Here’s a business idea that you can use to make a few hundred million. To start, you’ll need a small computer that runs Linux (I’d recommend the British-made Raspberry Pi, for £23) and a couple of camera modules. Next, you’ll need to write (or pay someone else to write) a programme that uses the input from the two cameras to correctly judge the speed of a passing car. This is the tricky part, but it’s not insurmountable – I’ve asked engineers exactly how tricky it would be, and the consensus is that there is now widely available machine learning software that could accomplish this. Combine these elements into a waterproof case, with a power supply (ideally a solar panel) and a SIM card. Train and test your AI speed camera until it works reliably.
Why? Because the most common speed camera in the UK and Europe costs from £20,000 per unit to install (or £40,000 if it’s in a rural area and needs its own power supply). This doesn’t include the contract for maintenance, which is necessary because many of them still use film – which tells you all you need to know about how ripe for disruption this market is. People I’ve spoken to say it’s possible to make a networked digital speed camera that works well enough to achieve certification for under £1,000.
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