▲ Move A Wheel / CEO Minhyun Kim

(PowerKorea) The Korea Transportation Safety Authority reports show fatality rate of car accidents in December and January for the last 3 years is average 1.83% which is higher than average 1.71% in other months of the year. The figure jumps to 2.99% if it rains and the scale of the accidents gets bigger if black ice is on the road. Black ice related accidents recorded 6,500 and killed 200 for the last 5 years. 

The authority in charge buries and installs heat lines and brine spray on the frequent black ice roads but experts voice together more measures should be taken place. The existing melting process has to go through four stages which take time and physical effort: weather forecast – checking the roads – requiring removal work – removal. 

So, a South Korean venture Move A Wheel rolled up sleeves and introduced an innovative a sensor-module based solution. By using AI and physical properties such as sound wave, the solution detects and categorizes 9 road surface conditions like rain, ice, asphalt, soil, etc to send the information to the person in the control room. 

It is install-friendly and can give instant effect if installed on 3,000 heat line-buried roads nationwide, according to Minhyun Kim, CEO of Move A Wheel. “The sensor detects black ice and automatically runs the heat lines and sprays the brine by skipping those existing hassling removal processes. The warning also appears on the electronic display of the road for drivers to know in advance that there are black ices in front. If collaborated with navigation services providers, drivers can also get real time information of black ice while driving.”

What is more? If the sensor is installed directly under the front bumper, the sensor gets hold of the surface condition, as well as types of the road surfaces beforehand to help the driver slow down the speed and act accordingly. 

Apart from being CEO of Move A Wheel, Minhyun Kim is working at the KAIST Automotive Control Laboratory at the moment and he is ambitious to introduce a preview system to electric vehicle drivers by using a foresight sensor. 

“Researches and trials have been carried on black iced roads, snowy roads and rainy roads and we have drawn substantial results at KAIST. With confidence, a talk is going on with Hyundai Motor parts companies for collaboration. When things reach to a practical level, we will see our finds to roll on” says Kim.

Meanwhile, Move A Wheel has won the best prize twice at the Startup Festival organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the grand prize at competitions held by KAIST and by the Smart City Association. 

The Move A Wheel sensor is expected to be installed in the third bridge that connects Cheongra Incheon and Yeongjongdo. 

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