Member Article

Newcastle firm secures investment to measure physical distancing

Newcastle based Streets Systems has secured investment from Innovate UK to deliver a research contract measuring physical distancing on streets and public spaces.

The project will develop the firm’s existing capabilities to measure crowd density and the proximity of street users into a tool for managing public spaces through the Covid-19 Pandemic.

In the first phase of the project with the cooperation of the City Council sensor masts have been deployed across Newcastle. Development Director Tom Bailey said “we’re deployed in locations which have higher levels of pedestrian use and are using these to collect a baseline of how pedestrians are using space.

By the time more shops open next week we aim to have refined how we measure crowding and have a better understanding of how flows of pedestrians interact with queues“.

With more shops due to open on June 15th, locations near small supermarkets provide a snapshot of the challenges High Streets may face later this month.

Technical Director Tom Komar said “Streets Systems have built up years of experience measuring street interactions ranging from busy urban junctions in London and Manchester to The Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland. It’s great to be working closer to home refining this technology in response to the Pandemic”.

As Streets Systems equipment and methodology becomes more refined the company will be exporting the lessons learned to help manage streets, spaces, beaches and buildings across the UK.

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About Streets Systems:

Streets Systems is a company based in Newcastle City Centre founded in 2018. The firm specialises in the use of Machine Vision in the Transport Sector with a particular focus on walking and cycling.

About Innovate UK:

Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government. Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas, including those from the UK’s world-class research base.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Bailey .