On-street trials of AGD Systems’ latest intelligent radar detection system, the ‘318’ are now underway in the UK, Taiwan, South Africa, Turkey and Qatar. The system was developed for the detection and monitoring of vehicles in single lanes or highways environments. The new cutting-edge, above-ground, intelligent radar detector has been designed and developed to meet the increasingly complex demands of the ITS sector and is one of AGD’s most advanced systems to date.
Taking the learning from earlier successful generations of AGD’s innovative, award-winning radar detection technology, the ‘318’ gives customers new functions to accurately detect moving vehicles at specific positions from the radar. Unlike traditional Doppler radars, which have no range measurement capability, the ‘318’ can measure the range to a target as well as simultaneously measure its speed and direction in applications such as: traffic monitoring in a multi-lane highway environment; wrong-way detection on entry/exit slip roads; all-red clearance detection at junctions and dedicated filter lane detection.
Designed in response to market demand for accurate strategic detection, the new radar is equipped with an intuitive, Bluetooth enabled graphical user interface allowing users to configure and set customised, reliable detection positions specified as ranges up to 150 metres from the radar. Road authorities and agencies can determine the speed of vehicle targets they are interested in from 10kph to 250kph and the direction of travel.
The new ‘318’ radar is available in two formats: the first is a stand-alone version with up to two switched opto detection outputs which can be independently configured by the user interface and the second is a dynamic RS422 ‘communications’ version for use in host systems in which up to 10 multiple targets can be detected simultaneously and all event data is passed quickly and in real time to the host system.
Pete Hutchinson, managing director of AGD Systems, said: "Vehicle speed measurement accuracy is absolutely crucial to our customers and partners alike. The ‘318’ offers a unique and distinct offering to the market. Firstly, during manufacture, it has its range measurement capability calibrated against a true range target simulation on our Hyperion testing equipment. This ensures that a range reading of 80 metres given by the radar is truly 80 metres to the target in the real on-street application.
"Secondly, the radar has been specially designed so that the range measurement is independent from its environmental operating conditions. When the ambient temperature varies over the specified temperature range of -20 to +60 degrees centigrade, the radar range measurement remains accurate, unlike some radars on the market which are known to vary by as much as 12% over this temperature range.
"We are proud of our latest innovative addition to our new generation of intelligent radar detection systems and are delighted that live, on-street trials of the 318 are now fully underway. We work closely with our customers to understand their requirements and aim to continuously develop new, improved, innovative solutions that offer the market effective, reliable, cutting-edge features, premium performance and ultimate overall flexibility."