University of Birmingham’s sensor wins Intelligent Infrastructure Challenge

University of Birmingham’s road surface temperature sensor which uses infrared thermometry will be adopted on the UK’s road and motorway network following a national award at the Highways UK Intelligent Infrastructure Challenge 2017. The judges at the ceremony believe that deploying the sensor network could have an immediate impact on their ability to better control gritting routines in winter. Developed by Lee Chapman, professor of Climate Resilience at the University, the Wintersense sensors are
November 24, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
University of Birmingham’s road surface temperature sensor which uses infrared thermometry will be adopted on the UK’s road and motorway network following a national award at the Highways UK Intelligent Infrastructure Challenge 2017. The judges at the ceremony believe that deploying the sensor network could have an immediate impact on their ability to better control gritting routines in winter. 

Developed by Lee Chapman, professor of Climate Resilience at the University, the Wintersense sensors are Internet of Things enabled and use low power communications which aim to provide a real-time measurement of road surface temperature that will be used to direct gritting lorries to priority areas.

The panel of judges included representatives from Highways England, Transport Scotland, England’s Economic Heartland and Transport for the North.

During the winter months, highways maintenance companies dispatch fleets of gritting lorries which aim to present or mitigate the impact of black ice formation on motorways and A roads. In harsh winters, the routing of gritting lorries is prioritised to ensure optimal road safety. 

Lee Chapman, said: “The key issue in this prioritisation is having good spatial resolution on observation of road surface conditions.  Our sensors are an order of magnitude cheaper than existing solutions, and light enough to be mounted on any lamp post, gantry or road sign, which means a dense network of sensors can be rapidly deployed along a road network to provide a highly granular picture of road surface conditions.” 

Related Content

  • Major new ITS contract awarded to Siemens in Northern Ireland
    September 13, 2017
    A new long-term contract to maintain traffic management equipment throughout Northern Ireland (NI) for a minimum period of four years has been awarded to Siemens by the Department for Infrastructure, Northern Ireland. With traffic signal equipment at more than 1,200 sites, 950 Safer Routes to School signs, as well as a network of ANPR cameras and other vehicle activated signs and rising bollards, the contract represents one of the largest of its kind placed with Siemens as the main contractor.
    Read More
  • Nairobi looks to ITS to ease travel problems
    March 6, 2018
    Shem Oirere looks at plans to tackle chronic congestion in the Kenyan capital - where commuters can typically expect it to take up to two hours to complete a 15km journey. Traffic jams in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, are estimated to cost the country $360 million a year in terms of lost man-hours, fuel and pollution. According to Wilfred Oginga, an engineer with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), the congestion has been exacerbated by poor regulation and enforcement of traffic rules, absence of
    Read More
  • Nairobi looks to ITS to ease travel problems
    March 6, 2018
    Shem Oirere looks at plans to tackle chronic congestion in the Kenyan capital - where commuters can typically expect it to take up to two hours to complete a 15km journey. Traffic jams in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, are estimated to cost the country $360 million a year in terms of lost man-hours, fuel and pollution. According to Wilfred Oginga, an engineer with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), the congestion has been exacerbated by poor regulation and enforcement of traffic rules, absence of
    Read More
  • Nairobi looks to ITS to ease travel problems
    December 21, 2017
    Shem Oirere looks at plans to tackle chronic congestion in the Kenyan capital. Traffic jams in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, are estimated to cost the country $360 million a year in terms of lost man-hours, fuel and pollution. According to Wilfred Oginga, an engineer with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), the congestion has been exacerbated by poor regulation and enforcement of traffic rules, absence of adequate traffic management systems and poor utilisation of existing road facilities.
    Read More

Highlighted Content