Smoother and safer traffic are some of the objectives of future transport strategies. In this context, the Flemish Government is launching several new projects for intelligent traffic control and guidance.
One of the first project has been assigned to Tein Telecom and is about the installation of a "truck lock".
A "truck lock" is a system that can distinguish "truck-through" traffic from local traffic. This project gives the client the possibility to monitor the passage of trucks in a given geographical area and, if necessary to verbalize.
The system is based on the use of 2 portals at the entrance and the exit of the control zone (eg a village). By proper use of the various measurement information's on these portals, the through traffic (not allowed) can be distinguished from the local traffic (destination within the zone). The control of the traffic flow is realized by time measurements of the specific route for each vehicle. It is therefore necessary to identify each vehicle in a unique and reliable way.
The different technologies used here are:
- ANPR cameras: these allow the identification of the number plate at the input and output of the system. As previously mentioned, the time measuring is requiring a unique identification of each vehicle within the system.
- Overview Camera's: camera's filming every vehicle to have a proof for any violation. The time of the reference clock (time stamp) will be visible on the images.
- Height measurement through infrared sensors: a vehicle classification is achieved by using IR detectors. This is based on the detection of a threshold level in order to distinguish between trucks, vans, buses, and cars ....
- Ground Loops: ground loops will be used to:
- Implement Time synchronization
- Detect traffic direction
- Identify the size of the vehicles.
