Detection, Monitoring & Machine Vision

Video surveillance upgrade for M6 toll motorway

December 11, 2012

Nine years after its opening, the 27-mile M6 toll motorway in the UK has had its video surveillance system upgraded in order to increase recording capacity and comply with changing data security requirements. The motorway bypasses the M6, one of the most congested pieces of road in Europe, which travels through Birmingham. Systems maintenance manager for operators Midland Expressway Limited (MEL), Paul Perry, explained why they decided to upgrade their system: “The existing Wavestore recording system has d

Vietnam plans intelligent transportation systems

December 10, 2012

The Vietnamese government is to draw up new regulations as part of its plan to implement intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in 2013. The project will be executed in three stages from 2012 until 2030. During the first phase, between 2012 and 2015, three traffic control centres will be built to control traffic in the north, central and south regions of the country. During this phase, traffic management equipment will be installed, including closed circuit television cameras, weather forecasting equipm

Washington’s new traffic cameras go online

December 7, 2012

Drivers in Washington State can now get real time travel information on Interstate 5 between Rochester and Tumwater. Six new traffic cameras have been installed as part of the I-5 Grand Mound to Maytown Stage 2 project, one of four projects funded by US$390 million from the 2003 and 2005 fuel tax packages to improve traffic flow and safety along an eighteen-mile stretch of I-5 in Lewis and Thurston counties. The new cameras not only give the 56,000 drivers who use this section of I-5 daily a real-time look

Success of London's Olympic public transport systems

December 4, 2012

The Olympic flame has moved on, allowing review of the relative degrees of London’s 2012 transportation success, how it was done and with what lasting effects. Jon Masters reports. This magazine’s international position provides a good vantage point for assessing impressions left by London’s 2012 Olympic Games. On the whole, it has been only praise and congratulations heard since the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in August and the Paralympics in September. The events looked great and ran smoothly

ITS World Congress debates perceptions of enforcement

December 4, 2012

The technical programme of this year’s ITS World Congress in Vienna includes a special session on the image of enforcement. ITS International examines the scale of the problem and what can be done about it. Debate on the merits and difficulties of enforcing speed limits appears centred on a conflict of principles. Put very simply, local communities, people living close to busy or hazardous roads, want to see traffic speeds calmed. Drivers on those roads, on the whole, want their principle of freedom to be m

High performance all in one camera

December 4, 2012

The CAM2M3DS ANPR camera from Netherlands-based Arvoo Imaging Products is an all in one system for automatic licence plate recognition applications. The CAM2M3DS is a fully integrated ANPR camera system, incorporating the camera, illuminator and processor in one compact package. The system contains two 2.3 megapixel cameras, one for colour overview image and one for ANPR and, according to Arvoo, is suitable for urban and rural environments, in all weather conditions.

Body heat sensors used to monitor visitors at gardens

December 4, 2012

UK company Traffic Technology has deployed sensors from its Eco Pyro range to monitor pedestrian visitors to the historic Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The network of monitors will provide information for staff and resource allocation and as a performance indicator to monitor the success of the many major events held in the gardens. The patented Eco Pyro registers body heat as people break an infra-red beam, accurately counting pedestrians even if they are close together. Easy to install, th

Camera range optimised for outdoor applications

December 4, 2012

Allied Vision Technologies (AVT) has introduced the Prosilica GT GigE Vision camera series which offers an extended operating temperature range and optimised image processing functions. Capable of operating at extreme temperatures from -10°C to +60°C and in changing lighting conditions, the Prosilica GT has been designed for demanding outdoor applications such as traffic and security monitoring, surveillance and aviation/space flights. The cameras feature a host of functions to cope with external weather

AMG-Panogenics partnerships

December 4, 2012

AMG-Panogenics, British manufacturer of the PanoCam360, has partnered with Canadian-based digital video technology company i3 to integrate i3 tracking software within the camera. PanoCam360 is a powerful and versatile 360 degree camera range that works on an open software platform, which makes it very easy to integrate the i3 software, enabling the camera to track pedestrian walking patterns over a 360 degree area using just a single ceiling-mounted camera. The camera allows for up to 14 live panoramic and

Cohu introduces its latest HDTV 1080P video cameras

December 4, 2012

US-based Cohu expands its family of HDTV camera products, with the 7500HD series, offering excellent image quality, event management processing and network stability. Available in three configurations, the company says all three are robustly designed and ideal for security, surveillance and remote monitoring applications. The 710HD is a fixed network box camera, indoor IP50 rated; the 7520HD is a fixed network dome camera, indoor and outdoor IP66 rated; while the 7530HD is a fixed network camera, outdoo