United Technology Platform «ElecTraCop» (Electronic Traffic Cop)
developed by scientific and technical holding VZGLYAD^® (Tula, Russia)

The technical means of the United Technological Platform for ITS “ElecTraCop” are based on a unique and innovative technology, which has no counterparts in the world. The technology is protected by patents in Russia and 30 countries worldwide, incl. The European Union, the USA, Australia, Singapore, Japan, etc.

The technology in question is multifunctional and is able to solve practically all issues related to Intellectual Transport Systems (ITS), including monitoring of abiding by traffic regulations in the city or on highways, using a single package of technical means incorporated into the United Technological Platform (UTP).

The platform’s technical basis comprises radio-frequency identification (RFID) elements and means, which are already known and widely used. At the same time, the patented technology and algorithms, as well as the way RFID is applied to solve transport issues, are innovative. UTP “ElecTraCop” is different from conventional technical means (namely, video surveillance and analytics) used in systems for monitoring and control, because it is substantially cheaper to implement and use, since it solves almost all ITS-related issues using a single package of means, and it is also highly reliable and effective, simple to maintain. It has a united technical policy and unified technical solutions. Technical means and methods the system uses for traffic monitoring and control, unlike image-based license plate recognition, remains fully effective even in limited visibility (rain, sleet, snowfall), dense traffic flow, at any time of the day and in any weather conditions.

The platform’s patented adaptive algorithms for control and monitoring are simple and autonomous, and they do not require a lot of computing resources and broadband communication channels. Existing communication systems provide for unlimited expansion of the platform’s technical means regardless of the territory to be covered and its national ownership.

The technical means of UTP “ElecTraCop” are used in the systems for automated traffic control and monitoring. One of the main characteristic features is that the platform integrates a plurality of subsystems, such as dynamic weighting of freight transport with automatic road toll collection; management of parking lots in the road network, gated parking lots and individual parking spaces with automatic payment collection and drivers’ notification about free places; navigation services providing drivers with alternative routes, which are different not only in travel time and distance, but also in travel costs; road network demand control by means of real-time non-stop payment collection for using the roads, including specialized lanes, depending on actual distance traveled, vehicle mass and traffic intensity; access control for restricted areas; automated collection of road and insurance tolls, taxes and fines (e.g. for illegal parking); statistics collection and processing; transport information and supplementary subsystems.

Automatic remote driver identification and control over concordance between license plates and registered vehicles will make it impossible to illegally replace the plate or intentionally distort numbers and letters on it. Reliable automatic identification of electronic state-issued license plates with no human operator involvement and with exact positioning of vehicles (up to 1m accuracy) provides for total vehicle monitoring regardless of number of vehicles. It also helps to find uninsured vehicles. Since all penalties for traffic regulation violations (e.g. illegal parking) are unavoidable, the system will make drivers more conscientious and will help to eliminate traffic jams in narrow passages.

Effective vehicle movement control reduces chances of a vehicle to be illegally used in crimes and terrorist attacks. Field services will be notified about the emergency and will be given the route of the illegally used vehicle in real time. Coupled with the function of remote engine shutdown, this will help to detain the perpetrator quickly and with no danger for ordinary people.

The system, when implemented, will provide actual statistical data on traffic flows to assist the analysis of actual traffic situation in the road network in order to give grounds for managerial decisions concerning traffic organization and implementation of city-building infrastructure projects.

Given the actual and pressing traffic issues (jams and gridlocks, organization and management of parking lots, priority for specialized transport, incl. ambulances, etc.), UTP “ElecTraCop” will become an effective instrument as part of traffic management methods within the intellectual transport system of a megalopolis. Among others, it will provide priorities for specialized transport and benefits for individual and freight vehicles with paid passes. All system components are mounted within the city limits, but are hidden, do not affect the architectural outlook of the city and are safe for people.

A demo model of UTP “ElecTracCop” is currently installed in Tula (Russia) on the crossing of Sofya Perovskaya street and Gogolevskaya street in order to demonstrate advantages of the present technical solution.