Smooth traffic thanks to ground sensors - from Zurich Grand Central Station to Dubai

Mr. Tomes, many cities struggle with traffic jams and congestion. What are the reasons for this?

The reasons can be very diverse. Aside from commuter and recreational traffic on main roads, a large part of urban traffic stems from the search for parking spaces. We are talking about 30 to 40 percent of "search traffic." Since many cities have started to reduce the number of parking spaces, it's even more crucial that existing spaces can be used efficiently. Free parking spaces should be targeted directly without negatively affecting other traffic. To achieve this, city and traffic planners especially need real-time data, and this is where LTS AG can assist: Our smart ground sensors pave the way for intelligent traffic and parking space management.

How do the sensors help in reducing traffic?

The sensors are installed on streets, at traffic lights, in parking spaces, or on the ceilings of parking garages. They are modular, energy self-sufficient, and unlike similar measurement systems with induction loops or parking guidance systems, they can be installed within just 30 minutes via core drilling. This requires no road closures or digging, no cabling, and the installation and maintenance costs are significantly lower than for older systems.

Once operational, the sensors provide real-time information about the occupancy and utilization of the respective location through the connected gateway. The collected data is gathered and processed in the cloud, supporting drivers in route choice or parking search, and enabling traffic planners to implement targeted measures for traffic optimization, such as corresponding signage or references to less busy roads or parking zones.

The applications for the sensors extend much further: In the spirit of the "Internet of Things" (IOT), once available, the data can be used for various purposes, from real-time information about the occupancy of a car wash to the use of charging stations for electric vehicles to scientific analyses for traffic flow optimization.

In which cities or countries are LTS AG's sensors already in use?

In Switzerland, the Museum Street in Zurich right next to the main train station is certainly the most well-known site. There, the sensors are used for traffic counting and flow analysis. Other larger projects are ongoing in Bülach, where we are matching data from existing induction loops with those from our sensors, or in St. Gallen, where the sensors are used for parking management.

We also frequently receive inquiries from abroad, for example, from Germany, Estonia, or the United Arab Emirates. Each country and city has its own unique needs and reasons for being interested in the sensors. In discussions with Estonia, for instance, we notice that the "Smart City" concept is particularly prominent.