Let’s face it, the smart city concept is no longer a pipe dream made for the movies, but an actuality that can be implemented in almost any city. Imagine a scenario where urban malfunctions are dealt with in real-time, the city learns how to optimize itself for the better of its citizens.

However, not everyone wants a more technologically sophisticated future, especially if it means that they must sacrifice their privacy for it.
Israeli startup RoadSense develops a sensor network that provides tailor-made data collected from the streets, but without infringing on anyone’s privacy.

Saw a manhole cover out of place? The city is alerted in real-time, without using cameras

RoadSense’s system collects data from the urban surroundings, and more specifically from the streets, by using non-optical sensors. From there the data is moved to the cloud, where it’s run through a proprietary algorithm. At the end of the process, a photo is sent directly to the relevant municipality sector of the street in real-time, while bystanders’ privacy is upheld.

In a conversation with Geektime, CEO and co-founder Baruch Gueta explains that the system can generate helpful insight for the city: “The system can monitor human mobility flow in the city. From this, we can know how people cross a certain crosswalk, how many people are at a given bus stop, in order to maximize public transit, as well as better understanding what makes a neighborhood trendy or not? And how to improve failing neighborhoods?” In addition, Gueta claims that the system can identify car crashes in real-time, alert to extreme weather conditions, and in the future help support the autonomous vehicle industry by transmitting relevant data from the road to the car.

Gueta claims that the company’s sensor system and algorithms are so accurate that it can detect a manhole cover that’s out of place, help fix torn electric lines, and identify and categorizes car models. The system deploys two types of radar sensors, with the first one RoadWiz collecting data from the road, while RoadBox gets its data from the sidewalk. Gueta further explains that the company’s product development will soon be based on renewable energy, although the company denied further comments on the subject. Currently, RoadSense is piloting in collaboration with a few local Israeli municipalities, though the company has also denied further details.

Israeli startup RoadSense announced a $1 million Seed funding round. The investment was led by Capital Nature. The startup participated in the Highroad innovation program, which also participated in the round. The company was founded in 2019 by CEO Baruch Gueta and CTO Avi Haskelovich.