Teconer Mobile Road Condition Measurement Sensors

Teconer develops, manufactures and markets environmental sensors, as well as provides consulting and to optimise de-icing agents to an acceptable level of friction.

Teconer has more than 30 years of experience in state-of-the-art sensor and optical measurement technology.

Road surface condition monitoring systems

The Teconer RCM411 road condition monitoring system is intended for remote, optical measuring of road surface condition, friction, water layer thickness and surface temperature continuously in a mobile vehicle.

RCM411 is a model-based friction meter. The measurement system detects the presence and amount of ice and / or water on a road surface. From these measurements, the built-in model determines the coefficient of friction, which corresponds to the friction between the road surface and the vehicle’s tyres. The model is developed using braking deceleration measurements as a reference, with output data updated approximately once per second.

The analysed road surface state is reported as dry, moist, wet, slush, ice or snow with water, icy or frost.

Independent, comprehensive system tests indicate that the accuracy of the friction reading measured as a standard deviation of the difference to an absolute physical friction meter is on the order of 0.10. This accuracy is adequate for winter maintenance purposes.

Bluetooth-enabled data communication capabilities

A Bluetooth modem communicates the data message from the sensor to the display running RCM Mobile application. Android devices are used as display units in the vehicle.

Data collected by the RCM Mobile application in the Android device is communicated to one or two servers for storing and display. Communication is performed by a mobile or wireless local area network (WLAN) connection. If there is no communication connection available, data is only sent once a valid connection is established. Data is also stored in the phone memory.

Road condition data reports

The data from the system is available in the vehicle on the Android phone or tablet. An example of the user interface of the RCM mobile application is shown in the attached screenshot.

A web-based Mobile Road Condition Map interface is available, where data from several sensors can be viewed.

Data is displayed on the map interface as colour-coded lines with options to show road condition, friction, water layer thickness or surface temperature. An icy road state is divided into three different categories according to the grip. By clicking any point of the drive on the map the measurement data are shown. Below the map section, gathered data is displayed in a graphical form.

Photographs can be taken with the Android device in the vehicle manually, at preselected intervals and at preselected locations. Where photographs have been taken, an icon appears on the map to click to view the photo.

Road condition system installation and calibration

The system is easy-to-install, commission and reinstall. The sensor body (optics) is recommended to be installed at a height of less than 1m. Different options for installation exist, with the most typical in personal vehicles being mounting to a trailer hitch ball.

Optical measurements are factory calibrated over a dry and clean road surface. For possible recalibration, a simple calibration tool is available for the calibration at site.

The sensor features a solid state design, and has no moving or wearing parts, which reduces the need for maintenance. Only the optical window may require occasional cleaning.

Surface sensors for measuring road temperatures

The RTS411 road surface temperature sensor can be used as a part of the road condition monitoring system or as a standalone unit. For the latter, the sensor is easily attached to any location on the vehicle by magnets.

The data is collected by an in-vehicle Android device and transmitted to the server for display on the online Mobile Road Condition Map or to a local server. A photographic option is also available.

Teconer has launched the dew point temperature measurement sensor RTD411SA at the end of 2017 as a ready-to-install package similar to the road surface temperature monitoring solution. It will help users assess the likelihood of frost forming on the roads.