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DIRECTED BY TRAFICON
The insider › january 2007
THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF TRAFFIC VIDEO DETECTION
Issue 12, january 2007
www.traficon.com
Editorial
Sneak Preview After long, intensive preparations, we now proudly present a Sneak Preview of our new company movie: “The World of Traffic Video Detection” – produced and directed by Traficon. As each customer has its own unique requirements, Traficon’s studios are now equipped to make sure each project has its own unique touch and theme! What Hollywood is to the movie industry, Traficon is to the traffic video detection industry: The Reference. But wait ... rewind a moment, please. Let’s first review the achievements and events of last year: New work groups 2006 was the year new work groups were started to improve internal communication and synergies among Traficonners. We started a group around new product development, a product improvement work group (PIC), the SAG (Scientific Advisory Group), the MAG (Marketing Advisory Group) and more. All these groups will help us be “The reference in traffic video detection”. Think Global, Act Global In this new year, customer service, quality, and speed will be – more than ever – the basics for our way of working. From the start, customer service has been the foundation of all our operations. At the end of the day, we are all paid by our customers − they are the real employers − and by serving them well, we build our future. In the last few weeks, we’ve been working on the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) model. This is a big step beyond the ISO 9000 model and will take our daily operations to a higher level of quality.
avant premiere
Traficon Proudly Presents … “The World of Traffic Video Detection”
Speed is not just the product you get from the coffee shops in Maastricht, it’s the rate at which we bring new products to our customers. Being faster is a must for gaining market share and for growing faster than the competition.
It’s thrilling, it’s action-packed, and it stars the best in the business! This blockbuster has just been released: Traficon’s new corporate identity!
Coming soon... So look for some new solutions in 2007 − using all of the latest movie effects (MPEG4, TrafiCam, etc.). Our screenwriters are already working away on captivating scripts for new products. Traficon. We film traffic ... and deliver high-quality movies.
Traficon − global leader in video image processing for traffic analysis − is rolling out a new marketing and communication concept: Traficon as movie producer and director.
— Jo Versavel, Managing Director
Producers of technology for traffic data acquisition and automatic incident detection, directors of intersection management, creators of safe, smooth-flowing traffic. What Hollywood is to the movie industry, Traficon is to traffic detection based on video image processing: The Reference.
Traficon. Now appearing at an intersection near you!
Here are 3 of our new creations − watch for them in specialist magazines: • Smooth Driver – out on the street, every
second counts • Wrong Way – don’t panic, it’s under control • City Cruiser – no jams, just driving
Traficon. Keep your hands on the wheel. We’ve got you covered.
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The insider › january 2007
based on a true story
SNAPSHOTS NEWS FROM AROUND THE globe » Traficon France has secured another order for the 20th tunnel equipped with AID in the French National Territory. » Unfortunately, the Belgian soccer team was not invited to the World Cup in Germany. But Traficon was! In Cologne, VIP/P detectors made sure no time was wasted trying to get to the football stadium. You watch the game − we’ll watch the traffic! » To better support our Chinese customers and partners, www.traficon.com can also be visited in the Chinese language. Check it out! » Next to detection of vehicles, multiple sites in Brussels (Belgium) deliver proof that TrafiCam® can also be used for presence detection of tramcars. The aim is to guarantee a green wave. » Traficon wins first major video incident detection project in Russia! Moscow’s 3rd ring road will be secured by an intelligent VIP system, including 75 cameras. » The Palm in Dubai (www.thepalm.ae) is another project to add to Traficon’s reference list. Traficon VIP modules will secure the tunnel between the artificial island and the mainland. » The youngest customer of Traficon can be found in Mexico: Mariela Richell Gonzalez just ordered 5 Traficon alarm clocks!
APPEARANCES FAIRS & EXHIBITIONS WORLDWIDE » January 2007, 30-31 ATEXPO (Paris, France) Stand C13 » March 2007, 15-17 Intertraffic (Beijing, China) Stand 12008 » April 2007, 17-19 Traffex (Birmingham, United Kingdom) Stand D82 » April 2007, 25-27 4th International Conference: Traffic and Safety in Road Tunnels (Hamburg, Germany) » May 2007, 23-25 Mutraconex (Beijing, China) Stand 3A09 » June 2007, 4-6 ITS America (Palm Springs, CA-USA) Stand 823
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Video Vision in Virginia Beach Virginia Beach, VA (USA) — The city of Virginia Beach began investigating alternative vehicle detection technologies in the mid1990s. The main motivation was the way the incumbent technology − inductive loops − were installed and maintained.
“Loops are too intrusive,” says Lincoln Figuereo, Supervisor for Virginia Beach’s Traffic Management Center (TMC). “During installation, we would get a lot of complaints about delays caused by lane closures, not to mention the mess associated with loop sealant, sawing into pavement, etc.” Verifying detection effectiveness To begin their initial testing, the city invited all the major manufacturers of video detection equipment to deploy systems (via competitively bid projects and/or demo systems) at different intersections. When the smoke cleared, Traficon came out first. “It’s easy to program and easy to maintain,” says Greg Sawyer, an Electrical Technician with the city. Greg also mentions how easy it is to verify the effectiveness of a detection zone by simply watching it on the monitor and making the necessary changes with the hand-held keypad.
