The Insider Magazine 18

InsIderNews and stories from Traficon International / March 2012

Celebrating 20 years of traffiC safety and effiCienCy

THE WORLD OFTRAFFIC VIDEO DETECTION

Tunnel Road uRban

a thrilling trilogy

directed by traficon

www.trafiCon.Com

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The Insider March 2012

Content

Twenty Years of Traffic Safety and Efficiency

Swedish Tunnel Vision

Failure-free Operation

Beacons of Safety

PublisherTraficon International nv, Vlamingstraat 19, 8560 Wevelgem Belgiumwww.traficon.com

Managing editorKristof Maddelein

Art design and productionGutzandGlory (www.gutzandglory.be)

Picture creditsWikimedia Commons, ShutterStock

SubscriptionsSubscribe to Insider at www.traficon.com/insider

For more [email protected]

All rights reserved. No part of this pu-blication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher. All marks and trademarks are the pro-perty of their respective owners.

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Traficon is celebrating its 20th birthday in 2012. Traficon founder Jo Versavel and CEO Lode Caenepeel give their view on the company’s past, present and future.

Traficon is providing automatic incident detection and traffic data collection technology for Stockholm’s Södra Länken and Norra Lanken tunnels. No less than 763 VIP-T modules will be used to enhance safety and efficiency.

At the start of the new millennium the existing inductive loop detection system in the South—African Huguenot toll tunnel was replaced by video detection technology from Traficon. The system has been working faultlessly ever since.

Home to the famous Virginia Tech university campus, Blacksburg, Virginia, is naturally a high density area for pedestrian traffic. However, one particularly busy crossing in the area is now reaping the benefits of Traficon’s SafeWalk technology.

Safety boosted by steps in speed

Caught smoking

Improving pedestrian experience

Vehicle and sensor on speaking terms

Silent Watcher

Video detection sets foot in Oman

A tasty celebration

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Traficon might be turning 20 this year, but the concept of traffic video detection is much older than that. Who would have thought back in 1982 – when Jo Versavel was asked by the University of Leuven (Belgium) to develop the first industrial product for traffic video detection – that thirty years later Traficon technology would be present in tunnels, along highways, at intersections and crossings all over the world?

Congratulations on Traficon’s 20th birthday! Are you satisfied with the way Traficon has developed these past 20 years?

Jo Versavel: Traficon is a true success story. So, how can we not be satisfied? Some things have turned out differ-ently than we initially thought, but still, after 20 years, we can present a very impressive track record.

Can you take us back to the early days?

Jo Versavel: Traficon rose from the ashes of my first company, Devlonics, from which Traficon also took over the video detection activities. The so-called CCATS system (Camera Controlled Automatic Traffic Sensor) was the first true product that could be installed in the field for real traffic applications. However, it was too bulky and too expensive to make a real breakthrough. It was only when we stripped down the functionality and managed to offer it as a modular single processor board, that the technology really took off. With this first Video Image Processor, the VIP, we booked our first successes, including a number of tunnel projects in Italy.

There’s no doubt that the early days were very exciting times. We booked some modest successes in the first few years. But still, money was tight due to the bankruptcy of Devlonics. I started Traficon with the financial support of friends, fools and family, so I really felt responsible. Giving up was simply not an option.

How did the company evolve further?

Jo Versavel: In 1994, Traficon crossed the Atlantic. We introduced our VIP product to the US intersection market and managed to develop a dedicated interface which al-lowed our VIPs to be inserted into a US traffic controller with the least amount of effort. This really gave Traficon a boost. At a certain moment, the US market provided 60% of our turnover.

Lode Caenepeel: The Ekeberg tunnel project in Nor-way was definitely another important milestone for Trafi-con. Not only in financial terms, but we also received a lot of unintentional media attention when a bus caught fire inside the Ekeberg tunnel in 1996, an incident which was of course immediately detected by our VIP system. This incident, as well as other following tunnel incidents, drew Europe’s at-tention to Automatic Incident Detection technology.

Twenty Years of Traffic Safety and Efficiency

With the company’s 20th birthday, 2012 is truly a cel-ebration year for Traficon. We talked with founder Jo Versavel and current CEO Lode Caenepeel about the company’s past, present and future and came back with a story of innovation, perseverance and catching the right opportunities. →

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Lode, a few years later, you also joined Traficon. What attracted you to this company?

On the one hand, I felt that Traficon was a company that made room for ideas and dreams. On the other hand, I learned that Traficon is able to keep its feet on the ground at the same time. The visionary aspect and sober thinking is a fine combination that I still value in our company today.

The Traficon team grew steadily. So did our product portfolio. In 2003 TrafiCam was launched. How did it become so successful?

