Traffic flow analysis and vehicle classification for ITS using UWB radar

• Grant number: 19/12268-4
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Duration: April 01, 2021 - December 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Electrical, Magnetic and Electronic Circuits
• Principal Investigator: Gustavo Yamasaki Martins Vieira
• Grantee: Gustavo Yamasaki Martins Vieira
• Host Company: Fexmedia Indústria e Comércio de Equipamentos e Tecnologia Ltda
• CNAE: Testes e análises técnicas
• City: São Paulo
• Associated researchers: Fernando de Andrade Castilho
• Associated scholarship(s): 21/08344-7 - Traffic Flow Analysis and Vehicle Classification for ITS using UWB Radar, BP.TT; 21/02539-0 - Traffic flow analysis and vehicle classification for ITS using UWB radar, BP.TT

Abstract

It is becoming usual in Brazil grant to private companies the right to manage and explore public services, either through privatization, concessions or a society between them both (private and public sector). The purpose of this type of program is to increase the quality of service and reduce costs. While private sector is responsible for providing the service with quality, government is responsible for monitoring the quality and check if it is within standards required by the contract. A private company must follow a lot of requirements in order to take the control of a highway. One of these requirements is related to the user safety. One of the safety items is emergency phones and they must be available on every kilometer along the highway. These phones are known technically as "Callbox" or "call box". A callbox is important because it establishes a direct connection between the highway users and the company responsible for the highway without relying on intermediaries such as mobile operators. Flexmedia have already developed a callbox system (emergency telephony system), that was the original project subject submitted to FAPESP. However as technology evolves, callboxes devices are being replaced by Wi-Fi connection. This way we are proposing another device, but this one dedicated to highways upgrades. SAT devices helps on Traffic Flow analysis of a highway in order to acquire parameters such as congestion levels, mean velocity and vehicle types that uses the road. These data are very important in short and long term management. In short-term it is a way for identify vehicle congestion e use other devices to find out the reason for this congestion. In long-term it allows planning for future expansion and preventive maintenance in a given area. Flexmedia is proposing to develop a SAT device based on UWB Radar technology. Using a radar for acquiring data, we expect reduce the total cost of ownership by reducing install cost and maintenance cost and at the same time keeping the reliability level of current technologies. The project uncertainty is in UWB radar technology. It will be necessary to make a deep study on UWB technology as well radar technology in order to develop a product that can be applied on streets and roads. It is important to remember that this is a study that has a lot of uses like security (weapon detection) and medicinal (respiration monitoring, pulse rate) among a lot of other area. This would allow to reuse the knowledge from this product in lots of other research area. (AU)