Skip to main content

Accurate roadside visibility monitoring

The SWS-050 visibility sensor for roadside monitoring developed by UK company Biral measures local weather conditions and instantly relays this information to road users via electronic signage, warning drivers of unexpected hazards such as fog patches and enabling rapid response by authorities in the event of dangerous conditions. With a measurement range of 10 metres to 40 kilometres, the SWS-050 operates in temperatures ranging from -40ºC to 60ºC and is unaffected by local lights or reflections. The devic
May 31, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Biral SWS-050 roadside visibility sensor
The SWS-050 visibility sensor for roadside monitoring developed by UK company 7359 Biral measures local weather conditions and instantly relays this information to road users via electronic signage, warning drivers of unexpected hazards such as fog patches and enabling rapid response by authorities in the event of dangerous conditions.

With a measurement range of 10 metres to 40 kilometres, the SWS-050 operates in temperatures ranging from -40ºC to 60ºC and is unaffected by local lights or reflections. The device is provided with heated hoods and window heaters, allowing continued operation in blizzard conditions and preventing condensation forming on the optical surfaces. 

The sensor is a single lightweight unit constructed of high-grade aluminium, robust enough to easily withstand aggressive roadside conditions for many years with minimal maintenance. Typically installed within three metres of the roadside, the SWS-050 provides digital data that integrates easily into any control system, allowing authorities to make timely traffic and road management decisions.  The forward scatter design technology, infra-red light source and intelligent sensing technology gives the SWS-050 proven accuracy, reliability and repeatability.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Lufft introduces new road weather visibility sensor
    July 5, 2016
    Lufft's VS2k-UMB visibility sensor for road weather stations and traffic control systems, which replaces the VS20-UMB, measures visibility up to 2,000 metres and features an optimised housing alloy that is water resistant even under extreme conditions.
  • Cold efficiency
    July 24, 2012
    Tools to support operational decisions in winter maintenance can remove subjectivity and increase efficiency; Vaisala's Danny Johns talks about latest developments Even the presence of trees at the roadside can have an effect on temperature An effective Road Weather Information System (RWIS) network can save a local road authority or jurisdiction tens of thousands of dollars or Euros'-worth of labour and consumables in a single night. Get those winter maintenance operations right over just three or four nig
  • Teledyne Flir: here’s how to find the right ITS camera
    January 4, 2022
    From lighting to weather, there are so many elements which need to be taken into account when choosing a camera for ITS operations. Riana Sartori from Teledyne Flir offers a buyer’s guide
  • Navtech radar airport surveillance flying ahead
    July 28, 2014
    Navtech Radar’s AdvanceGuard radar based perimeter intrusion detection system (PIDS) for airports is ideally suited to the challenge of the wide perimeters of most commercial airports. Its frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) 76GHz technology and the robust design of the radars, coupled with the ability to operate 24 /7 in all light and weather conditions, even in dense fog, make AdvanceGuard the preferred technology for the challenges faced by airport operations and security services. With lo