Jo Versavel: Germany has been decisive in TrafiCam’s success. After the German reunification, it was clear that

former Eastern Germany needed to catch up with the then state-of-the-art traffic control technology. However, the eastern part of the country had a lot of cobblestone roads, which made the installation of in-ductive loops too expensive and thus practically impos-sible. This left the country

no other option but to choose above-ground technology. Traficon appeared to be a good match for East Germany and we were able to equip a lot of intersections with TrafiCam sensors. By doing so, German confidence in our vehicle presence products grew year after year. The transport authorities saw that our technology was doing a good job, so very soon we could deploy our TrafiCam sensors in the rest of Germany as well.

In 2009, Traficon launched its first pedestrian pres-ence sensors, C-Walk and SafeWalk. What was the motivation behind that launch?

Jo Versavel: Authorities all over the world are trying to motivate people to walk instead of drive. So, attention to pedestrian safety in urban areas has clearly grown in recent years. Take the Vision Zero initiative for example, which states that human, unpredictable behavior should be taken into account when designing transportation systems. That’s where Traficon comes in. Because that’s exactly what our pedestrian detectors can do: manage traffic upon human demand.

Lode, also in 2009, you took over the CEO role from Jo. What are the differences and similarities between your approaches and ways of working?

Lode Caenepeel: Jo and I have been working together in the same company for years, so I would say that there are plenty of similarities. Some of the things we’re doing today will be around in ten years’ time as well. That’s just

our company DNA. We both believe in user friendliness and in continuous innovation. Other than that, Jo is more of an engineer and creator than I am. I approach things more from my background as a salesman.

For many, Traficon is a textbook example of an inter-nationally successful technology company. Can you pinpoint what it takes to be successful as a technol-ogy company?

Jo Versavel: You need quality products and services, a listening ear to the customer and ease of use. I’d say those are the basics.

Lode Caenepeel: You also need to spread your wings as a company and build a strong international network.

Jo Versavel: To be successful, I think it’s critical to detect latent market needs and respond to them. If you

“The visionary aspect and sober thinking is a fine combination that I still value in our company today.” — Lode Caenepeel

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want to predict the future, you need to create it. That’s a famous quote that is still valid today. On the other hand, the technology needs to be ready as well. It’s amazing what we can do today that was simply unthinkable 20 years ago. The evolution of CMOS technology is just one example.

Lode Caenepeel: Innovation is definitely another ingredient of a successful technology company. You need to know what’s going on in the market, with your competitors, and in the academic world. By the way, innovation doesn’t always mean coming up with a totally new concept. Innova-tion can also include transferring one technology into a new market, and solving new problems as a result.

Speaking of innovation: how will video detection evolve in the coming years? Does the future of video detection look bright?

Lode Caenepeel: Especially in the security industry video detection has sometimes failed to deliver its promises in recent years. Still, I firmly believe that video detection does have a bright future. People will always need a visual representation to make an interpretation. The operation of a camera and its detection are so similar to the way our human brain works, that video has become obvious. Auto-mation is great, but there will always be a need for human interpretation when push comes to shove. Unlike radar for

“I started Traficon with the financial support of friends, fools and family, so I really felt responsible. Giving up was simply not an option.”

example, video detection can provide a visual check. That’s invaluable.

However, we are moving towards integrating more functionality into one camera. Today, the number of cam-eras is growing exponentially. The fact that many camera products have been developed for one dedicated applica-tion adds to the problem. That’s not sustainable. So, in the future, cameras will increasingly group more functionality into one unit.

So, is Traficon ready for another 20 years?

Lode Caenepeel: I would say twenty years and more! Our technology has been around for thirty years, a long incubation time in which video detection has been able to mature. On the one hand, it seems like it has gone very fast, but in the years to come, we will evolve even faster. Technology is changing at a fast pace and it now allows for things that were unthinkable even five years ago.

We owe our success as a company today to Jo in the first place and to a great extent to the people that have been around since the early days. We need to be very thankful to them: if they hadn’t believed in a good outcome, and if they hadn’t persevered, Traficon would not be around now. It has been a great story so far, but we can make a great sequel in the years to come. •

→→ We→owe→our→suc-

cess→as→a→company→

today→to→Jo→in→the→

first→place→and→to→a→

great→extent→to→the→

people→that→have→

been→around→since→

the→early→days.

— Jo Versavel

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Studies have shown that road users approach roadworks with differ-ing behaviors. Some motorists brake gradually while others maintain a con-sistent speed before braking sharply. The result of these different reactions is a tendency for increased lane chang-ing, breakdown in traffic flow and a buildup of queues, increasing risk of accidents.

