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Innovative portable wireless platform with smart sensors for the processing and monitoring of traffic trend and environmental information, designed and tested by a Spanish University

Country of Origin: Spain
Reference Number: TOES20160413002
Publication Date: 14 April 2016

Summary

A Spanish research group has developed a system based on wireless sensor networks, designed to characterize urban traffic through the calculation of the origin-destination matrix in real time by using bluetooth identification. Additional sensors are available, which are integrated in different types of nodes for environmental parameters monitoring. They offer the system, training and technical consultancy, through license, research cooperation or commercial agreement with technical assistance.

Description

A research group from a spanish university, focused in the field of automation systems and mechatronics engineering, has developed an innovative solution for the urban traffic characterization and monitoring in real time.



Sustainable mobility requires a better management of the available infrastructure resources. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to obtain accurate data about road usage, from urban areas in particular. Although a variety of sensor alternates for urban traffic exist, they usually require extensive investments in the form of construction works for installation, processing means, etc.



In order to characterize urban traffic parameters, vehicle counting and identification techniques are the main key to obtain information about origins and destination of trips in the area under study. Thanks to the system developed, the data allow the calculation of an origin and destination matrix in real time, providing the city managers with a powerful tool to adapt traffic planning to real demands.



The main goal of the solution consists in characterizing the urban traffic in the area of interest. This means counting vehicles but also identifying the routes distribution, which is described by a mathematical tool (origin-destination matrix). The vehicle identification is performed by detecting devices with bluetooth. The calculation of this matrix has been implemented as an algorithm in the control system. Besides, sensors for noise level, light intensity, pressure, temperature, humidity, airborne dust and gases concentrations are available. These sensors contribute to complement the information available to traffic managers, although they are not intended, at the current state, to enhance traffic characterization. The processed data are always accessible in real time.



Experiments in real conditions have been performed, both for separate sensors (bluetooth, ultrasound and laser), and for the whole system, showing the feasibility of this approach.



The Spanish research group expect, that the partner implement the system (with their technical assistance for the required adaptations) or establish a way to commercialize it. For this matter, they seek license agreements and commercial agreements with technical cooperation. They also consider the possibility to further develop the system with the collaboration of other research groups working on projects related to urban traffic management, through research cooperation agreement.

Advantages and Innovations

• The most remarkable features of the solution are its easy deployment, low-cost, flexibility of use and energy autonomy. The system nodes can be installed on street furniture: street lights, traffic signs…, so that construction works are not required due to its non-intrusive nature. 



• The platform is composed of smart-sensor wireless nodes whose cost is reduced in comparison with the cost of other types of sensors such as radar or cameras. Moreover, these types of sensors also need a high computational analysis stage to extract the useful data, increasing the required investment.



• The flexibility of the nodes and their non-invasive nature allows an easy adaptation of the deployment to the shape of the area of interest.



• Some remarkable nodes ‘features’:



> The bluetooth node can be described as a non-intrusive, vehicle-ID smart sensor.

> The ultrasound node acts as a non-intrusive, vehicle counting, smart sensor.

> The laser node acts as non-intrusive and image smart sensor. This node has the main function of counting the vehicles passing through a certain roadway and, additionally, is capable of identifying on which lane of the studied roadway the counted vehicle is riding.

> Other sensors are available. Their goal is not to contribute to traffic characterization, but to obtain additional information usually relevant to the same traffic managers interested in traffic trend monitoring (e.g. gas emission, pollution level…)

Stage Of Development

Available for demonstration

Requested partner

-Type of partner sought: companies, universities or research centers.



-Field of activity: actors in traffic management and road management, as well as research groups working on projects related to urban traffic management.



-Task to be performed: the spanish research group offers the system (license), training and technical consultancy.

The partner should use or commercialize the system by making some testing and modifications, or co-work for its improvement.