Detection, Monitoring & Machine Vision

Sensys Networks has introduced MicroRadar which the company claims is the first battery powered bicycle detector. Due for release in mid 2012, the device accurately detects bicycles and differentiates between bicycles and vehicles, enabling traffic managers to meet the demands of detecting cyclists while maintaining intersection efficiency.

Genetec has announced the availability of Omnicast, its IP video surveillance system, for onboard mass transit applications.

Aldis has launched two new generations of its GridSmart product that employ new threedimensional omni-directional tracking technology for vehicle detection on intersections. In addition to a new look and more intuitive navigation, GridSmart 3.0 features a client/server architecture, SCATS-compatible system configuration, visual indicators for vehicle presence and light state, a software based pan-tilt-zoom of the entire intersection, as well as a customisable four panel live viewing capability.

International Road Dynamics (IRD) has been awarded a contract, valued at over US$1 million, for a high-speed Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) system by New Brunswick Department of Transportation in Canada.

Sagem Sécurité (Safran group) has signed a contract with the French Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea, to install additional automated speed control radars over a period of four years.

A vast array of new products and systems for aiding road safety were displayed at the ITS World Congress in October. David Crawford assesses a selection of safety initiatives exhibited in Orlando. Vital roles for ITS applications in road traffic safety emerge clearly from a new report from the US Transportation Safety Advancement Group. The report has been carried out for the Next Generation 911 What's Next Forum, which is preparing the way for future development of the US national 911 emergency single call

Telematics Technology's Peter Billington describes the effort to give English local authorities and police forces a UTMC ANPR open communication protocol. The story of the impact of communication protocols on the development and utilisation of intelligent equipment is a familiar one both inside and outside the ITS industry. At the outset, a company pioneering its latest technology invariably develops a proprietary protocol. This enables the company's products to talk to the customer systems which need to a

Traffic flow has been improved, congestion eased and safety increased - by a system of 'stepped speed limits' introduced to UK roadworks. URS Scott Wilson principal consultant Jamie Uff reports