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

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Solar roads such as Colas’s Wattway could be the right way
    May 10, 2016
    Peter Harrop, chairman of independent research and consultancy IDTechEx, considers arguments in favour of solar roads. Nowadays a major trend is the move to off-grid clean energy created by “energy harvesting” to produce electricity where it is needed. This is more controllable and increasingly at lower cost than grid power or diesel gensets, cleaner and often less subject to interruption. It is taking new forms as revealed in the IDTechEx Research report, “High Power Energy Harvesting 2016-2026”.
    Read More
  • Speed limiters will limit fatalities, says the TRL
    July 29, 2019
    The soon-to-be mandatory speed limiters on vehicles in the European Union will make all safety other features more efficient, according the UK-based Transport Research Laboratory. In March the European Parliament passed a law that safety features such as intelligent speed assistance and advanced emergency-braking system must be installed in new vehicles from May 2022. They form part of the EU’s new suite of safety measures. TRL, which provided input for the European Commission regarding the formulatio
    Read More
  • Surecam keeps Peoplesafe in the UK
    October 2, 2023
    Ringway Jacobs, a UK highway services provider, adopted the video-enabled lone worker protection service from Peoplesafe and Surecam earlier this year for its lone workers and maintenance teams including those doing walked visual inspections of footways and highways.
    Read More
  • Safety on Asia’s Highways: Brimming with Innovation reports IRF Washington office
    June 11, 2019
    While efforts to improve road safety on the Asian continent are finally starting to pay off, the challenge to reduce fatalities remains immense. According to the Asian Development Bank, 60% of the annual 1.2 million fatal traffic injuries take place on Asia’s road network. Many of the contributing factors to this epidemic such as deficient infrastructure, outdated standards, and poor enforcement can be addressed with proper political leadership, well trained agency staff, and knowledge resources. However,
    Read More

Highlighted Content