No more loops The city now has over 300 cameras installed at intersections. “Our vision is to have video detection installed at all 350 intersections,” says Figuereo. “Loops don’t get cut anymore.” Virginia Beach just completed their new, stateof-the-art Traffic Management Center (TMC). One of their objectives is to be able to view videos from their Traficon intersections on moni-
“Our vision is to have video detection installed at all 350 intersections. Loops do not get cut anymore.” says Lincoln Figuereo. tors in the TMC, in real time. As a test, the city recently deployed the Traficon VIEWCOM/E remote communications module, which provides real-time video and traffic data via a TCP/IP or serial connection back to the TMC.
James. F Lampe Control Technologies (Mid-Atlantic) VA Office: 13613 Flintwood Place, Herndon, VA 20171 Office/cell: 703.966.2720 fax: 703.318.0433 Email: lampe@cttraffic.com Mid-Atlantic Office: 2109 Emmerton Park Road, #116, Edgewood, MD 21040 Office: 410.676.7760 fax: 410.676.7761 Website: www.cttraffic.com
Lincoln Figuereo and Greg Sawyer installing the new Viewcom/E remote communication module
based on a true story
Czech It Out − TrafiCam® Performs Prague (Czech Republic) — After receiving information on TrafiCam®, Eltodo, a Czech Republic system integrator, was interested in measuring TrafiCam®’s exact performance.
Next to basic vehicle presence detection, Eltodo was also eager to know what alternative possibilities this sensor could offer to their customers. So, 14 of these vehicle presence sensors were installed at 8 different locations in and around Prague. A comparative test was then organized between the video detection sensor TrafiCam® and the SICK laser detector. Two “atypical” parameters were put to the test: occupancy and volume. Project manager Eng. Martin Kučera shares his experiences: “Within 24 hours, the average difference between the two sensors was less than 3%. This was a pleasant observation for us because, next to this excellent perfor-
mance, TrafiCam® also offers some unique advantages. Its simple installation and configuration are big advantages, but also its low weight and lower acquisition costs per traffic lane. These are good reasons why our customers are showing significantly increased interest in this solution. They feel this smart sensor can offer a serious alternative to standard inductive loops. We can only agree!”
Ring road Prague (Czech Republic)
The insider › january 2007
based on a true story
SMART Move in Malaysia Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) — Traffic & Pollution Ltd. (TPL), a Traficon system integrator partner in Asia, has won a new contract in Malaysia. Building on the success of the ITIS project − one of the largest traffic video detection projects in Traficon’s history − the Malaysian success story continues.
SMART − Stormwater Management And Road Tunnel − is a brand-new Malaysian project. What makes this tunnel unique? It’s both a traffic tunnel and a drainage system … Every year, Kuala Lumpur is hit by a number of tropical storms. These storms usually last less than an hour, and normally the city can cope with them. But, several times a year, these storms continue for several hours, and Ku-
ala Lumpur gets severe flooding problems. SMART’s primary function is to facilitate traffic flow between the southern outskirts of the city and the city centre. However, when the city is hit by a heavy tropical storm, the tunnel system
When the tunnel is being used as a drainage pipe, all equipment in the tunnel must be able to withstand the pressure created by 25 meters of water! is closed to traffic and is used to drain water away from the city centre. As the tunnel is then being used as a drainage pipe, all equipment in the tunnel must be able to withstand the pressure created by 25 meters of water! More than 9 kilometres Traficon Asia signed the contract for supplying a full coverage Automatic Incident Detection
Malaysia, also now a giant user of video detection by Traficon
System. The tunnel network is 4.7 km long, with lower and upper decks. The contract provides for 135 VIP modules and 23 VICCOM/E modules. With more than 1,000 video detectors, Malaysia is not only giant because of its high Petronas Towers, F1 circuit, and high-tech electronics industry − it’s now a giant user of video detection as well! Want to know more about SMART? Please visit http://www.smarttunnel.com.my
product spotlight
Behind the scenes
www.traficam.com ... starring TrafiCam®
Creativity Talks Award for Creative and Innovative Proposals Innovation and creativity go together like movies and popcorn. Stimulating creativity automatically leads to new and innovative solutions. And innovative video detection solutions is what Traficon wants to bring to the ITS market. So, Traficon is investing time and money to create a fertile organizational climate for generating a wealth of ideas for improvement and innovation from the entire workforce. Jo Versavel, Managing Director, explains: “New thoughts and ideas are often needed to achieve goals like improving performance, improving quality and introducing new products and services for our customers. They open new avenues for growth, competitiveness and success.”
