Detection, Monitoring & Machine Vision

Kapsch TrafficCom has delivered and installed weigh-in-motion systems at four stations on two highways in Kazakhstan. The project comprises high-precision weighing modules as well as the associated rear licence plate detection system. The system, developed by Kapsch, allows the weighing of vehicles even while travelling at full speed. Sensors detect whether a vehicle exceeds the maximum allowed weight, while additional sensors identify the vehicles’ licence plates. The data is transmitted and evaluated

The UK Highways Agency is trialling a system to add commercially available traffic data to its existing sources to monitor traffic flow on England’s motorways and strategic roads. Similar data sources are already used by satellite navigation devices, smartphones, and applications like Google maps. The system uses data that comes mostly from vehicle tracking devices installed by fleet operators, and a proportion from mobile sat-nav type devices, including smartphone traffic applications where the user has

Q-Free is to implement its enhanced imaging processing (EIP) solution for the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX), USA in a contract worth around US$6.9 million. EIP utilises automatic licence plate reader (ALPR) and vehicle signature recognition (VSR) software and enables toll authorities to achieve high automation and low error rates using artificial intelligence and self learning capabilities. The system interfaces with existing toll road back office systems, minimising operational cost, errors, an

Image Sensing Systems’ widely deployed licence plate recognition (LPR) software will soon be available with support for the ONVIF protocol; following IP camera interoperability testing, ONVIF software support is expected to be generally available in November 2013. ONVIF is an open industry forum promoting and developing global standards for interfaces of IP-based physical security products.

A group of research centres and companies in Madrid has created what is said to be the first infrared and remote system able to detect pollutants from cars on highways up to three lanes. The goal is to be able to conduct a global test of automobile emissions. According to the researchers, the prototype, which is ready to be marketed, can make an intelligent measurement of highway traffic by collecting real-time data on traffic density, emissions and consumption associated with each vehicle, and weather c

Image Sensing Systems (ISS) is to focus on exploring the developing promising new and early stage technologies for commercialisation within the intelligent transportation, safety and security sectors. To this end, the company has formed a new research department, ISS Labs, headed by Dr Panos Michalopoulos, ISS’ original founder.

The latest addition to the smartmicro range of radar traffic detectors is the combined stop bar and advance detector, which the company claims offers a range of up to 180 metres and can effectively replace loops at the stop bar and at advanced approaches.

Danish wireless technology company Blip Systems has partnered with Smart CCTV to deliver Bluetooth and wi-fi journey time, origin and destination, traffic congestion monitoring and traffic management solutions to UK roads. Blip Systems’ BlipTrack uses small sensors at strategic points in road networks to track Bluetooth and wi-fi enabled devices, such as mobile phones, tablets and hands-free installations in cars to measure traffic flow and calculate travel time. The ability to obtain traffic flow data

Four major bridges over the lower Mississippi are to get intelligent transportation systems (ITS) upgrades, thanks to a US$10 million grant from the US Department of Transportation TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) fund. The project will expand existing ITS systems in each of the three states to complement previous state and private investments.

US Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are using smart technology to warn civil engineers when something is wrong with the infrastructure, says the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Association (AASHTO). Sensors installed on bridges, in roadways, and on maintenance vehicles are communicating real-time performance and weather data, allowing engineers to solve problems before they occur. "Most people look at a road or a bridge and never realise the technology that today's modern tra