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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

Transport for London (TfL) is to deploy 20 hydrogen double decker buses in London next year in a bid to improve air quality in the UK capital.

The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) has partnered with five US cities to accelerate the implementation of high-quality bike and transit corridors by 2020. This work is expected to help the cities of Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis and Philadelphia meet or beat their near-term carbon reduction goals. Corinne Kisner, executive director of NACTO, says: “By dedicating more space for high-quality bike and transit lanes, cities can increase access to low-carbon transportatio

Perfect Data has launched a ride-hailing app across the UK which it says will provide local authorities with a map of all vehicles operating in their areas. Darren Tenney, founder of Perfect Data, says Xooox [pronounced ‘Zooks’] will allow regulators to see what’s happening at street level. “At last they will have the power to take action against unlicensed, banned or out of jurisdiction drivers,” he continues. “This will not only help keep passengers safe, it will help protect the income of the hundred

PTV has joined forces with Arcadis with the stated aim of reshaping the way data is used to plan and manage future mobility in cities. PTV says its partnership with Arcadis, a design and consultancy organisation, will provide decision makers with a blend of methods and tools to establish new mobility concepts while allowing simulations of different scenarios to run faster. Stephan Ritter, Arcadis executive innovation and transformation, says the company’s blend of management consultancy and engineering

NEC Technologies India is to install a surveillance system for traffic enforcement in the city of Gurugram and industrial town of Manesar. The NEC subsidiary says its cameras will be deployed across 115 sectors of both locations to also provide general surveillance. Takayuki Inaba, managing director, NEC Technologies India, says the company is working with Gurugram Municipal Development Authority to create a safer environment for residents. The video surveillance system is expected to help enforc

Proposed US legislation which advocates funnelling hundreds of millions of dollars into smart city developments has been brought back before lawmakers. Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, senator Maria Cantwell and congressman Ben Ray Luján have re-introduced the Smart Cities and Communities Act to promote the advancement of smart cities. DelBene says: “Utilising smart technologies to our advantage will allow cities to invest in clean infrastructure projects that reduce pollution, create good-paying jobs, and e

Tritium has added its Veefil-PK 350kW DC High Power Chargers to Chargefox’s ultra-rapid network site at the Toombul Shopping Centre in Brisbane, Australia. Marty Andrews, CEO of public EV charging network Chargefox, says: “Our new Brisbane station at Toombul Shopping Centre is the next stepping stone on our journey to connect Australia’s major cities for the thousands of drivers using efficient, clean electric vehicles (EVs).” Tritium says the two 350kW chargers can add up to 400km of range to an EV

Neuron EV has launched a smart transportation shuttle called Hub which it says integrates renewable energy, telecommunications and cloud computing for ease of mobility. The firm claims Hub can operate as an autonomous ride-sharing service or as an emergency vehicle. For ride-sharing, the six-seated electric vehicle (EV) can run autonomously within a five-mile radius. The input or scan of a blockchain ID allows a Hub service to operate without reservations while traffic detection software directs the

Keysight Technologies is extending its collaboration with Chinese company Gohigh Data Networks Technology to accelerate cellular Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X) technology for connected car applications. Keysight says the collaboration allows manufacturers of long-term evolution vehicles (LTE-V) standard-based chipsets, devices and on-board units and roadside units to validate the radio frequency (RF) performance of the PC5 interface. The PC5 refers to a reference point where user equipment (UE) such as a

If you replace today’s traditional private car ownership with a mixture of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and on-demand autonomous vehicles (AVs) running door-to-door, you could make dramatic cuts in city traffic, according to new research. The Oslo Study – How autonomous cars may change transport in cities shows that, “in the most optimistic scenario a reduction of 14 % traffic is possible”. But researchers warn that the traffic reduction potential “is less than estimated in previous studies from other citi

Waymo is to deploy 10 autonomous vehicles (AVs) on Lyft’s platform to serve as a ride-hailing service in the Metro Phoenix area in Arizona, US. The company says it will deploy its Waymo One vehicles over the next few months to improve road safety and introduce AVs to more people. The deployment will allow riders to select an AV using Lyft’s app and provide Waymo with an opportunity to gain feedback on the service. Last December, Waymo launched its ride-hailing service in Phoenix for early riders who w

Sony Europe’s Image Sensing Solutions has launched a software development kit (SDK) for polarised camera modules which it says cuts machine vision application design time and costs. Stephane Clauss, senior business development manager Europe at Sony, says the company has worked with customers to identify key functions for the XPL-SDKW and develop optimised algorithms. “Depending on the dev team and application, a standard polarised-camera application would typically take between 6 to 24 months,” he

The Linux Foundation has formed the Urban Computing Foundation to allow companies like Google and Uber to collaborate on open source software to improve mobility. Linux, a non-profit organisation, says the software can also be used to improve safety, traffic congestion and energy consumption in connected cities. Jim Zemlin, executive director of Linux, says: “The Urban Computing Foundation is poised to provide the compatibility tools and resources for developers to create software that can map out a

Lawmakers in San Francisco have voted to outlaw the use of facial recognition tools. It is a move which will have implications for police surveillance – and also for transit agencies. It was reported last year that Bay Area Rapid Transit (Bart) was considering the introduction of face recognition software on its cameras, for example – but Bart will not now be able to do so. The 8-to-1 vote by the Board of Supervisors means San Francisco is the first city in the US to take this step – and the decis