Conduent Transportation, a global provider of smart mobility technology solutions and a business unit of Conduent Incorporated, and Hayden AI, a developer of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, have announced a partnership to develop and deliver an automated technology solution designed to improve safety for children who ride on school buses. The solution will be available later this year and will help communities with increased enforcement of traffic laws intended to keep children safe.

Combining artificial intelligence and computer vision, the solution will use mobile cameras mounted on bus exteriors that activate when bus lights flash and the “stop arm” extends, signaling to other vehicles that they are not allowed to pass as a student is dropped off or picked up. If a driver violates the required stop by passing around the bus, then the automated solution will be triggered to capture the violation. The camera will automatically record the license plate details and a video clip of the violation, which will then quickly be sent via a secure cloud connection to law enforcement for evaluation. Once the violation is confirmed, the solution will also help agencies to efficiently process citations or warnings.

Passing a school bus with its stop arm extended is illegal in every U.S. state. According to a survey conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), there are tens of millions of violations per year across America where vehicles pass school buses, creating an unsafe situation for the children getting on or off buses. Currently, 12 states have implemented school bus stop-arm enforcement technology and, to date, legislation to allow its use has been introduced in at least 10 other states.

This partnership between Conduent and Hayden AI builds on a 2021 agreement that the companies announced to collaborate on traffic safety solutions, including an automated technology that can improve the effectiveness of traffic lanes dedicated for public transit buses. This additional stop-arm technology, once deployed, will adapt highly accurate, computer vision technology successfully used in other enforcement solutions, leading to more prosecutable violations and requiring no effort from school bus drivers to operate. The solution will be funded through fines and can be implemented without upfront costs to school districts or schools. In addition, data analytics from the solution can provide school districts with real-time insights into the effectiveness of their transportation systems, helping them to make the best possible decisions to ensure the safe pick-up and drop-off of every student.

“Automated school bus stop-arm enforcement technology is a valuable tool for school districts and law enforcement agencies seeking to keep students safe, and we’re proud to join with Hayden AI to enhance Conduent’s portfolio of smart mobility solutions,” said Mark Brewer, president of transportation solutions at Conduent. “We bring more than 25 years of experience as an industry leader in traffic enforcement, and Conduent currently supports one out of every four U.S. state and local automated enforcement programs, including those implemented to monitor speed and red-light traffic regulations.”

“We’re excited about the opportunity to work with Conduent on this important safety initiative,” said Chris Carson, CEO and co-founder at Hayden AI. “Together, we will launch new technology that empowers us to achieve things we never thought were possible, and to solve problems that were previously too costly or difficult.”