Taichung trumpets AI system to catch posters of illegal notices

Taichung trumpets AI system to catch posters of illegal notices

2023-10-02

Taichung City has introduced a new AI detection system to catch people who post illegal notices in public. Notices posted by businesses such as land developers and real estate agents are a common sight on utility poles, although such postings are illegal. But now the city’s Environmental Protection Bureau hopes to improve law enforcement by using the AI surveillance system to fine offenders. The system can catch the offender’s face and license plate.

Illegal notices of all shapes and colors stack on this utility pole. Beside the four ads here, there’s a graveyard of tape marks from past notices.

As fast as the Environmental Protection Bureau can tear them down, more go up. It’s a never-ending, exhausting job.

In Taichung City, for example, street cleaners removed 5.23 million notices last year. But they’re hard to prosecute, leading to fines for just 407 posters, a total of NT$1.64 million. It’s impossible to police. But now the bureau has a new tool: an AI system developed with NCHU Department of Computer Science and Engineering. It’s designed to catch illegal posters in the act.

Wu Chun-lin
Developer and NCHU professor
AI technology is very advanced now. Through object tracking technology, you can see the video with one click.

As soon as someone approaches the utility pole, a sensor detects them, and within four seconds, it can capture key images of the person and their vehicle license plate, sending them straight to the National Police Agency. A fine can be issued within a day.

Chen Hung-yi
Taichung City Environmental Protection Bureau
In the future, we will install mobile imaging equipment, and move them to any place that becomes a popular spot for notices, in order to catch offenders at any time.

The Environmental Protection Bureau says it intends to develop a facial recognition system to track faces. That will allow offenders to be caught even without a license plate.

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抓違規廣告利器! AI出馬4秒內揪出現行犯

2023-10-02

建商或房屋仲介的違規小廣告充斥街頭，除了影響市容，也讓清潔隊員疲於奔命，怎麼撕都撕不完。台中市環保局和中興大學資工系合作，研發出一套「AI取締系統」，4秒內可偵測行為人的車牌，立即通報警政系統，以車追人，最快一天之內就可寄出罰單。

形形色色的違規小廣告，同一根電線桿，從上到下，竟然出現4張，一旁還留下許多雙面膠帶的痕跡，影響市容。

你來貼我來撕，這可苦了環保局的員工，你追我跑，廣告單撕不完，疲於奔命。

以台中市為例，過去一年內各清潔隊共拆除了約523萬張小廣告，但是因為舉證困難，只有裁罰407件，總罰款金額只有164萬元，抓不勝抓。環保局想了個辦法，和中興大學資工系合作，運用AI系統，幫忙抓現行犯。

[[研發者中興大學資工系主任吳俊霖]]
“現在AI技術非常發達，我們透過物件追蹤的技術，一點開就可以看到影片。”

只要一有人接近電線桿，就可立即感應，在短短4秒內，錄下關鍵人像和車牌，立即傳送到警政系統，一天之內，就可以寄出罰單。

[[台中市環保局長陳宏益]]
“未來我們會建置移動式的影像設備，哪裡是好發點，我們就移到那邊去，隨時可以把亂貼廣告的人，把他找出來。”

環保局表示，期待未來開發「人臉辨識系統」以臉追人，就算沒有車牌的行為人，也可以抓得到。

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We start with the Asian Games, where Taiwan has added two skating golds to its medal tally. The men’s and women’s skate teams each won their final in the 3,000-meter relays. In the men’s event, Taiwan triumphed by just 0.01 seconds. It was a tough lesson for their South Korean opponents, who had celebrated the win prematurely.

The bell rings for the final lap. Sticking close to South Korea, Taiwan skater Huang Yu-lin drives in from the outside, pumping hard to clinch the win.

This was the men’s 3,000-meter relay team final. The skaters crossed the line at almost the same time, with South Korea appearing to finish first, as his body was farther forward. But his team’s celebration was cut short when the scores were released. Taiwan clocked in at 4 minutes, 5.692 seconds – just 0.01 seconds ahead of South Korea.

South Korea’s Jung Cheol-won’s had thrown his arms up in joy at the finish line, but the celebration proved premature. The Taiwan skater had been right at his heels, overtaking him by the breadth of one front wheel. The outcome left South Korea stunned. The victory has been hailed as “miraculous,” and has become of Taiwan’s most dramatic moments at the games.

Huang Yu-lin
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We won by that one wheel. Yesterday we were really down. And today we thought we placed second, but then, we looked at the screen and we were first! It was a roller coaster of emotions.

Huang, Taiwan’s anchor in the relay event, had brought his team to victory. One day earlier, he had shed tears after getting disqualified from the men’s 1,000-meter sprint due to a collision with other athletes.

Less than 24 hours later, he’s got a gold medal around his neck. The athlete says it was all thanks to perseverance and a great team strategy.

Huang Yu-lin
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Before crossing the finish line, I went to a higher part of the track, so that gravity would give me speed as I went down the slope on the final sprint. I tried to do it and succeeded.

Before the men’s 3,000-meter relay gold, Taiwan had already secured gold in the women’s 3,000-meter relay, also by defeating South Korea, their main competition.

