Skip to main content

Cisco’s low-cost fibre optic solution for traffic monitoring

Cisco’s display focuses on a novel way of detecting traffic speeds, congestion and incidents without the use of loops. The company is using a fibre optic cable positioned alongside the road and down which it shines a light. Vibration created by passing vehicles create vibration which disrupts the passage of the light. Cisco has developed algorithms that can translate these disruptions to determine what type of vehicle is passing, in which direction, the lane it is using and the speed it is travelling. The
March 21, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
Niels van den Berg

1028 Cisco’s display focuses on a novel way of detecting traffic speeds, congestion and incidents without the use of loops. The company is using a fibre optic cable positioned alongside the road and down which it shines a light.

Vibration created by passing vehicles create vibration which disrupts the passage of the light. Cisco has developed algorithms that can translate these disruptions to determine what type of vehicle is passing, in which direction, the lane it is using and the speed it is travelling.

The fibre optic cables run in lengths of up to 80km and are divided (virtually) into five to 15 metre sections for detection purposes and it is said to be far cheaper and less disruptive to install and maintain than its traditional counterpart.

According to the company’s Niels van den Berg, the Dutch authorities have proved the new system’s accuracy by comparing it with the current loop-based results.

Stand: 11.209

%$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external www.cisco.com Cisco website link false https://www.cisco.com/ false false%>

Related Content

  • March 20, 2019
    Early bird registrations open for ITS Europe
    ITS Europe has opened early bird registrations for this year’s congress taking place in Eindhoven from the 3-6 June. Under the theme ‘Fulfilling ITS Promises’, the European Programme Committee is presenting seven topics. These include deploying new mobility services – from experiments to experience; a breath of fresh air; connected, cooperative and automated mobility; enhancing the efficiency of freight transport; enablers of digital infrastructure; transport network operations; and disruption start-ups &
  • July 28, 2017
    US connected vehicle pilot deployment sites launch new websites, videos
    The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) connected vehicle pilot locations, New York City (link https://www.cvp.nyc/), Wyoming (link https://wydotcvp.wyoroad.info/) and Tampa, Florida (link https://www.tampacvpilot.com/), have launched new websites and videos dedicated to their connected vehicle deployments. These three locations are leading the charge to deploy advanced wireless communications technology in their vehicles and on their roads in regions throughout the nation. The web sites provide informa
  • November 15, 2019
    Waymo scraps AV operations in Austin
    Waymo is closing its operations in the US city of Austin following an increase in investment in the Detroit and Phoenix areas. A spokesperson told Austin Inno: “As a result, we’ve decided to relocate all Austin positions to Detroit and Phoenix. We are working closely with employees, offering them the opportunity to transfer, as well as with our staffing partners to ensure everyone receives transition pay and relocation assistance.” Last month Waymo sent an email to users, which appeared on Reddit, saying
  • December 10, 2018
    Waymo trials commercial driverless taxi service in Phoenix, Arizona
    Waymo has launched a driverless taxi service in Phoenix, Arizona, where riders will be charged for the journeys they take. In a blog post, CEO John Krafcik says the commercial self-driving service – called Waymo One - is available to early riders who have already been using Waymo’s technology. The company hopes to make the service available to more members of the public as it adds more vehicles and drives in more places, he writes. “Self-driving technology is new to many, so we’re proceeding carefully wi