Ngauranga Gorge
Overview
Example of stationary vehicle incident (Europe)
Video image of VMS2 (click to enlarge)
The Ngauranga ATMS is a sophisticated electronic system, controlled by computer stations.
The computer stations operate a network of:
- variable message signs;
- variable mandatory speed signs;
- pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras;
- fixed cameras (including automatic video incident detection and traffic flow monitoring for the Ngauranga Gorge, and smoke detection for the Mt Victoria and Terrace Tunnels);
- weather monitoring stations.
Sophisticated computer software (named Odyssey) co-ordinates the network.
The Ngauranga ATMS includes a video detection system and alarm manager that automatically alerts the operator when an incident has occurred. Traditionally these systems require human operators to scan banks of video screens to detect incidents.
The software automatically detects traffic incidents (for example stationary vehicles) triggering an incident alarm and initiating an appropriate response strategy.
The advantage of this system is the need for only one video screen to monitor the entire coverage area. The detection system raises the alarm and automatically connects with the appropriate video camera in order to display the relevant video image. This means immediate identification of incidents enabling faster, more accurate responses.
Previously emergency services had no access to reliable information on the nature, location and seriousness of incidents in the Ngauranga Gorge until a response unit arrived at the scene. Access to reliable information can now be provided over the entire detection area via up-to-the-minute video images.
