Skip to main content

Using Bluetooth technology to smooth traffic flow

The Municipality of Randers in Denmark is using Bluetooth technology from Danish company Blip Systems to improve traffic flow in the city. Consultancy company Cowi developed the Cowi CitySense system using BlipTrack sensors from Blip Systems. The popularity of Bluetooth technology makes it ideal for traffic monitoring, as increasing numbers of drivers use Bluetooth-equipped headsets or hands-free systems for their mobile phone. Small boxes with built-in Bluetooth sensors monitor traffic on a 2.5 km long st
December 14, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The Municipality of Randers in Denmark is using Bluetooth technology from Danish company 3778 Blip Systems to improve traffic flow in the city.

Consultancy company Cowi developed the Cowi CitySense system using BlipTrack sensors from Blip Systems.  The popularity of Bluetooth technology makes it ideal for traffic monitoring, as increasing numbers of drivers use Bluetooth-equipped headsets or hands-free systems for their mobile phone.

Small boxes with built-in Bluetooth sensors monitor traffic on a 2.5 km long stretch around Randers Bridge at Tørvebryggen and Havnegade; each time a driver with a Bluetooth device passes, its anonymous Bluetooth signal has been registered by the sensors, enabling the municipality to monitor the vehicle’s travel time and produce a clear picture of the traffic flow.

“We now use the information to adapt to the new traffic lights so that traffic can move faster during rush hour. When the new signals are set up, we will again conduct research on the stretch to see how it has worked and to possibly make adjustments to the new lights, “says Randers Municipality project manager, Henrik Kaldahl.

“We can use these measurements with great confidence,” says Cowi senior specialist Jonas Olesen. “The challenge of the pilot project in Randers was that cyclists and pedestrians carrying a Bluetooth device became part of the statistics. But with a few modifications, we managed to embed them in the system, enabling us to separate cyclists and pedestrians from cars.  Randers is the first place we have used the system, so it is a kind of pilot project. It has given us some really good experiences and enables us to use Cowi CitySense in virtually all parts of the country,” he said.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Wireless - the future of vehicle detection
    July 23, 2012
    Peter Cattell of Clearview Traffic analyses different wireless communications methods and explains how these are changing the face of vehicle detection. With the continued expansion of traffic data collection solutions, providing a robust, reliable, scalable and secure method of collecting information becomes increasingly important. Over many years, various mobile wireless technologies have been utilised to make the remote collection of data a reality but recent developments are changing the way that this w
  • ISS launches integrated radar and Bluetooth traffic sensor at ITSA 2016
    June 6, 2016
    Image Sensing Systems (ISS) will use ITS America 2016 San Jose to introduce the industry first RTMS Sx-300 with integrated Bluetooth sensor to its traffic management product line. The device is a powerful tool that agencies can use to better manage traffic. The combination of the RTMS radar with the robust Bluetooth sensor is the ideal solution for incident detection and providing traffic managers with highly accurate travel time and origin/destination information.
  • Autonomous vehicles, the pros and cons
    November 21, 2013
    Driver interface and human factors could provide the biggest obstacles to autonomous vehicles as Jon Masters discovers.
  • Winners of AT&T traffic safety innovation challenge announced
    October 22, 2014
    The winners of AT&T's Connected Intersections Challenge, a technology challenge aimed at stimulating innovative solutions to improve traffic safety on New York City streets. Forty-five teams from 13 countries and 26 states submitted their apps and wearable devices ranging from smartphone sensors, phone-to-phone communications and natural user interfaces, among other technologies. The winners include: Tug, an app that alerts pedestrians as they are about to enter an intersection; an anti-sleep alarm