One possible solution to this problem is a system of stepped speed limits (SSL), as recently developed by consultants URS and Mott Mac-Donald, on behalf of the Highways Agency. SSL involves implementing an additional mandatory speed limit for a short distance on the approach to roadworks 10mph (16 kph) more than the limit through the works.

Putting SSL to the test

Opportunity to apply an SSL trial arose in 2009 for the A34 Wolvercote Viaduct Replacement project near Oxford in England. The speed limit through the 3km long roadworks had been reduced from 70mph to 40mph for the duration of the viaduct replace-ment project for safety reasons and on account of the temporary road layout.

Consequently, it was not unusual for significant queues to form on the approach to the A34 scheme, par-ticularly in the mornings when traffic flows into Oxford are at their highest. Therefore, a trial of SSL was proposed

for the southbound A34 carriageway, which takes drivers into Oxford from the M40. The SSL would set a step down of speed limit from 70mph to 50mph to 40mph, with the 50mph restriction established for a distance of 1.1km before the 40mph limit at the start of the 3km of roadworks.

Collecting the data with Traficon

One challenge faced by the team was how to avoid slowing down traffic unnecessarily outside of the morning peak time. This was solved by remotely operable signs, which enabled the SSL to be switched on and off depending upon demand.

The primary data collection to evaluate driver behavior metrics came from Traficon’s Collect-R sensor. The Collect-R gathers traffic data, monitors traffic flow and emulates or simulates loops on highways and inter-urban roads.

Three Collect-R cameras were installed to capture a baseline of data before SSL was introduced and then remained in place for six weeks with SSL in operation. The cameras were placed strategically to capture driver behavior at different points. Through-out the monitoring periods the Collect-R units were measuring traffic flow, average speed and headway, and vehicle occupancy, concentration and class. •

Analysis of the data gathered by Traficon’s Collect-R sensors showed that the SSL system improved journey times through road-works. The A34 trial showed that up to 29 seconds could be saved on average per vehicle during the peak hour. Traffic queuing approach-ing the roadworks was reduced during peak periods, vehicle headway approaching and within the roadworks improved by up to 14m, and speed limit compliance increased. SSL is now being considered for use on all major roadworks.

→→ Based→on→ITS→International,→feature→article,→9→December→2011

THE RESULTS

Traficon’s Collect-R captures behavior metrics at A34 viaduct replacement roadworks.

Safety Boosted by Steps in Speed

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Swedish tunnel vision

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Alleviating traffic

Both Södra Länken and Norra Länken are new traffic routes that have been conceived in order to help alleviate the increasing traffic volumes in and around Stockholm. The 6 km long Södra Länken, of which 4.7 km is in tun-nels, is the southern part of the Stockholm ring road and is the largest-ever road tunnel construction in Sweden. The construction of Södra Länken began in 1997 and was com-pleted in 2004. The northern Norra Länken will be about 5 km long and the major part of it will be in underground tunnels. Construction of Norra Länken started in 2006 and is expected to be completed by 2015.

Time frame

22 VIP-T video image processing modules have already been installed in the Södra Länken tunnel. In cooperation with traffic specialists Swarco Sweden and ISG Systems AB Sweden, Traficon will install another 370 modules in the course of 2012. The installation of 393 VIP-T modules for the Norra Länken tunnel is expected to start after 2012 in cooperation with ISG Systems AB Sweden for delivery to Tunnelentreprenad AB, a consortium owned by Swarco Nordic and Rolf Tannergård.

Preferred in Sweden

Traficon has a strong presence in Sweden, with recent installations of video image processors in the Lundby, Norrortsleden and Göta tunnels. In each of these projects, Traficon proved to be the preferred provider after thorough evaluation of various systems and providers. “Also for the Södra Länken and Norra Länken projects, Traficon came out as the preferred partner,” comments Koen Soenens , International Business Development Manager at Traficon. “Moreover, our technology still managed to give a very good impression, despite the tough Swedish winter conditions in which the detectors had to be tested.”

Incident detection and traffic analysis all in one

The VIP-T video image processing board provides real-time data and image information for optimal traffic control and fast, accurate incident detection. Fast DSP processors allow various algorithms (tracking, motion detection, adap-tive shadow suppression, etc.) to run simultaneously on one single board. •

Traficon video detection will make Stockholm’s road tunnel traffic safer and more efficient.

— Koen Soenens

Traficon will provide automatic incident detection and traffic data collection tech-nology for Stockholm’s Södra Länken and Norra Länken tunnels. No less than 763 VIP-T modules will be used to enhance safety and efficiency inside the Swedish tunnels. →

“Our technology still managed to give a very good impression, despite the tough Swedish winter conditions in which the detectors had to be tested.”

