Student entrepreneur Connell McLaughlin, 19, has created an embedded sensor system that detects and reports hazards, including potholes and overhanging tree branches.
Mr McLaughlin came up with the idea three years ago as part of a school engineering project. Now a student at the University of Southampton, he has secured £100,000 for his Route Reports start-up. It is on trial with Reading Buses.
Route Reports sensor and processing units upload the exact location of strikes with overhanging branches and potholes, and they feed the information to an online dashboard. Operators can then prioritise critical risks and forward information to local authorities.
“Route Reports’ combination of Internet of Things hardware and an industry-leading online platform powered by machine learning means that we have the comprehensive data solution for operators,” he says.
Adds John Bickerton, Reading Buses Head of Innovation and Engineering: “Connell’s work is among the most innovative that we’ve seen in the bus industry and we’re pleased to be involved. His ideas are agile and he is able to quickly realise them as prototypes.”