A member of the women’s team is 31-year-old Yang Ho-chen楊合貞, a legend in the sport. Yang has collected golds at many competitions, but was missing one from the Asian Games. Monday’s race was her final international competition, and she finally fulfilled her wish.

Yang Ho-chen
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We were all set on getting this gold medal, even before the race, with our coaching team. I would like to thank my teammates for all the efforts we’ve made to win this gold.

With the two team golds, Taiwan’s medal haul in roller skating is now four golds, two silvers, and one bronze.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Publicly funded flu vaccines rolled out on Monday for 11 groups, including children and people aged 65 and older. This year the vaccines will be provided by four companies. In Taipei, Deputy Mayor Lee Shu-chuan rolled up his sleeve to kick off the inoculation program.

Publicly funded flu shots are now available. Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Shu-chuan took the lead, rolling up his sleeve for the shot. Currently 11 groups of people are eligible for free vaccination. They include people aged 65 and up, pre-school age children over six months old, medical staff, and students from elementary to high school.

Chiang Wan-an
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With both the flu and COVID, we may enter hit a peak in cases this fall and winter. So we have launched the public inoculation program on the first day back from the long weekend.

Over at this school in New Taipei, children line up to get a shot.

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This year the vaccines are supplied by the following: Adimmune, which will provide 50%; Sanofi, which will provide 27.5%; TTY Biopharm, which will provide 12.4%, and for the first time, Medigen, which will provide 10.1%. Which brand is administered at a site won’t be announced beforehand. KMT lawmakers say that’s a problem.

Wang Hung-wei
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To make its flu shot, Medigen imported vaccine bulk from South Korea and conducted sub-packaging in Taiwan. Many parents are worried that their children will get Medigen, and schools have no way to tell them which brand will be administered.

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If the vaccine has been certified by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, that means the FDA or the health ministry has conducted the relevant verification.

Hsueh Jui-yuan
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All four brands have undergone our strict inspections and they all cleared the checks. There is no reason to pick one over the other.

The vaccines will be made available for more groups starting next month. For now, the health ministry says eligible people should arrange to get vaccinated ahead of flu season.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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Taipei MRT removes central stanchions from two Orange Line trains

If you are a rider of the Orange Line in the Taipei MRT, you may have noticed something different on some of the trains. The central grab poles, called stanchions, have been removed from four cars on two trains. The removal is meant to ease the flow of passengers getting on and off the train, and prevent crowding near the doors. But it has also reduced the number of places passengers can hold onto, especially if they are shorter or have arm mobility issues.

The train arrives at the platform, and the doors open. Inside, something feels a little off. The pole that used to be in the middle of the car is gone.

Passenger
I think having the pole there gives passengers another place to hold onto. But removing it makes it possible for more people to come in.

Passenger
Sometimes when the train is braking or accelerating it can be a bit wobbly, and you bump against other people.

Some people like the change, but parents with children not so much. Back in September, the Taipei MRT revamped two trains running on the Orange Line, removing the central stanchions from Car 2 to Car 5 on each train.

And that’s not the only difference. A yellow sign has been posted on the floor, designating the area in front of the doors as a waiting area for alighting passengers. The redesign aims to clear out space to make it easier for passengers to move in and out, and prevent crowding at the doors.

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Voice of Ling Chi-yao
Metro Taipei Costumer Service Center
Metro Taipei looked at other metro systems around the world. The grab handles and handrails have been kept. Passengers can sit down on the seats, hold onto the grab bars on the sides of the doors, or grab the handrails to be steady during the ride.

Metro Taipei says the trial has been quite effective, but did not elaborate on whether more stanchions will be removed.

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Apple says iPhone 15 overheating because of bugs, not chips

Apple’s iPhone 15 models hit the market less than two weeks ago. Since then, there have been widespread complaints about all four models running hotter than expected. A South Korean business outlet blamed TSMC, which made the phones’ 3-nanometer chips. But in a statement to U.S. media, Apple said the problem was in software, not hardware, and that it was already working on a solution.

After four days with the new iPhone 15, one user named Jason says he’s impressed with the improved photo quality and autofocus speed. But he’s noticed that the device runs hot when he’s using certain apps or streaming video for just 20 or 30 minutes.

Voice of Jason
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The iPhone 15 series raised alarms as soon as it was launched. Users reported temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius on the new models. In a side-by-side comparison, one tech expert found that 16 minutes of charging got the iPhone 14 Pro hotter by 7.5 degrees Celsius, while the iPhone 15 Pro rose by 5 degrees. The expert said the heat problem might have to do with the charging cable.

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This CCTV footage shows the moment a scooter rider is thrown off their vehicle, seemingly having bumped a passing scooter. They’re in too much pain to stand. Nearby gas station employees, seeing the incident, put down their work and rush to the rider’s aid.

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The rider told us of his panic at the collision, and how lucky he felt to have the support of the gas station staff.

The gas station says there are often traffic accidents in the area. The company regularly provides first aid training and drills for employees, to minimize any casualties from local accidents.

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Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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