Skip to main content

CMOS cameras used to create video pedestrian crossing

The city of Cologne, Germany has installed two CMOS-camera based video pedestrian light systems that will recognise waiting pedestrians and extend the green phase if there are still people crossing after the standard time allocation. The system, implemented by Siemens, uses two Flir cameras. The safe walk camera observes the waiting area. A stereo camera with two CMOS 1/3-inch mono sensors and 3 mm lenses is mounted 3.5 metres above the ground to cover an area of 12 sq m. This camera is set to recognise on
June 11, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
The city of Cologne, Germany has installed two CMOS-camera based video pedestrian light systems that will recognise waiting pedestrians and extend the green phase if there are still people crossing after the standard time allocation.

The system, implemented by 189 Siemens, uses two 6778 FLIR cameras. The safe walk camera observes the waiting area.  A stereo camera with two CMOS 1/3-inch mono sensors and 3 mm lenses is mounted 3.5 metres above the ground to cover an area of 12 sq m. This camera is set to recognise only objects with a height above 50 cm in order to eliminate shading and other distractions on the pavement.

C-walk – the second video system – uses a colour CMOS camera and recognises when not all pedestrians can cross in the minimum green period and sends a signal to the Siemens control unit in order to extend the green phase.

According to an article in Novus Light, the algorithms of the system also recognise the moving direction of pedestrians and can recognise those who only pass through the detection area. In this way, only people waiting at the light trigger a signal to the control unit of the pedestrian light, which, depending on the programming, starts a green phase at certain points in the current phase.

Dr Christoph Roth, product manager in the Road and City Mobility department at the Siemens Infrastructure and Cities Sector, says CMOS sensors were chosen because in traffic detection applications, they deliver more reliable images than CCD sensors and have a higher resistance to blooming from auto headlights at night.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Totally green pedestrian lighting
    February 3, 2012
    UK company Gibs 2000 has launched TraxEyes, photo-luminescent discs which can be placed on roadsides and pathways to guide walkers and cyclists safely around unlit areas.
  • Caltrans trials Xerox’s Passenger Detection System
    October 30, 2015
    Xerox’s Passenger Detection System has been trialled in California and compared with the state’s team of human counters giving some interesting results, as Colin Sowman discovers. Like others adopting high-occupancy and high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes for congestion management, Caltrans has faced challenges with compliance in what has been effectively an ‘honour system’ with drivers trusted to set their tags correctly or comply with the multi-passenger requirement.
  • Island Radar: safely crossing continents
    August 6, 2020
    There is a safety flashpoint wherever roads cross over railways. Island Radar is using well-established traffic technology to keep all parties safe from harm.
  • RedSpeed offers schools automated no-cost stop arm enforcement
    March 28, 2014
    School authorities in the US are turning to automated school bus stop arm enforcement to curb an astonishing number of violations. It is estimated that every year nearly 17,000 American children are sent to emergency rooms as a result of school bus related crashes. And when surveyed, 99% of school bus drivers reported that the most dangerous behaviour they encounter is drivers passing a school bus with its stop sign arm extended. Every day these drivers who violate the extended stop arm signs put at risk