The PATENT PENDING Intelligent Sensor Bracket was designed around the problem of sensor misalignment in an outdoor environment. We were made aware of the issue when a customer tasked us with finding a system that would remedy the problems they were having with MVD sensors going out of alignment. Our customer wanted to handle sensor re-alignment quickly, without the need to shut down traffic lanes, and if possible without the need to dispatch several trucks and technicians to each sensor. Finding no systems on the market and realizing the benefits such a system could offer, we designed that system.
This system was designed for several reasons:
Revenue for tollways – reducing or eliminating the need for lane closures increases revenue. Lane closure costs associated with the equipment and manpower needed to re-align sensor equipment can be greatly reduced.
Life Safety – There were 135 highway worker fatalities in work zones in 2019. By significantly reducing the lane closures and work zones, fewer workers will be exposed to work zone related accidents.
Efficiency – One person can remotely adjust every sensor on a roadway, with each taking only minutes. Hard to reach or dangerous areas can now be addressed in minutes with no risk to personnel or equipment.
The Intelligent Sensor Bracket allows the end user to remotely align and manipulate the mount via Ethernet through a simple web interface. The Intelligent Sensor Bracket is fully articulated and allows a single operator to adjust sensors with pinpoint accuracy, regardless of location and without the need for an onsite presence.
Common alignment issues relating to sensors:
Inclement weather
The durability, and resilience of the Intelligent Sensor Bracket to inclement weather in an ever-changing climate greatly limits the requirement for manual intervention and corrective measures of the sensor.
Mounting Offset
The suggested minimum offset from the start of the first lane is 6 feet, to keep within the acceptable range, the remote bracket provides the functionality to adjust the sensor and maintain the acceptable range of offset.
Occlusion
Definition: Occlusion arises when an object blocks another object from view.
The high availability of the sensor allows for remote correction in the instance a larger object obstructs a smaller object from the view of the sensor. With the convenience of remotely managing the sensor, a sensor can be moved higher from its mounting point
Multipath
Definition: Multipath arises when the signal of the sensor bounces off an object within the detection zone creating a false detection.
The high availability of the sensor allows for remote correction in the instance false detection occurring. The sensor can be positioned using the Intelligent Sensor Bracket to adjust the location of the sensor.
Alignment
Intelligent Sensor Bracket greatly reduces issues related to alignment. Misalignment of the sensor can cause a multitude of symptoms related to: Multipath and Occlusion resulting in over-counting or under-counting of vehicles. The high availability of the Intelligent Sensor Bracket provides the functionality to shift a misaligned sensor vertically and correctly point the sensor to the center of the desired area of interest. The Intelligent Sensor Bracket also provides the functionality of adjusting the side-to-side angle of the sensor to align perpendicular to the roadway.
Landscape
As no two places are the same in regard to landscape and grade, Intelligent Sensor Bracket can assist with alignment issues related to grade of the ground, whether working on a rising or falling landscape, the Intelligent Sensor Bracket can rotate the sensor to match the bottom of the grade.
