Colas’s Yellow Project warns highway teams of collision risk

Colas’s Yellow Project has been developed with Aximum Electronic Products - a Colas Group Company - and software experts Foxstream. The system uses thermal imaging and video analytics to detect and classify approaching vehicles into “threat categories”. It identifies those that pose the greatest collision risk with a highway works vehicle or nearby workers. The thermal camera is mounted at height on the rear of a works or emergency vehicle and performs in both dark conditions and full sunlight. It does not

November 7, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

Project Yellow uses a rear-mounted thermal imaging camera

184 Colas’s Yellow Project has been developed with 164 Aximum Electronic Products - a Colas Group Company - and software experts Foxstream. The system uses thermal imaging and video analytics to detect and classify approaching vehicles into “threat categories”. It identifies those that pose the greatest collision risk with a highway works vehicle or nearby workers.

The thermal camera is mounted at height on the rear of a works or emergency vehicle and performs in both dark conditions and full sunlight. It does not suffer from false alarms caused by pixel shifting, as can occur with an optical camera analytic system, particularly at night. When a vehicle that poses a collision risk is detected by the analytics system, an audible and visual warning is sounded and additional or amended vehicle lighting can be initiated.

In addition, a wireless alarm is provided for workers undertaking works on foot away from their vehicle to ensure they are immediately aware of a high-collision risk scenario.

The system is equipped with a GPS and Internet of Things connectivity solution for real-time monitoring of the vehicle’s position and for directly uploading data to the Datex II traffic data interface. This allows satellite navigation manufacturers to use this information to warn road users of the location of the workforce. Highways workers can select a “detection area” to mirror the road geometry and lane width when they arrive on site. This ensures that the system is used on an infinite range of curves and elevation changes while preventing false alarms.

Highway & Network Management

The era of workzone data

Portable work zone messaging is now integral - not an add-on - when it comes to safety on large-scale highway projects. Andrew Williams* reports. Portable work zone ITS solutions have emerged in recent years as important flexible tools for managing major roadwork projects, from new-build to upgrades. They effectively ensure traffic disruption is kept to a minimum and lives can be saved. As such, the technology forms a central component of a major €1.7 billion project in the southern English county of Cambr