Vigilant on behalf of science

7. June 2023

Video Guard supports research project on the Panormastrasse

Numerous traffic accidents occur every year. The risk of death is particularly high for motorcyclists. Against this background, additional safety measures should be taken, especially on roads that are popular with bikers. This also includes the panoramic road near Düren between Vossenack and Schmidt. In order to minimize the risk of accidents, a traffic trial is being launched here to test the effectiveness of elliptical markings on the road. In addition to recognizing the course of the bend in good time, braking also reduces noise pollution. Video analysis is used in the research project – the latter is mounted on a camera tower. Video Guard is a system that not only enables precise alignment of the research camera, but also protects the technology used against theft and vandalism.

The panoramic road between Schmidt and Vossenack in the northern Eifel is a former hill climb route and popular with motorcyclists. However, the route is often driven far too fast – with sometimes serious consequences. Increased noise pollution is not the only problem; many accidents end fatally here. In order to increase the safety of bikers, an innovative traffic trial with special elliptical markings is now starting. They are designed to help increase awareness and recognize the course of the curve in good time.

From May onwards, road traffic was initially observed without markings. After three weeks, elliptical markings on the road warn drivers and indicate the course of the route. The video analytics used, which is mounted on a camera tower, is now observing the traffic situation here again for three weeks. This is because the effectiveness of the markings is to be researched in more detail. The “Video Guard” camera system plays a decisive role in the successful implementation of the research project. The tower fulfills two functions at once: Firstly, the video camera for monitoring traffic is installed here. On the other hand, the integrated cameras protect against theft and vandalism. In this way, the system secures itself and ensures that the data material can be collected without gaps. The traffic test is thus carried out under optimum conditions. The high-performance cameras of the Video Guard towers secure the site without blind spots and with a long range – day and night. In addition, the Video Guard surveillance system is individually adapted to the specific requirements of the area of application. The technology ensures reliable functionality even in the event of unforeseeable events such as a power failure. This is ensured by specially developed emergency power concepts such as battery buffering and high-performance batteries, which provide the necessary protection even in exceptional situations. The high quality of the video images and the adaptability of the system contribute to the smooth data acquisition of this exciting research project.

Video Guard in Bremen's Überseestadt district
Before the road markings are installed, the traffic flow is recorded in order to obtain comparative values.