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

  • Polish city goes for Siemens ANPR
    September 2, 2014
    Siemens has won an order worth more than £656,000 to supply more than 50 Sitraffic Sicore automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to the city of Bydgoszcz, Poland. The cameras, which Siemens says are capable of recognising more than half a million number plates a day, will be used to monitor traffic in the event of congestion. Commissioning is planned for spring 2015.
  • Kowa adds day and night lenses for ITS Systems
    October 29, 2014
    Kowa has added new lenses to its range, especially designed for ITS applications. These lenses have a mechanically modified focus ring which makes it easier to focus at distances of 10-45m, typical working distances for ITS applications.
  • Developments in signal head lens technology
    February 3, 2012
    Heads and tails Leading manufacturers of traffic signal systems discuss developments in signal head technology as well as some of the legacy issues which affect future deployments Transparent model of Dambach's ACTROS.line technology, showing the bus electronics in the signal head Cowls could be superseded by the greater use of lens technology
  • Parifex speed cameras: picture perfect
    September 30, 2020
    From speed cameras to smart cities, image processing and AI – Parifex is not short of ambition. Nathalie Deguen tells Adam Hill where the French company is heading next