A Summary of Vehicle Detection and Surveillance Technologies used in Intelligent Transportation Systems Funded by the Federal Highway Administration’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office Produced by The Vehicle Detector Clearinghouse A multi-state, pooled-fund project managed by the Southwest Technology Development Institute (SWTDI) at New Mexico State University (NMSU), and sponsored in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation FHWA Fall 2000 SUMMARY OF VEHICLE DETECTION AND SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGIES USED IN INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS SUBMITTED TO: Federal Highway Administration s (FHWA) Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office PREPARED BY: Luz Elena Y. Mimbela Project Manager The Vehicle Detector Clearinghouse New Mexico State University P.O. Box 30001 Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001 And Lawrence A. Klein, Ph.D., P.E. Private Consultant 314 Purdy Avenue Placentia, CA 92870 With Assistance From: Perry Kent, VDC Project Consultant John L. Hamrick, VDC Project Consultant Karen M. Luces, NMSU Sylvia Herrera, NMSU November 30, 2000 (Latest version of this handbook can be found at http://www.nmsu.edu/~traffic/) Disclaimer Notice This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. The contents of this summary document reflect the views of the contractor and subcontractors, who are responsible for the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Department of Transportation. This document does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. The United States Government or the Vehicle Detector Clearinghouse does not endorse products or manufacturers. Vendor and manufacturer s names appear herein only because they are considered essential to the purpose of this document. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ........................................................................1-1 CHAPTER 2 - METHODS AND APPROACH..........................................................2-1 COLLECTION OF PRODUCT INFORMATION............................................................................................ 2-1 COLLECTION OF USER INFORMATION.................................................................................................. 2-2 COMPILATION OF INFORMATION........................................................................................................ 2-2 CHAPTER 3 – OVERVIEW OF VEHICLE DETECTION AND SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGIES...........................................................................................3-1 INTRUSIVE SENSORS ........................................................................................................................ 3-1 NON-INTRUSIVE SENSORS ................................................................................................................ 3-2 APPLICATIONS OF SENSOR COMBINATIONS .......................................................................................... 3-2 RELATIVE COST OF SENSORS............................................................................................................ 3-3 SENSOR TECHNOLOGY COMPARISON.................................................................................................. 3-4 SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................... 3-9 CHAPTER 4 – INTRUSIVE TECHNOLOGIES .......................................................4-1 PNEUMATIC ROAD TUBE ................................................................................................................. 4-1 Principles of Operation................................................................................................................ 4-1 Applications and Uses................................................................................................................. 4-1 Advantages................................................................................................................................ 4-1 Disadvantages............................................................................................................................ 4-2 Installation Configuration............................................................................................................ 4-2 INDUCTIVE LOOP DETECTORS ........................................................................................................... 4-4 Principles of Operation................................................................................................................ 4-4 Applications and Uses................................................................................................................. 4-4 Advantages................................................................................................................................ 4-5 Disadvantages............................................................................................................................ 4-5 PIEZOELECTRIC SENSORS................................................................................................................. 4-7 Principles of Operation................................................................................................................ 4-7 Applications and Uses................................................................................................................. 4-8 Bonding Materials…………………………………………………………………………………………….4-10 Advantages...............................................................................................................................4-10 Disadvantages...........................................................................................................................4-11 MAGNETIC SENSORS......................................................................................................................4-12 Principles of Operation...............................................................................................................4-12 Application and Uses .................................................................................................................4-12 Advantages...............................................................................................................................4-13 Disadvantages...........................................................................................................................4-13 WEIGH-IN-MOTION (WIM)..............................................................................................................4-17 Application and Uses .................................................................................................................4-17 Bending Plate ...........................................................................................................................4-22 Piezoelectric.............................................................................................................................4-26 Load Cell.................................................................................................................................4-29 Capacitance Mat........................................................................................................................4-30 Weigh-in-Motion System Costs...................................................................................................4-31 CHAPTER 5 – NON-INTRUSIVE TECHNOLOGIES ................................................5-1 VIDEO IMAGE PROCESSOR................................................................................................................ 5-1 iii Principles of Operation................................................................................................................ 5-1 Application and Uses .................................................................................................................. 5-5 Mounting and Traffic Viewing Considerations ................................................................................. 5-5 Advantages................................................................................................................................ 5-6 Disadvantages............................................................................................................................ 5-7 MICROWAVE RADAR ...................................................................................................................... 5-9 Principles of Operation................................................................................................................ 5-9 Application and Uses .................................................................................................................5-12 Advantages...............................................................................................................................5-15 Disadvantages...........................................................................................................................5-15 INFRARED SENSORS........................................................................................................................5-16 Active Infrared Sensor ................................................................................................................5-16 Passive Infrared Sensors..............................................................................................................5-18