Transportation Surveillance

image of Automated monitoring of critical transportation infrastructure assets.

Automated monitoring of critical transportation infrastructure assets detects a vehicle that has stopped. Click image for video.

 
image of images viewed by the BIMS dispatcher that help direct appropriate assistance.

Images viewed by the BIMS dispatcher help direct appropriate assistance.

 
image: Watercraft can be detected in nighttime infrared images.

Watercraft can be detected in nighttime infrared images.

 
image: Anomalous material is detected under a vehicle.

Anomalous material is detected under a vehicle.

To enhance transportation safety and aid homeland security efforts, the scientists and engineers in the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Department at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) have been actively engaged in the deployment and integration of ITS surveillance technologies.

image of Transportation Flyer Click image to open flyer.

Current Transportation Surveillance Technologies

  • Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV)—Closed-circuit television provides the traffic images that are obtained from cameras mounted on freeways and surface streets. Traffic management center operators use CCTV camera control to detect incidents and monitor traffic conditions.
  • Bus Incident Monitoring System (BIMS)—BIMS provides a bus dispatcher with the ability to locate a distress call, remotely view the incident, direct appropriate assistance to the scene, and accelerate response time.

Applications Using Current Surveillance Technologies

  • Automated Monitoring of Critical Transportation Infrastructure Assets—Applies adaptive image processing to signals from a variety of imaging sensors including CCTV, infrared, and image intensifiers. The surveillance software is capable of detecting anomalous events for bridges, overpasses, tunnels, major freeway corridors, mass transit hubs, and waterways.
  • Automated Under-Vehicle Surveillance—Inspects undercarriages of vehicles and detects materials that should not be under vehicles, to prevent prohibited materials from being transported into or out of a facility.

Additional Information about Surveillance

Related Terminology

transportation surveillance  •  transportation safety  •  bus incident monitoring system •  BIMS  •  automated under-vehicle surveillance  •  traffic cameras  •  closed-circuit monitoring  


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Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®), headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a multidisciplinary, independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization with 11 technical divisions.
07/13/12