Video vehicle detection

Traffic flow measurement and automatic incident detection using video cameras is another form of vehicle detection.  The cameras are typically mounted on poles or structures above or adjacent to the roadway.

 

Image of a video camera at an intersection. Sign that says red light photo enforced.

Video from black-and-white or color cameras is fed into processors that analyze the changing characteristics of the video image as vehicles pass. Most video detection systems require some initial configuration to "teach" the processor the baseline background image. This usually involves inputting known measurements such as the distance between lane lines or the height of the camera above the roadway. A single video detection processor can detect traffic simultaneously from one to eight cameras, depending on the brand and model. The typical output from a video detection system is lane-by-lane vehicle speeds, counts and lane occupancy readings. Some systems provide additional outputs including gap, headway, stopped-vehicle detection and wrong-way vehicle alarms.

Electronic toll collection

Another ITS science is Electronic Toll Collection or ETC.  This makes it possible for vehicles to drive through toll gates at traffic speed, reducing congestion at toll plazas and automating toll collection.

Image of a toll booth monitar camera, showing a car coming up the the toll booth.

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