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Caught Smoking

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The idea first took shape in the mind of Nico Verstraete and came to further fruition with the multi-dis-ciplinary team of Nico, Dries Berton, Maggy Baetens and Eddy Vermeulen. During a three month’s crash-course MBA program the team learned how to build a business case for an innovative idea in terms of marketing, finance and risk management.

The core of creative entrepre-neurship is not the generation of 1000 ideas, but first and foremost the evalu-ation of those ideas in terms of their market potential. That exactly was the challenge for the Traficon ‘smoke detection’ team.

Visual fire detection

In a booming and competitive security market, camera manufactur-ers are looking for added value and dif-ferentiation. In addition, the increas-ing processing power of their products allows to embed more functionality and specific video content analytics (VCA). In response to this evolution, the Traficon team presented the inte-gration of a Traficon smoke algorithm into security cameras, which would result in a unique smoke detector with surveillance functionality.

“Traditional, so-called yoghurt pot detectors are hampered by ambi-ent temperatures, resulting from solar

Creative Entrepreneurship for Traficon Employees

→→ Nico is the origina-

tor of the idea and

always on the lookout

for business oppor-

tunities with existing

and new contacts.

→→ Dries is the money-

man. Thanks to his

financial background,

Dries tackles the mat-

ter of project funding.

→→ Market analysis

and market potential.

That’s Eddy’s forte.

He successfully

juggles the jobs of

product and project

manager.

→→ Can we fix it? Yes

we can! Maggy is

responsible for the

technical development

and implementation

of the Traficon smoke

detection solution.

Question: What do you do as a company when your employees have good ideas abound? Answer: you nurture it and you try to find a way to channel those ideas into workable projects. One of those good ideas — the integration of a Traficon smoke detection algorithm into surveillance cam-eras — made such good marks that it was elected for further development during an exclusive entrepreneurial boot camp, that took off in the summer of 2011. →

radiation, air conditioning and trans-lucent glass,” explains team member Maggy Baetens. “Smoke detection based on video camera images does not suffer from this. What’s more, it can accurately detect smoke within 10 seconds.”

“Visual verification before alarm-ing is also critical here,” adds Eddy Vermeulen. “Security operators want to avoid panic and service interrup-tions at all cost.”

The entrepreneurial flag

Meanwhile, Traficon’s first entrepreneurial boot camp has come to a conclusion. And with good results too, as the smoke detection team was able to convince a critical jury of capital investors of the feasibility of their project. But there is still a long road ahead. Further efforts in terms of research, product development, and marketing will be needed. However, the entrepreneurial flag has been planted and this story will surely be continued.

Traficon CEO Lode Caenepeel is enthusiastic about the boot camp: “The passion I have seen within all the teams presenting and defending their idea already made our participation worthwhile. We are making efforts to unleash that passion in everybody and use that for future Traficon projects.” •

MEET THE SMOKE TEAM

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Failure-free Operation

The South-African Huguenot tunnel is another textbook example of how Traficon video image processing technology is built to last. At the start of the new millennium the existing inductive loop de-tection system in the Huguenot toll tunnel was replaced by a video-based Automatic Incident Detection (AID) system with VIP23 and VIP41 modules from Traficon. The system has been working fault-lessly ever since. A few words from the protagonists in this suc-cess story lead to believe that the video detection system is ready for at least another 10 years of worry-free operation. →

SPECIAL FEATURE

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The Huguenot tunnel is a two-lane carriageway of 3913 metres, in which there is two-way, left side driv-ing traffic. The main control centre is 6 km from the nearest end of the tunnel (Western portal, Capetown). Some 13 cameras with AID functionality monitor the busy traffic flow inside the tunnel.

Christo Van der Linde, techni-cal manager at the Huguenot tunnel speaks highly of Traficon technology. Before 2000, induction loops were installed to perform traffic count-ing. However, their functionality was limited. “We also wanted to detect and report on incidents, wrong-way driv-ers, stopped or slowly moving vehicles. Video detection proved to be the ideal technology for the job,” Mr. Van de Linde comments.

“At the time of installation, video detection was new to us, but training from Traficon people convinced us of the reliability of this technology. The video detection system has been work-ing faultlessly ever since.”

“The system has proved its use over the years. Among the 12000 vehicles we monitor on a daily basis, we frequently detect broken down or stopped vehicles and thanks to the

visual verification in the control room offered by the Traficon system, we can quickly take the appropriate meas-ures,” comments Mr. Van de Linde.

Peter Bullock, ITSE engineering consultant for the Huguenot Tun-nel project confirms this: “Since the video detection system’s installation, two tunnel fires have occurred in the Huguenot Tunnel, both of which have been detected in time to take appropri-ate security measures.”

