RTA's new Smart Test System scores Dubai driving yard tests with AI
Cameras, sensors and face recognition now judge light vehicle yard tests, and learners can replay their test on a 3D map to see where they lost marks.
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority has launched a new Smart Test System for the yard part of the light vehicle driving test. It uses artificial intelligence, computer vision and data analysis to score learners, and the RTA says the result is now calculated automatically against standard criteria, with no person involved in working out the score.
Facial recognition checks the identity of each learner and ties the result to them. Cameras check whether the learner uses the mirrors and looks over the shoulder for blind spots, and sensors watch hand position on the steering wheel. The car's position in the test yard is tracked to within two centimetres, and the system has collision avoidance with automatic braking inside the test area. The RTA says it is built to work the same way by day and night and in different weather.
After the test, each manoeuvre and every mistake is shown visually, and learners can replay their drive on an interactive 3D map that marks major and minor errors. The RTA says test data can also be linked to the training system so that lessons can focus on what each learner needs. Sultan Al Akraf, Director of Drivers Licensing at the RTA's Licensing Agency, said the system "goes beyond automating the calculation of test results."
If you are learning to drive a car in Dubai, the yard test now marks you on habits the cameras can see, so mirror checks, blind-spot glances and both hands on the wheel count on every manoeuvre. Use the replay after your test to see exactly what went wrong before a retest. The RTA's announcement on 29 September did not say which driving institutes have the system or from which date it applies to every test, so ask your driving school.
