Ouster BlueCity to Drive the U.S.’s Largest Lidar-Enabled Smart Traffic Solution
Ouster, Inc. (Nasdaq: OUST), a leading provider of advanced lidar sensors, has recently secured a $2 million contract to implement its innovative Ouster BlueCity traffic management solution in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This exciting initiative represents a significant step forward in the city’s efforts to reduce congestion and improve roadway safety. Building on the success of a successful pilot program conducted at 12 intersections, Chattanooga is set to expand the Ouster BlueCity system across over 120 intersections, covering its entire downtown area. Once completed, this will mark the largest deployment of lidar-based traffic and pedestrian safety technology in the United States, setting a new standard for intelligent transportation systems.
The core goal of this expansion is to enhance the efficiency of the city’s transportation network, leveraging cutting-edge lidar and artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize traffic flow, increase safety, and streamline vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. By integrating high-performance digital lidar sensors and powerful edge AI technology at each intersection, Ouster BlueCity will provide real-time data to manage traffic signals, detect safety hazards, and support the dynamic interaction of vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.
In a statement, Chattanooga’s Mayor, Tim Kelly, emphasized the city’s forward-thinking approach to utilizing smart city technologies. “Chattanooga is at the forefront of utilizing smart city technology to enhance road safety and quality of life for our residents,” Kelly remarked. “By leveraging American lidar technology and advanced perception software from Ouster, we are building the nation’s largest lidar-powered smart traffic network. This system will optimize signal management, improve flow, and provide crucial data to enhance pedestrian safety.”
The Ouster BlueCity Solution
Ouster BlueCity is a revolutionary, comprehensive solution designed to enhance traffic safety, optimize traffic flow, and support long-term urban planning. It leverages a combination of digital lidar, AI-driven perception software, and real-time analytics to generate a highly accurate 3D digital twin of intersections and roadways. This cloud-based technology continuously collects and analyzes data from vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, providing city planners and traffic operators with actionable insights that can be used to improve safety and manage road events effectively.
The solution is powered by deep learning algorithms, enabling advanced capabilities such as object classification and detection. This includes the identification of various road incidents, such as red light violations, wrong-way driving, near-miss collisions, and pedestrian safety concerns. Additionally, the system can act autonomously to trigger signal changes based on real-time data, ensuring that the city’s transportation network responds dynamically to patterns, reducing delays and preventing accidents before they occur.
One of the primary benefits of the Ouster BlueCity system is its ability to improve signal actuation, making intersections smarter and more responsive. This ensures that traffic signals adapt to real-time conditions, reducing congestion and optimizing flow across the entire city. Moreover, the system is designed to offer valuable data for long-term planning, enabling cities to proactively address traffic issues and improve infrastructure for the future.
In Chattanooga, the BlueCity system will help mitigate common traffic issues, such as congestion, bottlenecks, and unsafe driving behaviors. The real-time data provided by the lidar sensors will allow authorities to swiftly identify hazards and make informed decisions to protect drivers and pedestrians alike. With the ability to accurately detect near-miss incidents and monitor traffic patterns, Ouster BlueCity will ultimately enhance the safety of the city’s streets and contribute to a smoother, more efficient transportation network.
The Expansion and Strategic Partnerships
This expansion project in Chattanooga is a collaborative effort that involves key local partners, including Southern Lighting & Traffic Systems and the Center for Urban Informatics & Progress (CUIP) at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Research Institute (UTCRI). These partnerships will play a crucial role in the successful deployment and integration of the lidar-connected traffic infrastructure. With plans to complete the expansion by the end of 2025, Chattanooga is poised to become a leader in the use of smart city technologies, setting a benchmark for other cities across the nation.
Mina Sartipi, the Founding Director of CUIP and a Professor at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, expressed her excitement about the project, highlighting its potential to make a tangible impact on traffic safety. “We’re excited to be part of this cutting-edge expansion, which will drive significant improvements in management and safety while ensuring the privacy of residents,” Sartipi stated. “Thanks to Ouster BlueCity, we were able to install a crosswalk that eliminated near-miss incidents on a high-risk block, and we are only beginning to realize the full potential of this technology.”
The Ouster BlueCity solution has already been deployed in hundreds of intersections around the world, with more cities preparing to adopt the system as they modernize their traffic infrastructure. The Chattanooga project represents one of the largest and most ambitious deployments of this technology to date, and the city’s success will serve as a valuable model for other municipalities looking to improve their traffic management systems.
Certification and Compliance with U.S. Standards
Ouster BlueCity has received significant industry recognition, including NEMA TS2 certification as a detection system for traffic actuation. This certification signifies that Ouster’s lidar technology meets rigorous industry standards for performance and reliability in traffic management applications. Moreover, Ouster’s system is compliant with Buy America(n) requirements, making it the first certified lidar traffic solution eligible for government funding and procurement under these standards. This certification is a key milestone in Ouster’s efforts to expand its market presence and support the modernization of traffic infrastructure across the United States.
“As cities across the U.S. begin to embrace smart traffic technologies, having a certified and reliable solution is critical for successful implementation,” said Asad Lesani, Vice President of Smart Infrastructure Products at Ouster. “We are thrilled to collaborate with the City of Chattanooga and its partners to deploy the largest lidar-powered traffic network in the nation. Each accident we help prevent and every minute of transit time saved through advanced lidar detection represents a significant victory. We look forward to expanding the adoption of Ouster BlueCity and realizing even more impactful results.”
Ouster’s Role in the Future of Smart Cities
As the demand for smart city solutions continues to rise, Ouster is at the forefront of providing cutting-edge lidar technology that can transform urban infrastructure. The integration of lidar sensors into traffic management systems has the potential to drastically improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability in cities worldwide. By offering a real-time understanding of traffic conditions and street events, Ouster BlueCity enables cities to make data-driven decisions that enhance both the quality of life for residents and the overall performance of the transportation network.
The Ouster BlueCity project in Chattanooga exemplifies the power of collaboration between public and private sectors, as well as the role of advanced technology in solving some of the most pressing challenges faced by modern cities. As the city prepares for its expansion, the successful implementation of this lidar-powered system will not only improve traffic management in Chattanooga but also pave the way for other cities to adopt similar solutions and create smarter, safer urban environments.
With the ongoing expansion of the Ouster BlueCity system and the growing adoption of lidar technology in urban infrastructure, Ouster is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of smart cities and intelligent transportation systems in the United States and beyond. By leveraging the power of lidar and AI, Ouster is helping to create safer, more efficient cities where technology and innovation work together to enhance the daily lives of residents and visitors alike.