intelligence it provides is designed to proactively reduce the number of road accidents. It also has the benefit of assisting scheme design and infrastructure maintenance modelling that will help support optimal roads maintenance interventions and support the journey to Vision Zero.
Their solution, ‘Roads as a Service’, is an aggregated data source that combines Gaist’s detailed, accurate data with additional data sources to deliver actionable insights. The data Gaist compiles all starts from high-definition, 360-degree cameras attached to vehicles continuously surveying the road network. The cameras collect a wealth of imagery that’s processed using AI and in-house visual inspectors to completely and accurately map information, such as roadside assets and road deterioration. At that point it’s uploaded to their data platform which is then used to generate further data outputs such as maintenance scheme identification and areas of investigation for safety purposes. This can be used to help interested parties in decision-making, enabling them to plan the best order to fix or deal with network assets. From there, another level of insight can be added, such as lifecycle modelling, in order to make effective investment plans over a number of years based on targeted investments across the network. All of this is made possible by the superior data outputs provided by Gaist. They facilitate the most in-depth view of the roadscape available, leading to comprehensive advanced analysis that aid those responsible for road safety and maintenance.
Recently they’ve turned their eye to CAM, partnering with connected vehicle companies to embed their data and combine their resources and capabilities. Gaist is mindful that the world is changing and connected vehicles will form a vital role in the future of transportation, making it a necessity that they are equipped to react to changes on the road network. The team believes its solution has a place in the landscape and wants to be on the forefront of innovation.
Gaist’s testing journey
Levelling up their offering with additional data insights and on-the-ground testing with CAM Testbed UK
Participating in this year’s CAM Scale-Up programme has offered Gaist the opportunity to not only embed extra data to the reference stack, but also to practically test the derived insights through CAM Testbed’s UK Smart Mobility Living Labs: London (SMLL) and UTAC Millbrook. This enabled them to test the practical elements of the solution in a safe, controlled environment and further develop their advanced combined data capabilities.
Gaist worked with SMLL to gain access to extra data sourced from the CCTV network of highways cameras, which provided extra reference points for the final safety insights. SMLL also facilitated test customer insight evaluation with Greenwich Council. They then teamed up with Exeros, an SME from the 2021 Zenzic CAM Scale-Up cohort, to test pushing safety notifications to fleet drivers through Exeros’s fleet management platform. This provided invaluable feedback from real drivers regarding the format and value of the safety notifications. The final piece of testing was with UTAC Millbrook where Gaist focused on ensuring autonomous vehicles could receive the same push safety notifications. The aim was to enable them to take appropriate action while in the safety risk area.
Being part of this year’s programme has accelerated Gaist’s ability to use the facilities to practically test the application of highway safety insights in real-world scenarios. It offered them the opportunity to receive feedback from a local authority and fleet drivers to validate their value proposition and highlight areas for improvement.
What would success look like?
In the coming years, Gaist sees the value of connected vehicle data being increasingly used as a constituent part in the provision of actionable insights to highway users of all types. This particular insight is only one of many they plan to bring to market through their ’Roads as a Service’ solution.
Steve shared: “Combining insights from different industry experts gives us a new level of intelligence that we really haven’t had access to before. I believe, with Gaist’s solution, we have the opportunity to make a step-change in safety for road users and I’d like to see those benefits rolled out globally.”
Programme results
Gaist’s testing programme has resulted in business success across three core aspects.
Ecosystem
The CAM Scale-Up programme provided Gaist with access to a network of organisations enabling them to seamlessly integrate insights.
Processes
Testing in a real-world environment offered a working template with which Gaist can take forward.
Development
Having access to CAM Testbed UK offered a safe and controlled environment to test Gaist’s product and its robustness.
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