To help minimise this problem, Austria’s Joanneum Research is installing its Akut AI-based intelligent microphones in 33 tunnels – mainly in Europe – with a further 22 on its order books.
The problem with existing tunnel warning systems, said Dr Franz Graf, head of Joanneum’s research department, is that they often only detect the after-effects of a crash or incident – traffic starting to queue, or the appearance of smoke, for example.
Even if only a minute elapses before controllers sound the alarm, perhaps 100 more vehicles have entered the tunnel, especially if it is in a busy urban environment.
The Akut microphones can detect and classify multiple types of anomalous sounds, such as crashes, tyre bursts or squeals, slamming doors or vehicle horns. The microphones do this in less than one second, immediately triggering an alarm in the traffic control centre. The system can also bring up the view from the nearest available tunnel camera on to the controller’s screen.
“Within one second, the operator can see what’s happening and decide what to do,” said Graf. “The first measure is probably to switch all the lights to red” to stop more vehicles from entering the incident area.
Stand 05.151
