New mobile thermal imaging technology uses AI to pick out “high risk” trucks for NHP

A van equipped with the technology to quickly scan commercial vehicles has been deployed in southern Nevada.

The Nevada Highway Patrol has deployed a van equipped with license plate scanners and thermal imaging technology at an inspection site off of Interstate 15 this week in an attempt to crack down on semi trucks with brake and tire issues, and possibly human trafficking. 

According to Las Vegas Review Journal, the $700,000 van can be used at inspection sites or other high truck traffic areas to determine if truck brakes are overheating, tires are damaged, or if there are people being concealed in the trailer. The van also scans license plates to bring up any traffic history for the truck. 

The van uses AI to quickly go over truck scan and vehicle history to determine if the truck is ‘high risk’ or not. 

“That’s [AI is] how we create the rules to identify what we consider, or what we dub as high-risk vehicles,” said  Fred Ko of Drivewyze, who created the technology. 

“I just know, in the traditional sense of AI, we don’t use it in the screening efforts. So none of our decisions to pull a truck in or not, we don’t use AI to make that decision,” said Lt. Tappan Cornmesser.