Wireless traffic detection with Sitraffic Wimag from Siemens replaces inductive loops

Erlangen, Germany, With Sitraffic Wimag, Siemens Mobility offers a completely new type of detector technology. It operates with high precision, does not require any type of wiring and can be installed in just a few minutes. The system is based on magnetic sensors.

High-quality traffic data are required to avoid traffic jams and long waiting times at intersections. Until now, one of the most common ways to access such information was to use inductive loop detectors embedded under the road surface – a cumbersome and inflexible system. The Sitraffic Wimag system eliminates the need for any cabling work because its detectors are completely wireless. A 7.5 x 7.5 x 5.0 cm electronic assembly consisting of magnetic sensors, a processor, radio antenna and a battery can be installed in the roadway within a very short time. The detected events are transmitted wirelessly to the base station. The advantage for the operator is the complete freedom in selecting the detector position, i.e. the distance between detector and signal controller and the type of roadway do not matter at all. The site can therefore be selected for purely traffic-related reasons.

The sensor and base station are designed for a temperature range from -45 to +80oC. The sensor battery has a service life of over ten years. The base station is capable of ensuring the radio link to a maximum of 48 sensors. The data are transmitted from the base station to the control unit using an Ethernet connection.

Sitraffic Wimag is superior to standard types of detectors in terms of measuring the headways between vehicles. Located in the middle of the lane, it produces very accurate results compared to above ground detectors such as video or radar equipment. The signal controller can therefore detect the end of a group of vehicles more quickly and adjust the green phase better to the actual traffic situation. This speeds up the flow of traffic and is beneficial for the environment because better traffic flows mean less fuel consumption and air pollution.


Photos accompanying the press release are available under:

http://www.siemens.com/mobility-pictures/Sitraffic-Wimag

The Siemens Industry Sector (Erlangen, Germany) is the worldwide leading supplier of environmentally friendly production, transportation, building and lighting technologies. With integrated automation technologies and comprehensive industry-specific solutions, Siemens increases the productivity, efficiency and flexibility of its customers in the fields of industry and infrastructure. The Sector consists of six divisions: Building Technologies, Drive Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility und Osram. With around 207,000 employees worldwide Siemens Industry achieved in fiscal year 2009 total sales of approximately EUR35 billion. http://www.siemens.com/industry

The Mobility Division (Erlangen, Germany) is the internationally leading provider of transportation and logistics solutions. With “Complete mobility”, the Division is focused on networking the various modes of transportation in order to ensure the efficient and environmentally compatible transport of people and goods. “Complete mobility” targets the goal of sustainability and combines the company’s competence in operations control systems for railways and traffic control systems for roadways together with solutions for airport and postal logistics, railway electrification, rolling stock for mass transit, regional and mainline services, as well as turnkey systems and forward-looking service concepts. With around 25,000 employees worldwide Siemens Mobility posted sales of EUR6.4 billion in fiscal year 2009 (ended September 30). www.siemens.com/mobility