In recent years, traffic police customers begin to pay attention to enhancing the right-of-way of pedestrians and fulfilling the concept of people oriented. Between the road sections where the wave directions of the vehicle flow and the pedestrian crossing flow are different, the signal control timing sometimes considers more for the passing time of motor vehicles with neglecting the right-of-way of pedestrians or no people cross the intersection during green lights. Most of them adopt the way of periodic control. A lot of green light time is lost and the passage efficiency is also affected. In this condition, illegal crossing of pedestrians and traffic accidents are easy to happen.           

The pedestrians and the vehicles conflict between urban road sections. The pedestrians run the red lights frequently. At the same time, the passage efficiency of pedestrian crossing is very low. Directing at the above traffic pain points, the traffic patrol detachment of Enshi propose special traffic control to improve the traffic. Based on the demand, Ulit discusses the current situation of the problems, proposes the corresponding solutions and has developed the product of integrated intelligent zebra crossing system.

Integrated Intelligent Zebra Crossing System

The integrated intelligent zebra crossing system adopts the structure of aluminium profile quadrate cylinder and galvanized round steel. It combines the vehicle traffic lights, the pedestrian traffic lights, the countdown timers, the LED information screens, the pedestrian detection equipments, the voice prompters and the control hosts together to form a sturdy, durable, anticorrosive, waterproof and dustproof integrated intelligent zebra crossing system.  

The appearance of the product is simple and elegant. It can meet the functions of a signal controller and play the roles of reminding information and improving the image of the city at the same time. It applies to the center intersections of a city.   

Working Principles

The motor vehicle light keeps green and the pedestrian light keeps red when the system doesn’t detect any demand of pedestrian crossing.

While detecting demands of pedestrian crossing, the system will take the passage efficiency of motor vehicles and the security of crossing pedestrians into consideration to realize pedestrian release in a storage type. When there are more pedestrians waiting for crossing, the waiting time will be less.  When there is few pedestrians waiting for crossing, more passing time will be given to the motor vehicles. Pedestrian release will be given when the quantity of waiting pedestrians reaches a certain number. However, if the waiting time exceeds the maximum patience time, the pedestrian green light will still be released even if there are only a few pedestrians.        

What is noteworthy is that the traffic light won’t be switched forcibly. There is some transient time for switching green lights of pedestrians and vehicles. At the same time, it can balance the green wave coordination operation of the upstream intersection and the downstream intersection.

Innovation Points

Firstly, it can detect the pedestrians automatically and accurately.  The system uses intelligent video algorithm to identify the people quantity in the waiting area, automatically detecting and collecting the data of waiting people quantity and the data of waiting time. The more abundant data provides better data base for the business application.    

Secondly, the built-in simplified signal controller adjusts the traffic lights self-adaptively. The system adjusts the timing plan based on the dynamic condition of  waiting people quantity to realize pedestrian release in a storage type in which when there are more people waiting for the traffic light the waiting time will be less. Even if there is no any pedestrian there is no waste of green pedestrian traffic light. The system can cope with the wave characteristic of pedestrian flow.

Thirdly, the pedestrian passage efficiency is most optimal. The system can realize self-adaptive control according to real-time variable pedestrian flow. Giving flexible release time to vehicles and pedestrians can maximize the whole efficiency of pedestrian crossing facilities. On the basis of enhancing the right-of-way of pedestrians, it weakens the negative influence to the passage efficiency of motor vehicles as far as possible.    

Fourthly, integral multiple extension. Several systems integrate in modularization with simple integral design. It can expand the function of capturing the pedestrians running a red light to increase the rate of pedestrians obeying the rules; The ground bricks facility of sidewalk can be extended and the pedestrian prompt can also be enhanced.

User Evaluation

At present, the system has been applied to several roads in Enshi of Hubei province. It adopts the release plan of inductive method that the camera detects the pedestrians. It is very technological. The project is easy and convenient to carry out. It can be widely applied to school roads, important urban roads and the roads where the vehicles and pedestrians conflict obviously.

Ulit has received some evaluation to this system after use from the policemen of Enshi:

Integration of the lights, the screen and the controller and novel and unique appearance have enhanced the image of the city.

Little member bar, little foundation and little destroy make little influence to the municipal roads and the surroundings.  

Full intelligent detection and release satisfy the passing demands of vehicles and pedestrians;

Our original intentions of developing the integrated intelligent zebra crossing system is as the followings:

How to weaken the negative influence to the passage efficiency of motor vehicles on the basis of enhancing the right-of-way of pedestrians;

Dynamically distribute the right-of-way of pedestrians and motor vehicles in a more intelligent and reasonable way;

Enhance traffic security and efficiency at the same time;

Realize the maximization of vehicle and pedestrian passage efficiency of pedestrian crossing facilities while ensuring the security of pedestrians;