“The system does an excellent job for incident detection, stopped or slowly moving vehicle detection, wrong-way driver detection and vehicle counting,” Mr. Van de Linde explains. “Based on the failure-free operation during all those years, we expect the system to serve us well for at least another ten years.”

Peter Bullock further comments: “The system hardly needs mainte-nance, but when it does, Traficon is ready to provide valuable support. This has been the case for example, when the almost 10-year old software system needed an upgrade. It is good to know that Traficon has not forgot-ten the Huguenot Tunnel, even many years after the installation of its video detection system.” •

“Based on the failure-free operation during all those years, we expect the system to serve us well for at least another ten years.”

→→ Some→13→cameras→

with→AID→functional-

ity→monitor→the→

traffic→flow→inside→

the→tunnel.

→→ The→system→does→an→excellent→job→for→incident→detection,→stopped→or→slowly→

moving→vehicle→detection,→wrong-way→driver→detection→and→vehicle→counting.

— Christo Van der Linde

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The town’s leadership, together with a local citizen group, contacted Traficon to help with the redesign of a crossing point along Prices Fork Road at Turner and Webb Streets. The crossing is located in front of student housing and has a lot of pedestrian traffic in the form of both students and Virginia Tech staff.

The SafeWalk system has now been operational for more than six months and it has proved to be revolu-tionary. George Simmons, a Virginia Tech professor, explains: “You used to have to really ‘bluff’ the traffic to get the drivers to stop and it was a total war out there. But once the intersec-tion was redesigned and the flashing lights went in, it gave us a tremendous margin of safety.”

The ‘flashing lights’ to which Simmons refers are the beacons used to alert drivers that pedestrians are waiting to cross. SafeWalk is an in-novative stereovision-based solution that detects the presence of pedes-trians, enabling the beacons to be switched on to alert vehicles to stop.

Jim Lampe, Regional Manager for Control Technologies, Traficon USA’s Mid-Atlantic region distribu-

Like most towns across the world, Blacks-burg, Virginia has its fair share of traffic accidents involving pedestrians. Over the past decade, 113 pedestrians have been hit by vehicles, including one fatality. Home to the famous Virginia Tech uni-versity campus, Blacksburg is naturally a high density area for pedestrian traffic. However, one particularly busy crossing in the area is now reaping the benefits of Traficon’s SafeWalk technology. →

Beacons of Safety

“You can’t put a price tag on human life and our technology solves a simple but critical issue: how to get pedestrians safely across the roadway.” — Jim Lampe

tor describes the system as ‘a virtual push button’. He says: “It’s a simple process: as the pedestrian approaches the curbside they are automatically detected by the camera, which acti-vates the beacons so they can safely cross the roadway. The technology has been perfected at hundreds of sites across Europe and we’ve now brought it to Blacksburg, Virginia. You can’t put a price tag on human life and our technology solves a simple but critical issue: how to get pedestrians safely across the roadway.”

Priscilla Cygielnik, assistant di-rector of public works for the Town of Blacksburg, is delighted with the Safe-Walk solution; particularly the fact that it aids students encumbered by books, as well as people with disabili-ties, both of whom may struggle to hit a push button. She comments: “This technology is effective at that location because it is the most heavily used crossing between the town of Blacks-burg and Virginia Tech. It benefits the whole population. The SafeWalk technology allows you to walk into the crosswalk and activate the beacons without any other action.” •

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In so-called pedestrianization projects, Hong Kong authorities are installing pedestrianized and partially pedestrianized areas, making Hong Kong one of the most pedestrian-oriented cities in the world. In order to further improve the overall pedestrian environment, the Hong Kong Transport Department has now set up a pilot project with Traficon SafeWalk sensors at Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island.

SafeWalk has been developed to detect pedestrians waiting to cross the road at curbsides. Based on SafeWalk detection, traffic lights can be controlled more intelligently, in favor of waiting pedestrians. Also cars have less unnecessary wait-ing time; their green-time can be increased with about 30%.

Traficon partner Shun Hing Systems Integration Co., Ltd. is pleased about Traficon’s pedestrian sensor. Andy Ng from Shun Hing comments: “SafeWalk can cope extremely well with the challenging Hong Kong street environment: a narrow curbside, based on a slope, a wall and a fence obstructing the image through reflections … Not easy to capture a good image and make a good detection. But the 3D stereovision sensor from Trafi-con was totally up to the task.”

