A MULTI-PURPOSE PORTABLE DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM

A portable multi-purpose data collection system is described, designed to be relatively low cost in that it can be assembled from readily-available components. Its purpose is described as to collect speed profile data for vehicles along a highway section, as well as traffic volume and vehicle type information. The system is composed of three major components: the tape switches; the monitoring and recording equipment; and a digital clock. A hard pavement surface is required for adhesion and proper operation of the tape switches. It is recommended that the system operates in traffic situations approximating free-flowing conditions, since a congested heavy flow violates some of the basic assumptions of the tape switch's pair logic. The major elements of the system and their schematic arrangement are shown and described and include a high-resolution, battery-operated, portable 0.5 in. Video-tape recorder (the recording operation is remote-controllable from a TV camera with built-in viewfinder and zoom lens); an electronic digital clock which measures the time up to 1/100 parts of a second accuracy and which can be displayed on an 11 in. TV monitor equipped with a sunglass screen; an array of 8 ft long tape switches that are taped on the road in pairs, and which transmit an electrical pulse when vehicle presence is detected; a 12 V portable power source; and a control box which activates the digital clock and the traffic volume counting sub-system. The authors consider that data can be collected and recorded for any length of time ranging from one hour to a few days, given that the tape switches and power source life expectancy are not exceeded. /TRRL/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00410683
• Corporate Authors:

  Printerhall Limited

  29 Newmart Street
  London W1P 3PE,   England 
• Authors:
  • Polus, A
  • Livneh, Moshe
  • Borovsky, S
• Publication Date: 1978-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 123-125
• Serial:
  • Traffic Engineering & Control
  • Volume: 19
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Hemming Group, Limited
  • ISSN: 0041-0683
  • Serial URL: http://www.tecmagazine.com/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Clocks; Costs; Data collection; Electric batteries; Electronic equipment; Headways; Information systems; Measuring instruments; Monitoring; Motor vehicles; Portable equipment; Recording; Recording instruments; Speed; Television; Traffic congestion; Traffic counts; Traffic flow; Traffic speed; Traffic volume; Vehicle detectors; Vehicles; Videotapes
• Old TRIS Terms: Data systems; Electronic devices
• ITRD Terms: 1057: Air transport network; 6155: Apparatus (measuring); 1315: Battery; 224: Cost; 685: Headway; 6969: Recording; 5408: Speed; 6949: Television; 689: Traffic count; 671: Traffic flow
• Subject Areas: Energy; Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Vehicles and Equipment; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00189209
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 12 1979 12:00AM