Rain or snow: Vilnius AI thermal sensors count the traffic flow

The city administration recently installed the latest-generation traffic control systems at 11 intersections

The Vilnius municipal website announced that the traffic authorities have installed a new generation sensor system at 11 local intersections, in order to improve the counting and analysis of traffic flow and more specifically of cycling traffic.

The new system is equipped both with thermal imaging capabilities and artificial intelligence so they can recognize passing cyclists and distinguish them from pedestrians, motorcycles or cars. What’s more, this system works regardless of the atmospheric conditions outside.

These sensors are able to work independently of environmental factors, so they are effective both during the day and at night, when it is raining or during a blizzard. Their integrated thermal cameras capture the heat emitted by road users, and artificial intelligence algorithms analyze the obtained thermographic images, so they can accurately recognize and distinguish various road users," says Adam Dainoravičius, traffic organization engineer.

Data-driven solutions to optimize cycling habits in Vilnius

The traffic engineer also explained why capturing this data on cyclists’ behaviour is important for the urban authorities.

This will help us to count the number of cyclists even faster and more efficiently, taking into account the specific time, traffic and weather conditions. Later, these data will be stored in our databases, will be analyzed, compared and used to explain the travel habits of Vilnius residents, the possibilities of development and improvement of the bicycle path network in the relevant parts of the city," he added.

Adam Dainoravičius works for JUDU, which is a company responsible for organizing public transport services, parking infrastructure in Vilnius and promoting sustainable ways of travelling.

It ensures the smooth organization of city traffic and, together with the Vilnius City Municipality, implements innovative solutions that create a walkable city.