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The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the introduction of the Smart Yard for testing light driver license applicants at Dubai Driving Center, Al Khail Branch, Al Quoz Industrial Area. The test will use new technology on board a light vehicle fitted with a manual gear. The move is part of RTA’s endeavors to keep pace with the Smart City initiative of Dubai Government towards ranking Dubai as the smartest city in the world. The system is the first of its kind across the globe.
Commenting on the project, Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA’s Licensing Agency, said, “The testing of drivers on a Smart Yard is one of the key projects undertaken by RTA with the aim of converting drivers testing vehicles into smart vehicles capable of detecting testing maneuver spots and gauging the driver’s response to each of them. Such vehicles are fitted with powerful cameras & sensors linked to a central processor capable of capturing various information and automatically calculating errors made.
“To enhance the Smart Testing system, the testing yard has been fitted with certain marks where the vehicle can detect the locations of the 5 testing maneuvers once it passes on them with the aid of sideway cameras fitted to the vehicle. Then, it transmits images & data captured by ground sensors to a processor for assessing the result. The testing vehicle has an onboard tablet to explain the maneuvers through voice instructions at the time of testing in addition to a host of functions usable during the training phase,” he explained.
“The testing yard is fitted with a watch tower enabling the monitoring of multiple vehicles at a time while maintaining records of each testing process to ensure fair & retrievable results. The Smart Testing system meets a number of objectives such as increasing the level of transparency, reducing the error margin in taking pass or fail decisions without the intervention of the examiner and enhancing the efficiency of testing steps through a consistent automated operation of smart vehicles. The system will also improve the safety aspects through using multiple technologies to avoid accidents such as the collision with barriers, and enable individuals to work under a smart environment capable of leveraging their skills,” added Bahrozyan.
It is noteworthy that during the UAE Innovation Week (20-26 Feb 2016), RTA launched the trial run of the Smart Yard initiative, one of the key tests undertaken by driving license applicants.
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