SMART vehicle checks

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s (Statens Vegvesen) control station in Åsane, Norway, has started to use a smart and scalable IT system which will select vehicles for checks without operator intervention. The system was developed by Triona in cooperation with Euroskilt. 

It will further enhance and facilitate the checks out in the field due to correct vehicle selection. At the same time reducing the need for unnecessary checks for drivers and transport companies that follow the rules, and simplifying the checks carried out by Statens Vegvesen. Before the system was deployed, manual checks were needed where vehicles were called in by a person standing by the wayside.

ANPR camera and call-in with digital road sign

The Station in Åsane is placed so that all vehicles going north, or south pass the station. An ANPR (Automatic number-plate recognition) camera will register the registration plates on all passing vehicles. The system will then decide whether the vehicle should be checked, based on configurable rules. If the decision is made to check a vehicle, information is shown directed to the vehicle on a digital traffic sign. The sign will show “stop for check” and the direction to the control station. The system can simultaneously identify vehicle type, weight, height, length, speed, and brake temperature.

Zone based control

On a high level a control station is defined as an area divided into separate zones. The different zones have equipment like digital road signs, sensors, and ANPR cameras. An ANPR camera is placed in the first zone (In Zone) and is responsible for identifying the vehicle’s registration number. Once identified, the system will call other systems to decide whether a check should be carried out. This decision has to be made before the vehicle reaches the digital road signs. In the notice zone, a camera identifies the oncoming vehicle. If a check is done, a digital road sign will show real time information and images and will guide the vehicle to the control zone.

Easy to use

Through a web based solution, rules are defined deciding which vehicles should be checked. The rules could be based on eg vehicle classification, time passed since last check and whether measures have been carried out within the agreed time schedule. Rules can be based on including or excluding vehicles. Vehicles which are called in for a check are guided to the control zone based on information shown on the digital road signs along the road. If a vehicle ignores a check, information can be given directly to the vehicle and the diversion is recorded with images of the vehicle.

Modular system

The system is flexible and modular. By configuring the system, it is possible to add and define new control zones with digital road sign control. Adding new road signs and sensors to a zone as it is expanded is supported by the system. Each control area can be divided into zones. By using ANPR cameras, the system handles data about a specific vehicle in a zone.

SMART control station versions: Base version comes with base functionality and has support for simple start/stop of vehicle check. Other versions are sensor-based check where checks can be carried out based on data from sensors, and selective check, where decisions on check of vehicles are rules based. Åsarne control station is using the selective check version. Triona and Euroskilt can also deliver customizations based on customer requirements.

Table 1: Table of which features are available in the different versions of “SMART Control Station”.