TRMI, ATS become Idris classification licensees

Diamond Consulting Services are adding to their stable of licensees for Idris, the leading system for detecting and classifying vehicles in open road tolliing. They've announced that TRMI of Accord New York is now licensed to support Idris.

American Traffic Solutions (ATS) of Scottsdale Arizona is also becoming an Idris support agent.

Other system integrators licensed for Idris are:

ACS State & Local Solutions
CS (Conservacion y Sistemas, Grupo FCC)
ETCC
Nortech International
OSI Laserscan
Peek
Transtoll

Idris, based in England was the first to use signal processing algorithms to interpret data from arrays of electromagnetic loops laid in a shallow sawcut in the pavement. Dynamic mapping of the electromagnetic field of vehicles passing overhead allows axles to be counted and towed vehicles to be distinguished from closely following vehicles with considerable accuracy at speeds at which traditional treadles or weight sensors are said to lose accuracy.

Since most US toll system classify vehicles by axle count and open road tolling has become common Idris installations are widely distributed. The only competing system with similar loop type sensors that we know of is United Toll Systems IVIS (Intelligent Vehicle Identification System).

These systems also detect vehicles entering the toll area, triggering transponder readers and cameras. They can also be used to track vehicles through the tolling zone integrating the data from RF and video equipment - so the vehicle with the transponder account is tolled and the vehicle without is photographed etc.

Competition comes from overhead laser and video profiling equipment which can characterize the shape and volume of vehicles. They are preferred when the basis of classification is vehicle size - as on Toronto's 407ETR and in the various truck tolling regimes in Europe - but efforts to use other technologies to count axles have not been successful.

In the US with axle-based vehicle class tables the 'smart loops' are king of the open road.

http://www.idris-technology.com

http://www.unitedtoll.com/ivis.html

TOLLROADSnews 2008-10-08