Seocho-gu, Seoul, made an official announcement on Tuesday, introducing its groundbreaking “AI-based real-time congestion management system” deployed around Gangnam Station. (Image courtesy of Seocho District)
SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Korea Bizwire) – A revolutionary artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to proactively prevent crowd-related accidents by automatically monitoring pedestrian density on the streets and conveying this information through electronic billboards has been unveiled.
Seocho-gu, Seoul, made an official announcement on Tuesday, introducing its groundbreaking “AI-based real-time congestion management system” deployed around Gangnam Station, which witnesses average daily foot traffic of around 160,000 people.
This initiative marks Seocho-gu as the first local government to implement a real-time pedestrian flow tracking system that provides congestion data on electronic billboards, as confirmed by the district.
The system employs “people counting” technology, harnessing AI to gauge the number of individuals per square meter every second.
Real-time closed-circuit TV footage is transmitted to the Seocho Smart Hub Center, where an AI-powered congestion image analysis system assesses pedestrian count and density per square meter.
This information is then relayed instantaneously to 59-inch LED billboards positioned in the vicinity of Gangnam Station.
The electronic billboards exhibit three levels of alerts through text and color-coded indicators, depending on crowd density.
Green signifies safety and vigilance (two or fewer people per square meter), yellow indicates a warning state (three or four people per square meter), and red represents severe congestion (five or more people per square meter).
The electronic billboards exhibit three levels of alerts through text and color-coded indicators, depending on crowd density. (Image courtesy of Seocho District)
In particular, during instances of severe congestion, pedestrian control announcements are broadcast through CCTV speaker systems to encourage crowd dispersal, such as recommending alternative routes.
Additionally, the system is seamlessly linked to the Seoul Disaster Situation Center, as well as local law enforcement and fire departments, to facilitate rapid responses.
The dual-sided billboards are strategically positioned at a height of 7 meters to maximize visibility for a broad audience.
In tandem with this innovation, Seocho-gu plans to conduct collaborative inspections and patrols with the Seocho Police Station and Seocho Fire Department across four high-density sections surrounding Gangnam Station, as a proactive measure to prevent crowd-related incidents during the Halloween period from October 27 to 31.
Furthermore, the district has distributed safety protocols to over 100 establishments, including clubs and restaurants, and will undertake safety inspections, encompassing emergency exits and entrances, at 10 major clubs in the area.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
