India develops intelligent road monitoring system to reduce accidents caused by sharp turns or blind turns

According to foreign media reports, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi campus have developed an intelligent road monitoring system that can help reduce manual intervention in traffic management and prevent traffic accidents when drivers make sharp turns or turn in blind spots.

Traffic diagram (Photo credit: Tashi Tobgyal)

The research team has recently been awarded a patent for this innovation, and the innovative system uses micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology and can be used for speed detection, vehicle counting, improving traffic control and road usage.

KV Uday, assistant professor at IIT Mandi School of Engineering, said: “With the surge in traffic, manual interfaces have become a challenge to control and prevent road accidents and traffic management, especially in hilly terrains. Traffic police intervention, convex mirrors installed on streets and other technologies are helpful in some cases, but traffic becomes difficult to manage in harsh and extreme conditions such as rain, snow, fog and a lot of sharp turns.”

Dr. Uday explained that the system consists of two layers of detection units, one on each side of the curve, and two signal units that alert the driver. As the vehicle passes through two consecutive layers of detection units, the sensor system detects the speed, direction, and type of vehicle (two-wheel, four-wheel, or multi-wheel). The detected direction information confirms whether the vehicle is heading in the direction of the curve, and the corresponding signal (light, sound, or obstacle) is displayed on the other side to alert the driver of the approaching vehicle. If the vehicle is leaving the curve, no signal is displayed.

Such signals are determined by the speed, direction, slope and type of vehicle. At the prototype stage, the system cost less than Rs 20,000, excluding the alarm unit for each bend. However, the researchers are currently working on commercializing the system, hoping to reduce the overall cost by reducing the operating and maintenance costs and making the system self-powered using other energy sources such as solar energy.

Dr. Uday said: “This technology not only reduces the risk of accidents at sharp turns, but also helps reduce manual intervention in traffic counting and traffic management, and helps in decision making. The system can also be used for vehicle counting, and the upgraded version can also detect the load of vehicles. By using artificial intelligence counting and machine learning tools, such data is also used to enhance traffic management, improve road usage, and improve traffic flow in single-lane tunnels and restricted areas. After collecting enough data, it can also generate information such as traffic congestion prediction, traffic increase and traffic diversion alerts.”

The research team said that although the system is a mechanical system, it can work in any weather, including rain, snow, fog or other conditions with low visibility, and the data is encrypted and only shared with appropriate stakeholders. "Although existing technologies are effective, their effectiveness is affected in adverse weather conditions, which is where our system is powerful," the researchers said.