Portable Traffic AI System

Category

Excellence in Research and Development Award

Submitting Organisation

Sensor Dynamics

Sensor Dynamics was asked to install cameras at Port Botany for Transport for NSW for a proof of concept that involved identifying and classifying heavy vehicles around the ports. The classification project was a success, but ongoing roll out of fixed camera sites proved challenging due to lack of services and traffic management issues around key infrastructure. The questions was raised: can the technology be portable and self-reliant?

Sensor Dynamics design team went to work to design and build a solution that met the criteria. The system needed to be:

• Portable & easy to deploy

• Generate and store enough power to be off grid

• Use off grid communications to send and receive data

One of the first design consideration was the ability to deploy multiple units in one payload. This governed the footprint of the unit. The next was using renewable energy sources and batteries to ensure the units could operate with 99%+ uptime regardless of local weather.

Once the basic design concepts were completed the units were fabricated in our Melbourne office by the engineering team. The units were then tested locally in various locations around Melbourne leading to some design tweaks before deployment.

The first units were deployed around a bridge in Gundagai, followed shortly after by Moorebank, Port Botany and Newcastle. In total 76 units will be deployed across NSW.

A small truck can deliver up to 12 units in a single payload. The units are deployed in <20 minutes and commissioned remotely by the team. Once online they are immediately collecting data about heavy vehicles. The units are portable to can be easily redeployed to other areas.