Traffic Light Sensors

[Clive Lawrence]

#4192

It's been good, well kind of, to be sorting things out Welly for when we move up next year again.Ah yes, but I have already run into my old foe.... traffic light sensors!  >:(I know that they are set to take the weight of a vehicle and I know that some motorcycles are light....lighter than the 1150GS anyway, but I'm sure that a sensor can be calibrated to take 150 - 200kgs to be triggered. Hmmm maybe shooting it would work??This is not the first time I have struck it and at 8pm having to run a red light because the bloody sensor wont pick me up.. ok, in Christchurch there are traffic lights that still work and at least they can pick me up, so what's the go in Welly??Some of you may be thinking, I just need to eat more... but at nearly 300kgs the sensor should have worked!!!Ahhh this is making me feel better  ;D

[Anonymous]

#17359

Yup, you would reckon in this day and age the technology could be improved. People get pissed off and burst into print in Granny “Herald” about cyclists running reds, but on my daily commute only one set of lights can detect my alloy frame. Two sets can't detect my motorsickle, so in the morning, if I don't pedal, when there are few cages to work the charm for me, I run them, too.Before I stopped driving for a living, I had found many sets of lights that wouldn't detect forward control trucks: if your motor and gearbox were ahead of the wires, and diff behind them, the chassis was undetectable: invisible truck. 😛

[Dave Ross]

#17360

This should make interesting reading. http://www.wikihow.com/Trigger-Green-Traffic-Lights

[Anonymous]

#17361

Wgn City Council uses a traffic signal operating system called the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS).  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Coordinated_Adaptive_Traffic_SystemAll signals have a default equal green/red phase, but they can be programmed to cater for peak flows ie longer green in one direction.  Outside peak flows, the traffic lights 'talk' to each other, so if one set detects a bigger-than-usual packet of traffic, it'll tell the signals downrange to give a longer green.  For Wellington's central city intersections, there is a human watching each intersection on a display that would have anyone who loves stuff to do with ones and zeros almost wetting their pants in excitement.  Signals can be tweaked for out-of-the-ordinary traffic densities.  They can also be triggered for a 'green wave' to turn all the lights in one direction green for a certain period - this was done for the Toy Run from Mana to Wgn a couple of weekends ago to try and get all the bikes through intersections and keep the convoy integrity intact.The Auckland Joint Transport Operations Centre also uses SCATS to control all the signals for motorway on/offramps, with humans watching them 24/7/365.What triggers the lights to change are wire loops buried in micro trenches just prior to the intersection.  Have a look for a square shape in each lane just before the white limit line.  These induction loops detect the electromagnetic field of each vehicle, count the number of vehicles, and pass info this to the signal's whizzyelectrotrickery box to change the lights.  So it's not weight that triggers the lights  🙂 What you need to do is look out for the buried induction loop before the limit line at the intersection, and ride within it ie the middle of the lane and not the right wheel track.  Smaller bikes with not a lot of metal may not trigger the loops: I have seen devices that attach below a bike to send out a larger electromagnetic signature to trick the induction loop.Hope this helps with the stuck red light angries!And no, I can't sell anyone a device to turn the lights green at the press of a button...

[Anonymous]

#17362

This should make interesting reading. http://www.wikihow.com/Trigger-Green-Traffic-Lights

I've heard of most of those ploys: my attitude is if my unmodified vehicle doesn't get detected when I've given the wires a fair chance, I'll make my way in my time, BUGGRIT! It's not my job to apply science, I'm just a dumb motor for a pushbike.................

[Anonymous]

#17363

And no, I can't sell anyone a device to turn the lights green at the press of a button…

No worries, how about you *nudge nudge wink wink* donate one to me, and I'll make a donation to your entertainment fund  ;DI wait for a decent length of time (over a minute, which is actually quite a long time) before declaring the light faulty and apply the give way rules.Also, I'd think about reporting the traffic light to council, as usually they can adjust the loop sensitivity.

[Anonymous]

#17364

You're on, Gremlin, however the caveat is I have to get one 'donated' to me first  🙂 we'll also have to programme in some sort of remote control hierarchy or one day there will be a standoff between us at a set of lights.

[Clive Lawrence]

#17365

Thanks all,Hmmm is this a good excuse to get a bigger bike?? Will not mention this too much as I may get told to put a side car on by the wife!!

[Anonymous]

#17366

The lights are triggered by a wiring loom under the seal in each lane which creates a magnetic field.  Try and ride in the centre of the lane slowly up to the limit line when there is no other traffic about. This will usually trigger the lights unless as said above you are on an all alloy bike, or you go too close to the lane markings. The wire loop is in the centre of the lanes.  Hope that helps

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