Murata’s LiDAR based system provides data to traffic monitoring service

In April, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. will begin a service in Indonesia that will provide data from a traffic counter system mapping traffic volume via local service providers.

 
Sensor unit measuring road status in Indonesia 

The system developed by Murata uses LiDAR technology¹ which has superior environmental adaptability compared to cameras, for its main sensor in order to adapt to changing analytical conditions, such as rain or darkness. With high-precision sensing, the system can reliably generate not only traffic volume data, but also traffic data that classifies vehicle-type information, such as passenger cars and large vehicles. This enables strategic advertising tailored to the desired time frame and vehicle-type data, for example, by displaying ads for specific products for B2B targets during commuting hours. By mapping regional traffic volumes, the system is also expected to see increased use as reference data for city planning, such as for the construction of shopping malls in locations with significant traffic levels.

The data provision service based on this system will start in Indonesia and later expand to the ASEAN region including Thailand and Malaysia.

The president of Murata Manufacturing, Norio Nakajima, issued the following statement.
“As a comprehensive electronic components maker, Murata Manufacturing since its founding has created products to support our customers who work in communications. As the digital transformation² continues globally, we are striving to not only provide electronic components and devices as before, but also to develop new digital business, including the provision of sensing data that will contribute to concrete solutions. We are working on boosting the digital information infrastructure in Southeast Asia with this new system and will contribute to the development of data visualization and digital transformation in countries around the world.”

Characteristics of the Traffic Counter System

- Uses LiDAR technology with high positioning performance as its sensor unit. Conducts stable measurements even under conditions such as rain and darkness, simultaneously capturing targets’ movement speed and volume, and classifying vehicles on the road.
- In addition to predicting rain based on CO2 and atmospheric pressure sensors, digitizes environmental data of the roads.
- Provides predictive rain data in pre-determined areas by analyzing environmental information.
- Customizable sensor functions responsive to client needs based on housing design that ensures extensibility.
- Creates a mesh network at a low cost.
- Can be implemented into existing infrastructure such as streetlights and pedestrian bridges.
- Provides analytical data via a dedicated cloud server.
- Gathers road traffic and environmental data captured with installed sensors provides real-time data and data processed via original algorithms, on a dedicated cloud server.

For details, please watch this video about the traffic counter system.

^{1) Technology that measures the distance to a target by shining a laser on it and capturing the reflected laser light with an optical unit.
2) The transformation of society and people’s lives for the better through the spread of information technology}

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