“SafeWalk combines 3D stereovision technology to-gether with intelligent image processing,” comments Nico Verstraete, International Business Development Manager at Traficon. “By using two CMOS cameras in parallel, Safe-Walk can convert two-dimensional images into three-di-mensional information. This allows Traficon algorithms to analyze more in depth and deliver highly accurate informa-tion on pedestrian presence.” •

With some 6,480 people per square kilometer, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. But as much as this evokes images of typical total traffic mayhem, this does not com-pletely hold true for Hong Kong. In fact, the city-state has been making efforts for many years to give priority to pedestrians over motorists and thus improve the pe-destrian experience as a whole. →

Improving Pedestrian Experience

SafeWalk sensors give priority to pedestrians in Hong Kong streets.

“SafeWalk can cope extremely well with the challenging Hong Kong street environment.” — Andy Ng

→→ By→using→two→CMOS→

cameras→in→parallel,→

SafeWalk→converts→

two-dimensional→

images→into→three-

dimensional→infor-

mation.→This→allows→

Traficon→algorithms→

to→deliver→accurate→

information→on→pe-

destrian→presence.

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Vehicle and Sensor on Speaking Terms

“By communicating with Traficon technology, the vehicle can spot vulnerable road users that are far away or difficult to see.”

→→ V2I→communication→can→bring→pedestrian→

information→into→the→vehicle.→

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Last October, Flanders’ DRIVE, the research centre for the automotive industry and driving force behind the Vision project, coordinated a demon-stration, in which a Traficon C-Walk pedestrian detector was combined with a so-called smart vehicle. The communication between the detector and the vehicle makes sure that the driver is warned about what happens in his surroundings, even if it happens outside his field of view. By commu-nicating with Traficon technology, the vehicle can spot vulnerable road users that are far away or difficult to see. With this information, the smart vehicle can warn the driver for pos-sible dangers.

“Together with Flanders’ DRIVE and its project partners, we want to learn more about Vehicle-to-Infra-structure-communication,” com-ments Michael Deruytter, Product Manager at Traficon. “At the same time, we want to contribute actively to the research on this innovative technology.”

“Today, safety for pedestrians can be increased by adding intelligence to the infrastructure and enhancing the visibility of crossing pedestri-ans,” comments André Nieuwland, Project Manager at Flanders’ DRIVE. “However, there are limitations to this approach which cannot be overcome

Today’s video detection technology successfully helps improve pedestrian safety at crossings and intersections. At intelligent intersections video detec-tion enables to better con-trol traffic lights and take into account the typically unpredictable behaviour of pedestrians. In years to come, video detection can even become more impor-tant in providing safety, namely by bringing its information to the vehicle. Within the research project ‘Vision’, a consortium of companies, including Trafi-con, has successfully dem-onstrated the combination of infrastructure vision technology and communi-cation with vehicles. →

as long as measures are limited to the infrastructure only. That is where vehicle to infrastructure communica-tion provides new options.”

At many intersections, regular traffic and pedestrians heading in the same direction get a ‘green’ at the same time. A vehicle turning right or left, will intersect the trajectory of crossing pedestrians. Mostly, there is no space for separate lanes for turning vehicles and/or adding additional traffic light phases to make the inter-section fully conflict-free, because this would reduce the throughput too much. It is exactly here that vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communica-tion brings a solution by bringing pe-destrian information into the vehicle.

Within the joint research project ‘Vision’, a first full end-to-end system has been realized, from pedestrian detection based on state-of-the-art video detection, up to in-vehicle and driver interaction using vehicle-inte-grated devices. Tests at the end of 2010 using 3G mobile communication have proven the feasibility of this system. The system is currently being refined and extended. In the Vision project we have shown that today’s video detec-tion and communication technology is capable of improving pedestrian safety tomorrow. •

Flanders’ DRIVE is the Flemish technological research centre for the automotive industry working together with leading compa-nies and research institutes in high-tech, advanced and application-oriented research into the vehicle of the future. In Flanders, Flan-ders’ DRIVE works closely together with over 170 full and associate partners. Flanders’ DRIVE is located in Lommel and has disposal of state-of-the-art research and test facilities next to the test tracks of Ford Lommel Proving Ground.

→→ Project→partners→Vision:→Alcatel→Lucent,→Ford→Lommel→Proving→Ground,→LMS,→Melexis,→

Mobistar,→NXP,→Tenneco,→TomTom→and→Traficon.→This→project→is→supported→by→the→Flem-

ish→Government→via→IWT.

ABOUT FLANDERS’ DRIVE

Traficon contributes to Flemish research on green and smart mobility.

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Freddie Stamland Eriksen, at the Norwegian Public Road Administra-tion, is responsible for the good opera-tion of the incident detection system at the Ekeberg and other tunnels. “That day in August 1996, we were really confronted with what video detection technology can do,” Mr. Eriksen com-ments. “Within seconds after the bus catching fire, the Ekeberg tunnel video detection system generated an alarm and the tunnel operators and emergen-cy services were warned in time.”

