Physical services
Overview
As European cities accelerate towards smarter, safer, and more sustainable mobility systems, the ability to test advanced sensing technologies in real urban environments is becoming a strategic priority.
Within the CitCom.ai Testing and Experimentation Facility (TEF), Brussels Mobility launched a real-world Proof of Concept to explore the potential of LiDAR-based traffic monitoring at one of the city’s most complex multimodal intersections. From January to June 2025, the busy junction of General Jacques Avenue and Kroonlaan in Ixelles became a living laboratory, where pedestrians, cyclists, cars, buses, and trams interact daily.
By leveraging CitCom.ai’s testing ecosystem and working with industrial partners SWARCO Belgium and Ouster, Brussels Mobility transformed an innovative sensing technology into actionable intelligence for urban traffic management.
Impact
Thanks to the CitCom.ai TEF and its real-life testing conditions, Brussels Mobility was able to:
- Demonstrate high-precision, real-time traffic monitoring without relying on cameras or privacy-sensitive imagery.
- Validate LiDAR’s ability to detect complex traffic dynamics, including turning movements, speed variations, and near-accident situations.
- Generate data-driven insights to support dynamic traffic light adaptation based on actual road-user behaviour.
- Identify high-conflict zones and risky manoeuvres early, enabling targeted safety interventions for vulnerable road users.
The PoC confirmed LiDAR technology as a mature and valuable complement to traditional traffic monitoring methods, supporting safer, more responsive urban mobility strategies.
The Challenge
Managing traffic at dense, multimodal intersections is one of the most complex challenges for urban mobility authorities. Brussels Mobility needed a solution capable of capturing detailed, real-time interactions between different transport modes, while respecting strict privacy requirements and integrating seamlessly with existing traffic management systems.
At the same time, testing such an innovative technology directly on public roads required a controlled yet realistic environment, where new solutions could be validated without disrupting daily mobility or compromising safety.
The Solution
Through CitCom.ai, Brussels Mobility accessed a trusted testing environment specifically designed for smart city technologies.
In collaboration with SWARCO Belgium, acting as system integrator and Traffic Light Controller provider, a LiDAR sensor was deployed at the intersection and connected to Ouster’s AI-driven BlueCity software.
This setup enabled the collection and analysis of highly accurate traffic data, supporting use cases such as pedestrian counting, red-light violation detection, near-accident analysis, and crossing-time estimation. CitCom.ai’s TEF framework ensured that the solution could be tested, evaluated, and validated under real-world conditions, while remaining interoperable with the city’s existing IT infrastructure.
By bridging technology, policy, and experimentation, CitCom.ai helped Brussels Mobility move from innovation testing to concrete, data-driven decision-making, paving the way for safer, smarter, and more sustainable urban intersections across Europe.
Ready to test smart mobility solutions in real urban environments? Discover how CitCom.ai can turn innovation into impact.
