How many traffic lights do we encounter on the road every day? It feels like today, while I was commuting to the office by bus, I encountered an unusually high number of red lights that made me stop. As an intern, I commute at similar times every day, and it seems like I encounter more traffic lights and vehicles during the morning and evening rush hours compared to when I used to go to school.
Is there a way to control traffic signals to align with the moment I pass by during busy commuting hours? If we could efficiently and safely control signals based on real-time road conditions, it would fulfill every working professional's wish to escape traffic congestion during their commute. To address my curiosity, for this "Intern-view," we have invited Taeyoung Yoo, one of the Research engineers from the Nota ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) team.
Hello Taeyoung! I'm Eunhwa Jo, an intern from the People & Culture team. 😊
Could you please briefly introduce yourself and explain what you do?
Hello, I'm Taeyoung Yoo, working as a Machine Learning Research Engineer in the ITS team. ITS refers to an intelligent traffic system. Simply put, it analyzes real-time road conditions and controls signals accordingly to make pedestrian environments safer and more efficient. I'm responsible for extracting key indicators such as traffic volume, parking information, and pedestrian situations from the collected traffic situation data, which are essential for solution development.
As an intern, his story before and after joining Nota
I heard that, just like Hoin Na from the NetsPresso team, you also have a background from Google Boot Camp.
What were some of the things you gained from the Boot Camp?
I’m not saying this because I finally got to work at Nota, but discovering Nota was the biggest gain from the Boot Camp. In addition to completing lectures and acquiring certifications to become a qualified engineer, the Boot Camp provided opportunities to meet companies that utilize AI technology. The reason I participated in Google Boot Camp was to explore various companies and have discussions with professionals about practical work.
At that time, I had the chance to hear not only about the technical aspects of Nota's ITS team but also about Nota's culture. This was the most appealing part because, through the explanations of Hwanhyo, the lead of the ITS development team, and Seungwoo, the recruitment manager, I could sense that Nota is a place where people gather to strive and contemplate on making a positive impact on the world through AI technology. Inspired by this, I felt the desire to work at Nota and applied as an intern in the ITS team, which eventually led to a full-time conversion.
I heard that you went on a business trip to the United Kingdom while working as an intern!
It's not common for interns to participate in overseas business trips. What was the purpose of your trip?
In March of this year, I went on a business trip to Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, for the ITS solution pilot test. Milton Keynes, known as an emblem of new city development, was exploring urban innovation solutions offered by Korean startups. Nota couldn't miss out on this opportunity! Therefore, I and Dain, a Machine Learning Engineer, went on an overseas business trip to showcase ITS solutions tailored to the UK's local conditions.
What features did Nota ITS solutions showcase in the UK?
In the UK, there were many areas such as football stadiums or mixed-use shopping centers where parking issues could arise. To address the parking challenges in such areas, we developed a solution that enables real-time monitoring of external parking occupancy, traffic volume, pedestrian traffic, and more. This solution aimed to alleviate parking difficulties in those areas.
During the business trip, we worked on enhancing the performance of the solution and also had the opportunity to introduce Nota's solution to the local representatives and receive feedback. Understanding the local market's needs without directly visiting the site can be challenging. Therefore, during the trip, we meticulously identified the service needs and considerations of the local representatives in the UK and focused on presenting the solution based on this information.
Do you have any memorable experiences during your overseas trip?
One of the most memorable experiences was directly communicating with the representatives based on the analysis conducted on-site. In fact, when conducting business from Korea, it was a bit frustrating and regrettable that we couldn't communicate smoothly with the UK representatives due to the physical distance and time difference. However, during the business trip, being able to exchange immediate and vivid feedback on-site facilitated smooth progress in our work. As an intern participating in this process, I am truly grateful for and consider this trip as a valuable and significant opportunity.
The Unique Colors of the Nota ITS Team
Having gone through the internship period, you must have witnessed various aspects of the ITS team.
Is there any strength of the ITS team that you would like to boast about?
The strength of the ITS team, as I perceive it, lies in the foundation of effective communication, ownership, and trust among all team members. Everyone in the ITS team works together to solve problems that arise during the development process. They enthusiastically contribute diverse ideas and actively discuss the possibilities of implementing those ideas. The reason behind this collaborative environment is the shared mindset of striving for better development direction and taking ownership of their tasks.
Furthermore, the team members demonstrate trust in each other by providing feedback without hesitation and attentively listening to others' opinions. If there weren't a belief that everyone shares the same goal, giving and receiving constructive feedback actively would have been somewhat challenging.
Additionally, the team conducts study sessions to enhance each other's growth and proactively shares any information about technologies or extended services that can be applied to problem-solving. These aspects further strengthen the unity of the ITS team.
I believe that intelligent transportation systems are a highly specialized field even within the AI industry.
What motivated you to take an interest in integrating transportation systems with artificial intelligence?
I became interested in intelligent transportation systems because we are all pedestrians. I have a desire to contribute to creating a safer society through my career. That's why I entered the field of ITS, wanting to develop AI-based transportation solutions and contribute to the safety of all of us. It also gave me a sense of mission to use our technology to make a difference in the world.
Why did you choose Nota instead of other companies?
There are many other companies developing new technologies using artificial intelligence, but I chose to join the Nota ITS team because of its culture of pursuing the right direction. As I mentioned before, aligning with my philosophy of using technology to improve the world, it seemed to fit like a puzzle.
In fact, many people and companies answer "yes" to the question of whether they can further develop the technology. However, I believe the focus should be on how they answer the question of "where and why they use the developed technology." The purpose and significance of technology determine the direction in which a team should strive as they create services. Nota’s ITS solution strives to protect pedestrians through a safer and more efficient road environment and to positively impact the world through AI technology. In the process of approaching that goal, I was confident in choosing Nota because it is a company where all Nota crew members pursue a common direction based on the core values (CV) and leadership principles (LP).
It's truly impressive how you progressed from an intern to a full-time position. As for the final question, what positive influence have you received from your team members?
I have been positively influenced by the ITS team members through engaging in objective discussions and receiving constructive peer pressure. It has motivated me to put in effort to address my shortcomings. The ITS team members are individuals from whom I have much to learn, both technically and personally. Working with them has been a great source of inspiration. Moreover, I have discovered ways to contribute positively to my team members' growth, whether in the work itself or in external aspects. 🙂
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Learning that traffic lights understand me and turn green as I pass by is not a distant future story but something that can be realized in the near future has been an eye-opener during this internship. Road environments have a significant impact on our lives. How was the intersection you crossed today? Perhaps in the future, we may encounter intersections that look slightly different from what we see now. 🙂 The ITS team's dedication will continue as they strive for more people to safely navigate the roads. As a result, we might become more attentive to our surrounding road environments, which we often pass by without much thought.