The Ekeberg tunnel consists of two tubes of approximately 1500m, with additional tubes of approxi-mately 400m at the entrance and exit. The tunnel uses 63 cameras for full coverage automatic incident detection (AID) in the tunnel. The AID system is able to detect stopped vehicles within 10 seconds and to announce the presence of queues at critical entries and exits of the tunnel. The system can automatically switch to the video matrix and alert the operators in the tunnel control center.

Traficon was selected in 1995 by traffic systems integrator Siemens. “During the selection, our company looked at various solutions,” says Åge Reiakvam, section manager at Siemens’s Intelligent Traffic Systems department, “but we realized quite quickly that video detection would be the most reliable option. At the time, Traficon made a very good impression to us, not in the least because of the company’s exclusive focus on the traf-fic market.”

“In 1996, Traficon technology was still relatively young,” comments Mr. Reiakvam. “So, for both parties – Siemens and Traficon – the Ekeberg

tunnel project proved to be a valuable learning process. But when modifica-tions to the system were needed, Trafi-con always responded very quickly to our requirements and to those of the end customer. One thing that we learned fast was that it made no sense to announce stopped vehicles during a queue situation. Therefore, Traficon adapted the system so that during queue situations operators would be informed about the queue, but alarms from stopped vehicles would be auto-matically rejected.”

“The Traficon system has proved to be very stable over the past 15 years of operation,” Mr. Reiakvam contin-ues. “Of course, the great advantage of video detection over other tech-nologies is that the operator has an immediate visual verification of the occurred incident. This may seem straightforward, but it is a benefit that cannot be underestimated.”

Today, still some 76.000 vehicles driving through the Ekeberg tunnel pass the eye of the Traficon detection system on an average weekday. “After more than 15 years in operation, we are still very pleased with the per-formance of the Traficon technology,” says Mr. Eriksen from the Norwegian Public Road Administration. In order to keep up with the evolving technol-ogy standards, the Norwegian Public Road Administration decided to in-tegrate an additional 25 cameras and detectors to the system architecture. Siemens chose Traficon’s VIP-T video image processing modules, which combine traffic monitoring, incident detection and traffic data collection in a single board. This way, the Ekeberg tunnel’s safety standards will be maintained for many years to come.

“Over the years, Traficon has always been able to stay ahead of its competitors and to be close to its customers,” says Mr. Reiak-vam. “We look forward to a fruitful collaboration where Traficon is able to continue its path of innovation.” •

Silent Watcher

Daily life becomes more and more de-pendant from technology. But when tech-nology works well, you barely notice it’s there. The same probably holds true for video detection. For more than 15 years now, Traficon video detection technology has been watching over traffic streams in the Ekeberg tunnel in Oslo, Norway. And luckily, for most of the time, the detec-tion system did not have to do what it has been built for: detecting incidents. Except for that crucial day in August 1996, when a bus coach caught fire inside the 1500 m long tunnel. →

“The Traficon system has proved to be very stable over the past 15 years of operation.” — Åge Reiakvam

→→ The→Ekeberg→tunnel→

fire→in→1996→put→

Traficon→video→de-

tection→technology→

to→the→test.→

SPECIAL FEATURE

17


TUNNEL ROAD URBAN

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF “THE WORLD OF TRAFFIC VIDEO DETECTION”

A TRAFICON FILM

OUT ON THE STREETS, EVERY SECOND COUNTS.

FRANCE FRÉJUS TUNNEL U.A.E. BEIRUT AIRPORT TUNNEL SLOVENIA PODMILJ & TROJANE TUNNEL TURKEY BOLEMAN PERSEMBLE TUNNEL SOUTH AFRICA HUGUENOT TUNNEL THE NETHERLANDS BENELUX TUNNEL HONG KONG LION ROCK TUNNEL GERMANY SCHWARZERBERG TUNNEL

WWW.TRAFICON.COM

18


For many tourists and visitors, Salalah, the second largest city in Oman, is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Salalah, the capital of the province of Dhofar, is a color-ful, subtropical city with a distinct African flavor, which it owes to the monsoon clouds arriving somewhere between June and September. As for its city traffic, Salalah is making serious efforts to enhance safety and efficiency with the help of innovative technology.

“’Hi-Tech Projects LLC was awarded with the first ever ITS project in Oman,” comments Mr. Ivan Krusic, Traffic Engineering & ITS Manager at Hi-Tech Projects. “As we are always looking into modern and innovative solutions for our clients, we were convinced that it was time to make use of video detection technology instead of inductive loops, which were the only detection equipment used in Oman so far.”

