Overhead infrared sensor for monitoring vehicular traffic

An experimental infrared optical system was designed to detect and monitor vehicular road traffic. The system used was developed and first tested in the laboratory using infrared laser sources and detectors in conjunction with computerized signal processing and correlation techniques. Preliminary road tests confirmed the system´s capability to detect, monitor, and count the passage of vehicular road traffic. It is expected that a system based on the technology described would be cost-effective and weather resistant. Additional developments should give it the potential for more sophisticated applications, including vehicle speed measurement and length classification