LoRa-Based Traffic Flow Detection for Smart-Road

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 21; no. 2; p. 338
• Main Authors: Asiain, David, Antolín, Diego
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI 06-01-2021; MDPI AG
• Subjects: highway signaling; LoRa; LoRaWAN; Smart-Road; traffic flow; highway signaling; LoRa; LoRaWAN; traffic flow; SmartRoad
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s21020338

This paper presents a wireless traffic flow detection system, mainly focused on conditions in which the traffic flow is slow or stopped, which increases the risk of highway accidents. To achieve this goal, a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) based on LoRa called Short LoRa has been developed. This LoRa sub-network complies with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) harmonized standard for its compatibility in Europe countries. In addition, the development of the devices has allowed them to also work on a LoRaWAN network. The introduced development has been compared to a reference system mounted with laser barriers that provided a high accurate comparison. Field tests of the system have been carried out and the data obtained in the measurement has been analyzed with two different methods, and both of them were valid for the application. The results can determine vehicle speed with adequate precision at low speeds. The attenuating behavior of the communication signal is also analyzed through the Radio Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). The relationship between vehicle speed, gate distances and RSSI attenuation has been studied. The system is proven to have efficient results in detecting traffic flow under the conditions for which it has been developed.