Detection, Monitoring & Machine Vision

Knowing when to slow down

August 8, 2018

Level 2 driver assistance vehicles have little problem reading fixed metal signs at the roadside - but it’s a different story with VMS in tunnels, finds Alan Dron. Following a series of hands-free driving tests in tunnels, an Australian road authority believes that car manufacturers have to up their game before vehicles have the required levels of competence to consistently perform ‘assisted driving’ tasks. The trials, in the state of Victoria late last year, tested the ability of several vehicles to stay

Vicat net profit up nearly 60%

August 8, 2018

French cement, concrete and aggregates group Vicat posted a 59.4% increase in net income for the first half of 2018. Net income in H1 totalled €59million, compared with €40mn for H2 2017. Vicat says the solid performance was helped by growth in Turkey, the United States, France and Kazakhstan. Consolidated sales in H1 2018 totalled €1,281mn, up 2.7% on the same period of 2017. In H1 the cement business posted a 9.7% increase in operational sales at constant scope and exchange rates and a 1.3% increase on

Antaira launches compact industrial PoE+ converter with fixed fibre

August 7, 2018

Antaira Technologies says its IMP-C100-XX series, a compact industrial Ethernet-to-fibre PoE+ media converter, is designed to fulfil industrial applications which require fibre optic distance extension while using minimal space. The IMP-C100-XX series features a 10/100TX Ethernet port and a fixed fibre interface which supports ST or SC connectors, depending on the model. Both multi-mode and single-mode models are available to support applications with a range of fibre distances and types.

Sony Europe ISS launches 12 MP GS CMOS Camera Link series

August 6, 2018

Sony Europe’s Image Sensing Solutions (ISS) says its XCL-SG1240 series of Camera Link V2.0 modules utilise a 1.1-type global shutter CMOS sensor to deliver 12 MP images at 20 fps. These cameras are suited to sectors which require exceptional detail including low (0.5 lx) or changing lighting conditions, the company adds. The module was developed by Sony ISS engineers who worked with the Sony 1.1-type Pregius GS CMOS sensor with the intention of developing a solution which extracts better image qualit

Navtech Radar launches tunnel safety solution

July 20, 2018

Navtech Radar has launched a sensor to complement its ClearWay solution and provide automatic incident detection (AID) coverage in highways and tunnels for 175m in both directions. Phil Avery, the company’s managing director, claims that the solution is ideal for applications where line of sight is limited. Called CTS175, the solution features Clearview’s AID solution and can be used for traffic applications, including roads, tunnels and bridges. The company says that a choice of two sensors gives maximum f

Actibump installed at Curtain University to tackle speeding

July 20, 2018

Curtin University Campus in Perth, Australia, has activated two of Edeva’s ActiBump systems along a road traversing around its campus to combat an estimated 70% of vehicles driving over the speed limit. The platforms were installed during the Summer break. Edeva says that its solution allows users to set the speed limit and other variables via software, which is also programmable for other applications. ActiBump is intended to allow users to set the speed limit and other variables via software, which

Flir’s Star SAFIRE 380-HD is Hollywood star in Sicario 2

July 11, 2018

Lights, thermal camera…action! Vision manufacturer Flir can now be seen in cinemas taking a starring role in a major Hollywood movie. One of the company’s thermal imaging products, the Star SAFIRE 380-HD, features heavily in the opening scene of drugs thriller Sicario: Day of the Soldado. Producer Edward McDonnell says: “We always strive in these kinds of movies to make as much of it as possible actual and factual.”The sequel to 2015’s blockbuster Sicario, which has just been released in cinemas, opens

Avoiding the call of the wild

June 29, 2018

Hitting an animal on a rural road can be fatal for all parties involved – but detecting and avoiding them requires clever technology. Andrew Williams carefully scans the horizon for details. Wildlife-vehicle collisions are an ever-present threat in rural areas around the world, and there is certainly nothing funny about suddenly finding an angry moose in your headlights on a sharp bend. A variety of detection and avoidance systems are currently in use or under development to help prevent your vehicle being

BriefCam launches new video content analytics platform

June 28, 2018

BriefCam has launched its V5 video content analytics platform to help enterprises and law enforcement agencies generate visual evidence. The product combines computer vision and artificial intelligence technologies to help users pinpoint objects of interest. The company says that V5 brings new capabilities across all three of the system’s integrated modules to help make video searchable and actionable. V5 includes semantic detection for increased object extraction quality and a video search function with

Goodyear showcase intelligent tyre prototype at Geneva Motor Show

June 28, 2018

Goodyear has unveiled an information system that includes a tyre, sensors and cloud-based algorithms. The intelligent tyre prototype is designed with the intention of providing continuous connectivity and real-time data sharing for safer and more cost-efficient mobility. The sensors on the shared mobility product solution work with the vehicle and third-party information to provide real-time data to Goodyear’s proprietary algorithms. It delivers information on tyre ID and status including wear, temperature