Cameras empowering smart traffic management

That’s why smart cameras are at the heart of every city, helping machines see and analyse their surroundings. For instance, they accelerate urban landscape development, especially in managing traffic.

The intersection of technology and urban infrastructure has led to the development of intelligent traffic systems, ensuring safety, optimising traffic flow, and enhancing citizen experiences.

In this blog, we will learn about the key camera features that have given rise to state-of-the-art traffic management devices. So, read on!

What is the role of cameras in traffic management?

Innovative traffic camera systems have helped redefine how cities handle their traffic challenges. Some use cases are real-time monitoring, congestion management, incident detection, and law enforcement. These systems leverage various types of cameras tailored for specific functionalities.

Cameras in traffic management systems capture real-time footage of roadways. They provide a visual feed that identifies any incidents on the roads. These cameras are strategically placed at different locations to cover various angles and sections of the road network. Through this continuous monitoring, authorities can analyse the data and take necessary actions to improve traffic conditions, enhance safety, and manage congestion.

Top camera features every smart traffic system needs

High resolution

High-resolution cameras with 4K or higher capabilities offer high image quality. This helps in detailed monitoring and analysis of traffic flow, vehicle types, etc. These cameras can seamlessly identify objects and individuals in the traffic ecosystem with pixel-rich images.

High-resolution cameras facilitate detailed monitoring of traffic congestion. This allows for better analysis and optimisation of traffic flow patterns. Optimisation of signal timing at intersections is one of the significant use cases. These cameras are used for license plate recognition, which helps identify and penalise vehicles violating traffic regulations. Additionally, high-resolution cameras are also used to track vehicle types and sizes, aiding in road load balancing. This, in turn, enhances infrastructure planning.

High Dynamic Range (HDR)

HDR camera feature ensures optimal exposure across varying light intensities. This helps retain critical details in bright and dark areas within the frame. Cameras with HDR capture multiple exposures simultaneously. Blending these together prevents underexposure or overexposure of images. Thereby, acquired images are clear and balanced, essential for accurate surveillance and analytics.

HDR cameras excel in scenarios involving tunnels or areas with contrasting light conditions. It offers clear visibility of vehicles and pedestrians in shadowed and well-lit areas. This feature is beneficial in incident detection and monitoring critical areas where lighting conditions vary significantly. They are also used for recognising subtle details in traffic signage, enhancing compliance monitoring, and ensuring adherence to traffic regulations. 

Global shutter

Global shutter cameras capture images by exposing all pixels simultaneously. This eliminates the distortion usually caused by rolling shutters when capturing fast-moving objects. It helps avoid motion blur. That is why global shutter cameras are used for the identification of vehicles, pedestrians, etc, in traffic environments where elements are constantly moving.

Global shutter technology assists in capturing stop-motion images essential for traffic simulation and predictive analytics in urban planning. These are vital for tracking fast-moving vehicles on highways, aiding in traffic flow analysis. This also helps identify potential safety hazards. HDR cameras assist in capturing accurate vehicle trajectories, which are thereby used in collision analysis and for reconstruction in accident investigations. In environments where objects are continuously in high-velocity motion, like highway roads, the global shutter feature comes off as an essential feature. 

Low-light sensitivity

Cameras with low-light sensitivity features utilise advanced sensor technologies (such as larger pixel sizes or backside-illuminated sensors) to capture clear images in extremely low-light conditions. This enables continued surveillance and monitoring during nighttime or poorly lit scenarios. Traffic management during nighttime is made possible with this camera feature.

Low-light sensitivity is essential for monitoring intersections with minimal ambient light for traffic management in cities. This strengthens situational awareness for traffic control and pedestrian safety. It is also used for civilian surveillance in urban streets during nighttime for crime prevention.