I. Inductive Loops: An Outdated Solution for Traffic Monitoring

1.1 Widespread Use and Basic Principles of Inductive Loops

Inductive loops are the most common traffic sensors, widely utilized in roads and intersections across numerous cities worldwide to detect passing vehicles. Their operating principle is relatively straightforward: one or more coils of electrical wiring are cut into the pavement where vehicle detection is needed, and the ends of these loops are connected to an amplifier circuit in the traffic controller cabinet. When a vehicle drives over the loop, it disrupts the magnetic field of the loop, reducing its inductance. This inductance drop is sensed by the amplifier circuit, which then triggers signals to the traffic controller.

1.2 Limitations of Inductive Loops

While inductive loops assist urban planners and traffic operators in understanding when and how many cars are at an intersection, they have several notable drawbacks:

‌Inability to Distinguish Between Types of Road Users‌: Inductive loops can only detect metallic objects, such as cars or trucks, and cannot detect non-motorized vehicles like pedestrians or bicycles.

‌High Installation and Maintenance Costs‌: Installing inductive loops requires digging up roads, leading to road closures. The installation process is intrusive, time-consuming, and expensive.

‌Limited Information‌: Inductive loops only provide information on the number of vehicles, offering no additional traffic data.

‌Short Lifespan‌: The lifespan of inductive loops is only 3 to 7 years.

II. The New Generation of Traffic Sensing Technology: Lidar + AI

2.1 Emerging Solutions for Traffic Data Collection

To address the shortcomings of inductive loops, new solutions for collecting traffic data have emerged, including radar, video cameras, and lidar sensors. This section will focus on comparing inductive loops with Ouster's lidar solution, BlueCity.

2.2 BlueCity: The Ideal Choice for Smart Cities

BlueCity, which combines 3D lidar sensing with AI software, represents an ideal and cost-effective solution for urban planners and engineering firms aiming to better understand and improve smart city mobility. By leveraging lidar sensors and AI-based analytics, cities can capture multimodal traffic data in real-time, enabling optimal planning outcomes. This powerful and cost-effective solution allows for the collection of traffic data, including identifying different types of road users, 24/7 regardless of lighting or weather conditions.

2.3 Advantages of BlueCity

‌Multimodal Traffic Data‌: BlueCity can capture and distinguish between various modes of transportation, including pedestrians, bicycles, and cars, in real-time.

‌Easy Installation and Maintenance‌: BlueCity's lidar sensors are easy to install and maintain, with most intersections requiring only one sensor.

‌Advanced Safety Analytics‌: Utilizing AI technology, BlueCity provides advanced safety analytics, helping to identify dangerous intersections and improve road safety.

‌Immediate Benefits‌: Users can immediately leverage BlueCity to enhance the safety and efficiency of their roadways.

III. Conclusion: Welcoming the New Era of Smart Traffic with Lidar

With the acceleration of urbanization and the ever-growing demand for transportation, inductive loops have become inadequate for modern traffic management. In contrast, lidar + AI solutions, represented by BlueCity, are emerging as leaders in the field of smart traffic due to their capabilities in capturing multimodal traffic data, ease of installation and maintenance, advanced safety analytics, and immediate benefits. Therefore, it is imperative to end the era of inductive loops and embrace the new era of smart traffic led by lidar.