In total, Salalah authorities called for some 77 TrafiCam vehicle pres-ence sensors for monitoring traffic at about 10 intersections. For the Salalah project in particular, TrafiCam proved to be an excellent alternative to induc-tive loops, as Oman’s extremely hot weather conditions often lead to dam-aged asphalt, which in turn results in costly road works and re-installation of loops.

“As video detection had not been used in Oman to that date, we had to find a product which would be capable to operate in harsh weather condi-tions, to be cost-effective and provide all necessary features for modern and effective traffic management,” Ivan Krusic comments. “We found that Traficon’s vehicle presence sensor TrafiCam was up to the challenge. Next to that, we were able to enjoy the excellent technical support from Traficon to bring this project to a suc-cessful conclusion.” •

Video Detection Sets Foot in Oman

Together with Oman engineering company Hi-Tech Projects LLC, Traficon recently realized the country’s first video detection project ever. →

“As we are always looking into modern and innovative solutions for our clients, we were convinced that it was time to make use of video detection technology instead of inductive loops.”

— Ivan Krusic

→→ Oman→is→an→Arab→state→in→southwest→Asia→on→the→

southeast→coast→of→the→Arabian→Peninsula.→It→is→

bordered→by→the→United→Arab→Emirates→(UAE)→to→

the→northwest,→Saudi→Arabia→to→the→west,→and→

Yemen→to→the→southwest.→The→coast→is→formed→

by→the→Arabian→Sea→on→the→southeast→and→the→

Gulf→of→Oman→on→the→northeast.→The→Madha→and→

Musandam→enclaves→are→surrounded→by→the→

UAE→on→their→land→borders,→with→the→Strait→of→

Hormuz→and→Gulf→of→Oman→forming→Musan-

dam’s→coastal→boundaries.

19


TUNNEL ROAD URBAN

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF “THE WORLD OF TRAFFIC VIDEO DETECTION”

WHEREVER THE ROAD TAKES YOU …

BELGIUM ANTWERP FRANCE A28 MALAYSIA KUALA LUMPUR U.S.A. ATLANTA CHINA BEIJING RUSSIA MOSCOW IRELAND M50 DUBLINITALY BRESCIA (A4) VERONA (A31) GREECE ATHENS SWITZERLAND A12 FRIBOURG NORWAY E39 GERMANY STRELASUND

A TRAFICON FILM

WWW.TRAFICON.COM

20


Traficon unmistakingly has Belgian roots. So, when the company was about to turn twenty, it didn’t take long to figure out how this could be celebrated. Traficon needed a dedicated celebration beer. →

Brewers galore in beery Belgium, but Traficon found its own beer provider at just a stone’s throw from the compa-ny’s headquarters. A small brewery in the town of Gullegem near Kortrijk, called Gulden Spoor (Golden Spur), appeared to be a true gem in the Belgian beer landscape, hiding some very tasty treasures indeed. Not much later, the Traficon Grand Cru beer was born. We had a talk with the Traficon beer master, Björn Desmadryl, founder of the Gulden Spoor brewery.

Traficon now has its own company beer that will travel the world at international exhibitions. How does that feel?

It’s great and strange at the same time, knowing that people from around the world will taste our beers. We are already mak-ing modest export efforts to the States and Europe, but this also adds to the international character of our beer.

How did it all begin?

We were able to turn our hobby into a profession. We started our brewery in an old barn in 2003 and we have been growing ever since. How-ever, we always have had the objective to deliver high quality beers by only using locally cultivated ingredients and by following the old traditional craft of brewing.

The Traficon Grand Cru is based on two existing beers: Manten and Kalle. How would you describe them?

Both beers are very accessible to a large audience, but at the same time they are very power-ful and tasty. The Kalle beer (or Trafi-con Grand Cru Triple) is a blond spicy triple with added coriander, which gives it a fruity taste. With the Manten beer (or Traficon Grand Cru Brown) you can sense a transition from cara-mel to roasted chocolate. No herbs were added so you can fully enjoy the carefully chosen malt types.

What is it that attracts you to beer brewing?

Before I started this brewery, I had a quite stressful job. In contrast, beer brewing is calming, almost medi-tative. Also, brewing enables you to be creative: with a few basic ingredients, you can produce a wealth of different tasty beers. •

A Tasty Celebration

“The Traficon Grand Cru is accessible to a large audience, but at the same time it’s very powerful and tasty.” — Björn Desmadryl

traficon presents “safe across” starring safeWalk and c-Walk Main application areas crossings intersectionsMain technologies cMos sensor technology Video iMage processing technology stereoVision technology Main benefits all-in-one concept

high detection reliability Quick and easy installation direct Visual Verification field-proVen traficon algorithMs uniQue design

PROTECTING PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

www.trafiCon.Com

www.trafiCon.Com

The Insider Magazine 18

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