Jungo Connectivity: AI software for driver and interior recognition

Jungo Connectivity, a global provider of AI software for vehicle interior recognition, was founded in 2013 as a spin-off from Cisco Systems. Jungo’s VuDrive enables car manufacturers to develop safe cars and facilitate the transition to the autonomous vehicles of tomorrow.

Binci Heeb, editor-in-chief of thebroker, talks to Opher Suhami, CEO of Jungo Connectivity.

Since 2013, Jungo Connectivity’s mission has been to reduce traffic accidents caused by driver distraction. Can you say by how much accidents have decreased thanks to your software?

Jungo was founded in 2013 and launched its SDK for in-cabin monitoring (DMS and OMS) in 2015. Since then we were solely operating in the OEM domain (T1’s and car manufacturers). We have been in the commercial aftermarket domain with our AI video telematics solution since mid of last year when we launched our new VuDrive.net cloud platform and our new hardware. From publicly available studies you can see that use of AI in commercial vehicles resulted in around 20% fewer accidents.

Are you any closer to your goal of becoming the world’s leading provider of driver and occupancy monitoring systems?

I believe we are.

What is your technology based on?

Our Driver Monitoring System (DMS) Video AI telematics solution leverages cutting-edge deep learning, machine learning, and computer vision technologies to conduct an in-depth, real-time analysis of drivers‘ conditions by observing behaviors like eye movement and head position. This advanced method enables precise identification of distractions or fatigue among drivers, as well as other scenarios like seatbelt usage and smoking, thus improving road safety by alerting when drivers are in less than ideal conditions to drive or to alert them of imminent danger. Moreover, these alerts are also sent to our cloud-based fleet management platform, providing valuable data for fleet managers and insurance companies.

VuDrive films the driver and passengers to monitor their behavior. What are its advantages?

VuDrive is a camera-based AI tool that tracks the face & upper body of the driver in order to detect, alert and analyze behaviors that increase the probability of an accident. This includes distraction, phone use, drowsiness and other events that are dangerous to the driver, passengers, pedestrians & road users. Furthermore, this data is accumulated to pinpoint risky driving tendencies or patterns- thus, enabling customized training programs that will prevent accidents, reduce accident-related costs and save lives. 

Don’t the users feel that they are being monitored too closely by Big Brother? 

In general- Drivers want to complete their daily route and get back home safe, free of disruptions and without causing damage to the vehicle or worse.

How does their life-saving accident prevention system VuDrive work and who is it intended for?

The dual-camera system monitors the driver’s eye gaze and head position, analyzing driver behavior in realtime to detect potential risks. VuDrive monitors driver distraction, as well as mobile use and seat belt wearing. The system alerts the driver in the event of risky driver behavior. All events are recorded and uploaded to our cloud-based fleet management system where the fleet managers can track and monitor their drivers.

VuDrive is intended for fleet managers and insurance companies, where they can gather data and insights about risky drivers and fleets and implement targeted training programs.

There is a fear that the vehicle will suddenly be controlled by someone else. How secure is your software from hackers?

Our software only alerts and does not have any connectivity to the vehicle CAN bus, so there is no risk of hacking the vehicle nor controlling it.

What is telematics and how is it important for insurers?

Vehicle telematics combines GPS systems, onboard vehicle diagnostics, wireless telematics devices, and black box technologies to record and transmit vehicle data, such as speed, location, maintenance requirements and servicing and also video AI telematics, playing a significant role in the automotive industry, especially for insurance purposes. It allows insurance companies to collect data about a driver’s habits directly from Jungo VuDrive AI camera. This data includes information on driving behavior, speed, mileage, and overall driving patterns. The primary goal of telematics in car insurance is to offer fairer pricing by rewarding safe driving habits with discounts and to provide insurers with a more accurate assessment of driving risks.

One often reads that truck drivers cause major accidents, for example by driving into the end of a traffic jam. How can these drivers be relieved by telematics data?

VuDrive’s video telematics empowers truck drivers in accidents by offering clear video evidence for accurate reconstruction and exoneration, identifying risky driving behaviors for targeted coaching, and providing realistic training scenarios to prevent future incidents.

Why should insurance companies promote DMS cameras for fleet safety?

Insurance companies are interested in promoting the use of DMS among fleet operators because they have a direct impact on the number of accidents and claims made by fleet operators. By promoting the use of these cameras, insurance companies can help fleet operators reduce the risk of accidents and claims, which in turn can lower insurance premiums and improve profitability.

According to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver-related factors such as fatigue and distraction are responsible for approximately 94% of all traffic accidents. DMS cameras can help detect and mitigate these factors, potentially reducing accident rates in fleets.

How do you use GDPR (nDSG in Switzerland) and GSR in vehicles?

Operating in Europe under GDPR (or nDSG in Switzerland) requires careful consideration of privacy implications and compliance with data protection laws (around the collection, storage, and use of personal information, providing clear explanations of data processing).

 In which countries in Europe are you represented by your sales partners?

France.

What about Switzerland?

Not yet.

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Find Opher Suhami’s curriculum vitae.