Mobile technology will reduce costs and improve driver safety
With increasing demand for mobile road weather data collection systems and an emphasis on reducing road maintenance costs to help with local, state and federal budgets, Condition Patrol is helping meet these needs. Vaisala, a leader in environmental and industrial measurement, launched the new mobile sensor technology and data collection system to help reduce road maintenance costs and improve driver safety. For the first time, this system offers the capability for maintenance vehicles to collect weather information when patrolling their agency’s entire network of roads. Data collected by Condition Patrol allows roadway decision makers to be more accurate with road treatments, and thus reduce the costs of keeping roads clear and improving driver safety. The mobile system reports pavement temperature, air temperature, and relative humidity of the air near the road surface using laser and infrared sensors. Based on these observations, the system determines the road condition, such as whether or not the road has water, snow, ice, slush, or is dry. The
The Vaisala Across America tour stopped in over 40 cities in 16 weeks, meeting with customers at various local and state agencies. 138 APWA Reporter
August 2012
system also calculates and provides a numerical value for the level of friction on the road. This information is downloaded real time from a smart phone—included with the product— to a software program that provides recommendations to the maintenance decision maker about recommended road treatment options, helping them make more informed decisions. “Vaisala is excited to offer this first-ofits-kind mobile data collection system for road maintenance decision makers around the country. We hope our technology will make their operations run more smoothly and effectively,” said Antero Jarvinen, Director of Vaisala’s Road and Rail Market Segment. In conjunction with the product launch in February 2012, Vaisala showcased Condition Patrol in a unique way through their crosscountry tour, Vaisala Across America, which featured a Vaisala branded vehicle outfitted with the technology. The 40-city tour was conducted over 16 weeks and started at the company’s U.S. headquarters in Louisville, Colo., and ended in National Harbor, Md., at the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) America annual meeting and exposition. The tour was promoted to the general public and road maintenance agencies and followed by millions across the country via the tour website at www.vaisala.com/ mobiletour, which featured up-tothe-minute road weather data and weekly blog posts and photos. During the tour, the company met with over 40 agencies, including various cities, counties and departments of transportation offering them a
The tour vehicle, nicknamed Vaisala One, was outfitted with the Condition Patrol technology and travelled more than 18,325 miles as part of the Vaisala Across America tour. preview and hands-on demonstration of the technology, which was a first for Vaisala. “We were excited to see the unit firsthand. It is compact, easy to install and will provide us with the benefits of mobile weather data gathering,” said Mark DeVries, Maintenance Superintendent, McHenry County, Illinois, Division of Transportation. Mark and his team saw the tour vehicle on its way to the APWA North American Snow Conference earlier this year. The economy and failing infrastructures have forced the industry to think of new ways to adapt to these challenges. Updating stationary road weather data collection systems to mobile systems is a cost-effective and reliable way to keep road networks properly operating and safe for all drivers. Vaisala, Inc.’s global headquarters is located in Helsinki, Finland. Their U.S. headquarters is located in Louisville, Colo. Phone: 1-877-824-7252; Website: http://www.vaisala.com/ mobiletour.
