Sick unveils Free Flow Profiler for scanning vehicles

Sick has launched a vehicle measurement system which it says enables accurate 3D profiling of vehicles across multiple lanes in free-flow traffic. The Free Flow Profiler is an all-weather system suitable for vehicle tolling and classification uses, especially in operations such as optimal weight loading of ferries or trains and for verifying vehicle dimensions to maximise revenue recovery, the company adds. During multi-lane, free road movement, Sick’s 2D Lidar sensors scan traffic and measure vehicle l
May 20, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

536 Sick has launched a vehicle measurement system which it says enables accurate 3D profiling of vehicles across multiple lanes in free-flow traffic.

The Free Flow Profiler is an all-weather system suitable for vehicle tolling and classification uses, especially in operations such as optimal weight loading of ferries or trains and for verifying vehicle dimensions to maximise revenue recovery, the company adds.

During multi-lane, free road movement, Sick’s 2D Lidar sensors scan traffic and measure vehicle length, width and height. The system can be enlarged to include multiple lanes or adapted with varying sensor layouts to obtain the required information for monitoring purposes.

According to Sick, the system has a range up to 40m and can profile all vehicle types from heavy road transport to passenger cars, towed vehicles and motorbikes.

Vehicle measurements are processed in the Sick Traffic Controller to produce a 3D model of each vehicle. The system captures vehicle dimensions, vehicle type, driving direction and lane assignment. Options to integrate vehicle classification, axle counting or detection of overheated vehicle parts can be added to meet specific local operator conditions and requirements.

Neil Sandhu, Sick’s UK product manager for imaging, measurement, ranging, says the solution is versatile “whenever accurate 3D vehicle profile is an advantage”.

“For example, warnings of over-height or over-sized vehicles approaching bridges or tunnels, or loading ferries so that the distribution of vehicles and weights is optimised,” he continues. “Up to 30 different automated vehicle classifications enable precise charging of toll fees.”

The system is expected to profile vehicle speeds up to 120km/hr and can be installed in new facilities, retrofitted and re-located. It can also be integrated with other traffic management monitoring systems such as optical character recognition, CCTV and security.

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Moxa provides clear vision for Caldecott Tunnel’s Fourth Bore
    September 15, 2014
    Caldecott Tunnel’s new Fourth Bore is utilising a bespoke high-capacity monitoring and communications network from Moxa. The Caldecott Tunnel connects Contra Costa and Alameda counties in Northern California and traditionally it has suffered severe congestion - especially during peak hours. Opened in 1937 as a twin-bore arrangement, by 1964 the increase in traffic volumes led to a third bore being added. Shortly after the third bore was opened a tidal flow was introduced with the centre bore alternating in
    Read More
  • New Atalaya products
    June 19, 2012
    Spanish company Imagsa Technologies has unveiled several new products in its Atalaya range of traffic cameras. For instance, the Atalaya3D is an innovative high-speed stereoscopic camera that uses parallel computing techniques to successfully perform real-time three-dimensional analysis of road traffic. It provides, in a single unit, a wide range of traffic measurements, such as precise speed and inter-distance measurement or vehicle counting and classification, combining applications as diverse as speed en
    Read More
  • Avoiding the call of the wild
    June 29, 2018
    Hitting an animal on a rural road can be fatal for all parties involved – but detecting and avoiding them requires clever technology. Andrew Williams carefully scans the horizon for details. Wildlife-vehicle collisions are an ever-present threat in rural areas around the world, and there is certainly nothing funny about suddenly finding an angry moose in your headlights on a sharp bend. A variety of detection and avoidance systems are currently in use or under development to help prevent your vehicle being
    Read More
  • Bridging the highway travel information gap
    March 14, 2012
    A new traffic management solution is attempting to bridge the gap in information available on freeways and arterial roadways. Andrew Bardin Williams reports. Agencies responsible for national networks of roads around the world have the ability to measure, analyse and disseminate accurate travel information to drivers. Millions of dollars go into data collection infrastructure to collect traffic congestion and travel time information on major freeways or highways. For example, a driver on the I-210 in the Lo
    Read More

Highlighted Content