Multilingual Website Provides High-Quality Support To
provide high-quality support to TrafiCam® users, we proudly present our brandnew dedicated, multilingual product website: http://www.traficam.com
This website focuses 100% on TrafiCam®. Its main purpose is to provide you with information and introduce you to the solutions that this intelligent vehicle presence sensor offers. Next to extensive information on basic functionalities, key characteristics, major benefits, and
http://www.traficam.com
facts & figures, you will also find: 1. Technical specifications
A company premiere For the first time, Traficon has awarded four employees for their creative and innovative proposals. Each has received a cheque for €1500! Jo Versavel: “We’ve received over 20 proposals for innovation since we started this initiative in 2006. Our management committee thoroughly evaluated all these proposals to ultimately select these four winners. Of course, we will continue this award programme in 2007 to stimulate our staff to search for new, creative and innovative solutions. This helps make Traficon stronger and better able to offer our customers only the very best!”
2. Installation & configuration guidelines
(incl. tutorials) 3. References worldwide 4. Downloads: movies, images, leaflets, manu-
als, and more. Note that all of the information is available in 4 different languages: English, French, German and Spanish. So don’t wait any longer − explore the wonderful world of TrafiCam®. For an experience you’ll never forget!
One of the winners (Michael Deruytter) recieving a cheque from Managing Director Jo Versavel scene
The insider › january 2007
Product spotlight
Warning! Monster Queue Ahead of You!
THE TRAFICON STUDIOS
A major safety hazard on freeways is traffic flowing at normal speed and then encountering unexpectedly slow or stopped traffic. Traffic can suddenly slow down due to recurrent congestion or collisions and/or other incidents − but work zones also often take drivers by surprise and slow traffic suddenly. Although all necessary safety precautions have been taken − including road signs, radar control and roadside panels that indicate when you’re speeding − far too many accidents still occur.
Traficon NV (HQ) Meensesteenweg 449/2 b-8501 Bissegem, Belgium Tel.: +32 (0)56 37 22 00 Fax: +32 (0)56 37 21 96 E-mail: traficon@traficon.com Traficon USA LLC 14520 Avion Parkway, Suite 305 Chantilly, Virginia 20151, U.S.A. Tel.: +1 (703) 961 9617 Fax: +1 (703) 961 9606 E-mail: traficon@traficonusa.com
Simple, smart solution Today, governments are investing time and money to develop specific measures to reduce the number of collisions dramatically. Mobile road monitoring installations, including video detectors, can offer a simple and smart solution for informing approaching motorists about queues ahead. A camera, mounted on a pole, is connected to a Traficon VIP video detector. When the system detects a queue, this is communicated via cable or wireless communication to a controller. The controller will set the upstream VMS panels so that the drivers get in-
Traficon Asia LTD Unit A, 11/D Tak Cheung Building 22-24 Wing Lok Street Hong Kong S.A.R., P.R. China Tel.: +852 2987 8177 Fax: +852 2987 9446 E-mail: traficon@traficonasia.com
formation about the queue before they reach it. The major advantage of this system is that this happens well before the queue, giving drivers plenty of time to react and to adapt their driving behaviour or speed. Another major benefit of this system is ‘mobility’. Because it’s a modular system, it’s easy to install and easy to dismantle. It is also reliable and detects queues very quickly.
Although all necessary safety precautions have been − including road signs, radar control & roadside panels that indicate when you’re speeding − far too many accidents still occur. Looking ahead
Mobile road monitoring during works with video detectors at the ring road of Brussels.
how to reach us worldwide
Other features can make the system even more attractive – for instance, when it is possible to call the mobile site from a PC in a control room using a GSM sender and receiver unit. The status of each detector and panel can then be monitored, and the traffic situation can be evaluated immediately. This information can also be broadcast to other drivers who can adapt their driving plans to the current road situation.
Traficon Shangai Units C60 - C66 11/F Shanghai Mart 2299 Yanan Road West Shanghai 200336, P.R. China Tel.: +86 21 6236 0700 ext118 Fax: +86 21 6236 0706 E-mail: traficon@traficonasia.com Traficon France SARL 16 Rue Louis Jacques Thénard F-71100 Chalon-sur-Saône, France Tel.: +33 686 552 725 Fax: +33 385 965 498 E-mail: traficon@traficonfrance.com Traficon Germany Lohauserstraße 64 D-49453 Rehden, Germany Tel.: +49 (0) 5446-20 65 32 Fax: +49 (0) 721-151575-134 E-mail: traficon@traficon.com Traficon Austria Landstraßer Hauptstraße 95/2/6B A-1030 Wien, Austria Tel.: +43 1 89 05 265 Fax: +43 1 89 05 265-15 E-mail: traficon@traficon.com
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
WWW.TRAFICON.COM TRAFICON : “THE INSIDER” k JO VERSAVEL l STIJN VANDEBUERIE a ANDRE PEETERS MARTIN KUČERA STIJN VANDEBUERIE e ANDRE PEETERS JAMES LAMPE g JAMES LAMPE MARTIN KUČERA £ LINCOLN FIGUEREO MARIELA RICHELL GONZALEZ GREG SAWYER w GUSTAV Copyright © MMVII Traficon. All rights reserved. None of the materials provided on this publication may be used, reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including recording or the use of any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from Traficon N.V..
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