# Acusensus

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acusensus
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{{Short description|Technology company developing distracted driving prevention}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Acusensus
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| industry = [Artificial Intelligence](/source/Artificial_Intelligence)
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| founded = 2018
| founders = Alexander Jannink and Ravin Mirchandani
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| hq_location_city = [Queen Street](/source/Queen_Street%2C_Melbourne), [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne), Australia
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| website = {{URL|https://www.acusensus.com}}
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'''Acusensus''' is a [technology company](/source/technology_company) that provides automated recognition of drivers [using mobile phones while driving](/source/Mobile_phones_and_driving_safety) in order to enforce traffic safety laws intended to prevent [distracted driving](/source/distracted_driving).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mohn |first=Tanya |date=2022-04-19 |title=Can A.I. All but End Car Crashes? The Potential Is There. |language=en-US |work=[New York Times](/source/New_York_Times)|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/19/technology/ai-road-car-safety.html |access-date=2022-12-12 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==History==
Acusensus was founded in 2018 by Alexander Jannink and Ravin Mirchandani. It is headquartered in Queen Street, Melbourne, Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contact Us About Road Safety Solutions and More |url=https://www.acusensus.com/contact-us/ |access-date=2023-03-06 |website=Acusensus |language=en}}</ref> Jannink was inspired to co-found the company after a friend riding a bicycle was killed by a driver who was allegedly driving drunk and using a cell phone.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Waters |first=Cara |date=2019-09-01 |title=Tragedy inspires Alex to tackle mobile phone use by drivers |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/tragedy-inspires-alex-to-tackle-mobile-phone-use-by-drivers-20190826-p52kxb.html |access-date=2021-11-18 |website=[Sydney Morning Herald](/source/Sydney_Morning_Herald)|language=en}}</ref> Jannink wanted to address issues of road safety, where fatality rates have been increasing since 2013.<ref name=":2" /> With Mirchandani, the chairman of [Ador Powertron](/source/Ador_Powertron), an Indian industrial electronics company, raised $600,000 to launch the company, and enrolled it in an accelerator program at the [University of Melbourne](/source/University_of_Melbourne).<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Pearce|first=Rohan|date=2019-09-23|title=Road safety: NSW says mobile phone detection program a 'world first'|url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/3458329/road-safety-nsw-says-mobile-phone-detection-program-a-world-first.html|access-date=2021-11-18|website=Computerworld|language=en}}</ref>

==Partnership==
In 2018, Acusensus led a three-month-long trial in partnership with [Transport for NSW](/source/Transport_for_NSW) to test its technology for detecting the illegal use of mobile phones while driving, such as texting or accepting incoming calls while holding the phone. The trial was a success, detecting the illegal use of mobile phones by 11,000 drivers, who were issued warning letters.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Walker |first=Christopher |date=2019-06-26 |title=Digital regulation: Transforming policy frameworks, implementation and delivery systems |url=https://www.ippapublicpolicy.org/file/paper/5cfd0ac7ccfb0.pdf |journal=International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP4)}}</ref> It was followed by an operational pilot in two [Sydney](/source/Sydney) locations from January to April 2019.<ref name=":0" /> Transport for NSW believes the pilot to have been the first of its kind in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |website=[Transport for NSW](/source/Transport_for_NSW)|date=2022-09-29 |title=World first mobile phone camera detection pilot |url=https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/node/17136 |access-date=2023-01-08 |language=en-AU}}</ref> It successfully detected 100,000 drivers using a mobile device illegally among 8,500,000 vehicles checked.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-12-02 |title=AI cameras to catch texting Australian drivers |language=en-GB |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50630763 |access-date=2023-01-08}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Frost |first=Adam |date=2019-12-20 |title=Thousands of drivers caught using a phone during first week of Australian program |url=https://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news/enforcement/thousands-of-drivers-caught-using-a-phone-during-first-week-of-australian-program.html |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=Traffic Technology Today |language=en-GB}}</ref> 

The project drew scrutiny from the state's Privacy Commissioner, who raised concerns about the legality of collecting personal information of every individual in a vehicle that passed the pilot's cameras, even those that were determined to be non-offenders, and urged Transport for NSW to develop a policy that balanced the public interest in improving road safety with the risk of privacy harms.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Sullivan |first=Matt |date=2019-07-18 |title=High-tech cameras to nab motorists catch eye of Privacy Commissioner |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/high-tech-cameras-to-nab-motorists-catch-eye-of-privacy-commissioner-20190718-p528dt.html |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref> Transport for NSW made the program permanent starting in December 2019.<ref name=":1" /> During the first three months, violators received warning letters, and enforcement via fines and [demerit points](/source/Point_system_(driving)) began on 1 March 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mobile phone detection cameras - Mobile phone use - Staying safe |url=https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/mobilephones/technology.html |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=NSW Centre for Road Safety |publisher=[Transport for NSW](/source/Transport_for_NSW)}}</ref>

==Recognition==
Acusensus's technology has since been used in similar pilots in the United Kingdom<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-23 |title=Pioneering cameras that catch drivers on their phone to be trialed in Devon and Cornwall |url=https://www.devon.gov.uk/news/pioneering-cameras-that-catch-drivers-on-their-phone-to-be-trialled-in-devon-cornwall/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=[Devon County Council](/source/Devon_County_Council)|language=en-GB}}</ref> and Canada,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-12 |title=Future of distracted driving technology makes Edmonton pitch |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/distracted-driving-technology-privacy-issues-1.5258774 |website=CBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Panza-Beltrandi |first=Gabriela |date=2022-09-13 |title=Could artificial intelligence catch distracted drivers in Edmonton? U of A piloting program |work=[CBC News](/source/CBC_News)|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/distracted-driving-edmonton-pilot-cell-phone-2022-1.6581840}}</ref> and in a New South Wales trial that examined compliance with stop signs at railway crossings.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-06-23 |title=Camera trial reveals drivers failing to stop at regional NSW rail crossings with 'disturbing and alarming' regularity |language=en-AU |work=[ABC News (Australia)](/source/ABC_News_(Australia))|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-23/nsw-rail-crossing-camera-trial-poor-stop-sign-statistics-reveal/101176740 |access-date=2022-12-12}}</ref> In January 2023, Acusensus listed on the [Australian Securities Exchange](/source/Australian_Securities_Exchange).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maddocks advises road safety technology developed Acusensus on IPO… |url=https://www.maddocks.com.au/insights/maddocks-advises-road-safety-technology-developed-acusensus-on-ipo-and-asx-listing |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Maddocks |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

Category:Australian companies established in 2018
Category:Companies based in Melbourne
Category:Software companies established in 2018

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Acusensus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acusensus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acusensus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.