A New Approach

Combining technology and practical city solutions, Helsingborg has embarked on a forward-thinking journey to enhance its urban landscape. Like many growing cities, the southern Swedish city faces typical urban challenges – increasing traffic congestion, rising emissions, and aging infrastructure, demanding innovative approaches for improvement. 
Using 3DAI™, a cutting-edge AI system developed by Univrses, Helsingborg harnesses the power of Computer Vision technology, deployed in an unconventional way – through its waste management fleet.

Partnering with Univrses

Helsingborg's collaboration with Univrses began in 2020, when the capabilities of 3DAI™ were first demonstrated. Recognizing its potential for gathering and monitoring road and infrastructure data in urban environments, the city formulated a plan for its deployment and further development. This venture is part of Helsingborg's commitment to not only address the growing challenges of urbanization but also to set new standards in city operations and make daily life better for its 150,000 inhabitants. Moreover, the innovative partnership with Univrses reflects the city’s dedication to leading in smart city technology, not just in Sweden but on the global stage.

Deployment

As the deployment began, smartphones equipped with the 3DAI™ software were mounted on waste management vehicles provided by NSR (Nordvästra Skånes Renhållnings AB). While performing their daily routes, these vehicles collected a continuous stream of data on road damage and the position and state of the city’s road signs. The real-time data was accessed instantly by road operators at the Helsingborg municipality through the 3DAI™ dashboard, enabling prompt and efficient maintenance and planning decisions.

Andréas Hall, Development Engineer at The City of Helsingborg, highlights the practical benefits of using the 3DAI™ system:
– This data-driven approach enables us to implement simple and relatively inexpensive measures to enhance our road network proactively. It helps prevent major damages that are significantly more costly in terms of both time, effort, and money to repair.

"3DAI™ boosts our road maintenance, helping us achieve a smoother, safer, and more sustainable urban environment."

- Henrik Rosdahl, Road Engineer, 
The City of Helsingborg

Results and Impact

The integration of 3DAI™ marks an important step in Helsingborg's journey towards smarter, more efficient urban management. Univrses’ advanced AI technology has enabled tangible improvements in infrastructure handling, with visible results in various key areas. In this section, we highlight these enhancements, showcasing the system's impact on both the city’s operations and the well-being of its residents.

Efficiency and Cost Reduction
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By transitioning to the dynamic and continuous data-gathering process offered by 3DAI™, Helsingborg has streamlined its road network inspections and significantly reduced the need for manual surveys. This shift enabled the city to redistribute resources more efficiently and cut down on logistical expenses, resulting in a cost reduction of approximately €80k in 2022.

Reduction in Labor and Resource Utilization
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Adopting 3DAI™ has transformed how Helsingborg allocates its road management workforce. The system’s ability to automate road monitoring has reallocated up to 50% of the labor force previously engaged in manual infrastructure inspections. This has allowed staff to concentrate on more critical and strategic tasks, enhancing overall productivity and contributing to more efficient operations.

Enhanced Road Quality and User Comfort
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Since implementing 3DAI™, Helsingborg has been able to identify and prioritize road repair needs more accurately. With its advanced data-gathering capabilities, the AI system provides detailed insights into road conditions, leading to a targeted approach in maintenance. Between April and September 2022, this focused strategy resulted in reducing potholes from 3,000 to 900, directly enhancing road safety and comfort for the city’s residents.

Accurate, Timely Data for Decision Making


The integration of 3DAI™ into Helsingborg’s urban infrastructure operations has had a significant impact on the city’s decision-making process. Real-time monitoring has replaced manual road status checks, previously taking 2.5 working days per week, now drastically reduced to just one hour per week. This allows the city to respond more promptly to infrastructure needs, ensuring effective and timely urban management interventions.

– The road network is like a living entity that is constantly changing. Accessing regular, up-to-date data about its status is vital to ensure its efficiency and safety. In the past, our assessments often relied on data that was 3-5 years old. Thanks to 3DAI™, we're now equipped with consistently updated information, ensuring more timely and effective decision-making, says Andréas Hall

Going forward

The partnership between Helsingborg and Univrses offers great potential for the city's urban infrastructure and management. Significant benefits have already been achieved through the use of 3DAI™, and the future is bright when it comes to further innovations and practical enhancement:

Strategic Resource Management
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The use of 3DAI™ data allows Helsingborg to allocate its maintenance resources more wisely. Using traditional methods, the city’s overall maintenance debt (the total cost of repairing all roads in the city) has been increasing. By focusing on targeted road repairs, the city not only addresses immediate repair needs but also reduces the overall maintenance debt. This is because the focused improvements on roads, enabled by 3DAI™, outweigh overall deterioration on the road network, leading to a net improvement in the city’s infrastructure. These improvements are achieved using fewer resources and less time compared to traditional methods. This smart resource management is key to the city's long-term financial sustainability, ensuring it can continue to invest in its growth and development.

Sustainability and Long-term Impact
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The self-sustaining nature of the 3DAI™ system, along with its capacity to enhance urban living standards, underscores its lasting value. The system isn’t just a temporary fix, it’s a solution that represents a long-term commitment to improving city life in Helsingborg, ensuring continuous progress.

Alignment with Urban Goals
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The collaboration between Helsingborg and Univrses is closely aligned with the city's broader objectives for urban development and planning. This joint effort, powered by the 3DAI™ system, plays a key role in creating accessible and safe roads, promoting smarter urban governance and supporting Helsingborg’s agenda for a more efficient, safe and progressive urban environment.

Conclusion

The collaboration between The City of Helsingborg and of Univrses is about utilizing state-of-the-art technology to create a resilient, economically efficient, and future-ready urban environment. This study exemplifies how a strategic deployment of the AI system can lead to a wide array of benefits - from enhanced operational efficiency and cost savings to better living conditions and proactive city management.

Moreover, this partnership is a textbook example of how cities and tech start-ups can work together. Skills and solutions provided by Univrses form one fundamental part of the project, and experience and vision provided by leaders at the Helsingborg municipality form the other. This is a pioneering initiative within Smart City development, not just in Sweden but globally.