Skip to main content

3D detection innovation

Canadian company Leddar Tech has announced what it says is the industry's first and only optical detection and ranging product based on the time-of-flight principle. The company says the patent-pending solution provides unique advantages and benefits for optimising traffic management.
February 3, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Canadian company Leddar Tech has announced what it says is the industry's first and only optical detection and ranging product based on the time-of-flight principle. The company says the patent-pending solution provides unique advantages and benefits for optimising traffic management.

The Leddar d-tec (Light Emitting Diode Detection And Range) detector emits non-visible light into the area of interest and measures the time taken for the light to reflect. Thanks in part to the speed of light, it provides very accurate 3D information as well as excellent lateral positioning of detected objects in the field of view, enabling the system to precisely detect objects of variable dimensions. In addition, since the acquisition information is compiled thousands of times per second, Leddar d-tec is able to provide robust detection in adverse weather and lighting conditions.


As Leddar Tech points out, its innovative solution consistently and accurately detects vehicles of all types, including motorcycles and bicycles in all weather conditions, at any time of the day. The system also uses direction of travel of vehicles, thereby preventing false calls to traffic signal controllers.

Leddar d-tec was designed to ensure fast and user-friendly installation. This non-intrusive solution can be mounted directly to current traffic infrastructure without the need to install additional mounting poles since the device is not influenced by the horizon. Moreover, the company's engineering team have integrated an onboard image processor to assist engineers and technicians by making it possible to remotely align Leddar d-tec. A value-added feature of the onboard image processor is the capability of transmitting video images back to the traffic operations centre.

Made of robust, high-quality materials, the Leddar d-tec enclosure is waterproof and designed to withstand the worst in adverse or extreme weather conditions.

Related Content

  • Cellint measures speed and travel time without roadside infrastructure
    April 10, 2014
    Collecting speed and travel time data without using roadside infrastructure could offer new possibilities to cash-strapped road authorities. Streaming video may be useful for traffic controllers to monitor incidents and automatic number plate recognition may be required for enforcement, but neither are necessary for many ITS functions. For instance travel times, tailbacks, percentage of vehicles turning, origin and destination analysis can all be done using Bluetooth and/or WI-Fi sensors and without video o
  • Entering the ANPR sector with Plate-i Dome
    April 11, 2024
    Carrida's product is an 'entry-price' camera with a large detection range of 16m
  • High-speed WIM moves onto the main highway
    May 24, 2016
    High-speed weigh-in-motion is starting to make its mark on both sides of the Atlantic. As a transit country the Czech Republic experiences a large number of overloaded vehicles, which greatly increase highway maintenance costs. This prompted its Transport Ministry to trial an extension of the capabilities of the existing truck tolling system to allow the dynamic high-speed weighing of cargo vehicles. In effect the tolling enforcement gantries become weigh-in-motion (WIM) locations.
  • Flir’s Thermicam finds cyclists day and night
    January 23, 2014
    ThermiCam is Flir Systems’ latest offering and comprises an integrated thermal camera and detector for vehicle and bike presence and counting at signalised intersections. It detects vehicles and bicycles at or near the stop line using thermal video images allowing traffic lights to be controlled more dynamically in all lighting and weather conditions.