Vehicular traffic has increased multi-folds in all cities across the globe and authorities have been struggling to control and manage it globally. Increase in vehicular traffic means additional precautions to be defined by authorities to make them safer on road. A part of this is covered by various technological advances regarding safety in vehicle manufacturing technology like advanced driver assistance systems and anti-collision systems, however still majority of the vehicles aren’t equipped with these technologies and keeping them highly vulnerable to accidents specially heavy vehicles plying within city limits.
Heavy vehicles inside the city pose imminent dangers to pedestrians, two wheelers and four wheelers due to their size and limited visibility for the drivers, also they are primary cause of traffic jams within the city limits. Many times, many of us may have been stuck in traffic for hours due to an oversized vehicle stuck due to over-height in an underpass. Oversized and multi-axle vehicles pose significant risk specially during the daytime for citizen’s safety and smooth flow of traffic within the city limits.
Across the world different regulations are imposed by city authorities on entry of oversized and over-height vehicles within city limits, sometimes regulations are based on size, weight, no. of axles and many other criteria’s as may be deemed suitable for them.
There are various technologies which are used by authorities to control the movement of such vehicles across the cities like laser sensors, camera’s, light curtains, weigh in motion systems etc. and each of them have their own advantages and disadvantages as well as technical requirement w.r.t ambient lighting, infrastructure requirements. Laser sensors are one of the most prominent and accurate methods of measuring oversize and over-height on vehicles. Depending upon the model of laser sensor and technical parameters of the sensors, they can take measurements of vehicles at specific entry points within milliseconds to avoid long queues and then make them wait if found oversized or over-height. Accuracy of such a system could be anywhere between 95-98% depending upon software and data processing capabilities. Oversize measurement could be primarily applicable at entry points outside limits and toll gates. Over-height measurement could be at parking, underpasses, tunnel entry points, warehouses etc.
OVERSIZE MEASUREMENT
Globally City Authorities can define parameters based on which vehicles will be allowed and which vehicles will be restricted, however implementation of such rules become a tedious aspect w.r.t selection of appropriate technologies and systems to effectively restrict the vehicles.
Laser sensors is one of preferred alternatives, laser sensors can measure the vehicle from 3 sides accurately to enable a profiling software to determine if the vehicle falls under restricted category or it can be allowed. The parameters which are very critical in the process are height, length, width and no. of axles of the vehicle, therefore view from both sides and top becomes critical.
Measurement data from the sensor becomes critical element for accurate measurements of the vehicle, so before selection of right laser sensor is critical to an accurate system.
BEA Sensors Range of Measurement under is LZR®Raw U series have been over the years working very accurately for such applications. With options to choose between four curtains and single curtain, and a frequency option of 15Hz and 60Hz for each curtain and measurement range of 65 metres making, it very suitable for vehicular size measurement applications. If installed on a gantry even the profile of moving vehicles can be captured and based of size classification if found oversized can be restricted for further movement. Our LZR®Raw U series with two separate windows for transmission and receiver for reflected beam from the objects within the detection field makes one of most suitable products for this application within the industry. Below are few project references of oversize measurement implemented using BEA LZR®Raw U series sensors.
OVER-HEIGHT MEASUREMENT
Governments across the world are always concerned about maintaining the public infrastructure and therefore would impose restrictions on bridges, flyovers and tunnels with respect to weight and height for ensuring the maintenance and avoid damage to infrastructure, additionally many parking lots at malls, airports also many times have limitation regarding the height, therefore it’s important to control over height vehicles to avoid damage to property. You can refer picture below to how damaging it could be for infrastructure as well paralyze the traffic for many hours.
Unlike oversize measurement over-height measurement can be much easier based on the location it can implemented from few meters before the building to few kilometres from a tunnel allowing vehicles to take an alternative route. Vehicles below the height threshold only will be allowed and over height vehicle would be stopped.
Laser sensors can be placed over a height threshold on a pole to detect the over height vehicles while filters like size of object can help avoid false triggers by environmental factors like birds or leaves, the sensors output can be connected to a control room or display to inform the status to driver and or authorities to restrict the over height vehicles. Simple system like this can save annually millions of dollars for authorities and facility management teams to repair damaged infrastructure.
BEA offers a multitude of sensors for this application, LZR®-S25 or LZR®-I100 can be used based on requirement of size of detection field. LZR®-S25 offers a detection field size of 25 meters, while LZR®-I100 offers a detection field size of 10meters. The sensors have a degree of protection up to IP65 which makes them suitable for outdoor installation and operational temperature range of -30°C to 60°C making them suitable for any environment. The capability to be set up using a remote also helps as the sensors are installed at a height, however with a remote they can be easily setup from ground.
Welcome to contact BEA local sales or visit vehicle sensing solutions to discover more on sensing technologies and solutions.
