Safetech, a company that manufactures, sells, and rents traffic equipment, has installed the high-performance weather loT sensor "Soratena," one of the services provided by Weathernews, Inc. Weathernews, Inc.
We interviewed the SEFTEC SIREDO Division to find out how Soratena is being used for their services.
We want to increase the value of using "LED indicators" in weather observation.
Our LED indicators are mainly used by expressway management companies that perform maintenance on expressways in their respective areas, such as Nexco Maintenance Kanto Co.
Traffic sensors that detect the position and speed of vehicles are used to automatically display traffic congestion and other notices for drivers on the LED indicators, but weather information, such as snow and ice countermeasures, has been difficult to automate, which has been a challenge.
It was then that we read about Soratena in a newspaper article and thought it could be linked to our LED displays.
Michihiro Suzuki - san, General Manager of the Siredo Business Department, explains the motivation behind the introduction of Soratena. Fundamentally, we wanted to "increase the value of using LED indicators" with an eye to the future of roads.
In other countries, systems that install sensors on road surfaces to monitor snow accumulation, icing, rainfall, and other conditions have advanced considerably. In Japan, NEXCO East Japan is developing an initiative to automate highway maintenance called Smart Maintenance Highway, which includes monitoring highway infrastructure and automating on-site work using ICT (Information and Communication Technology).
In order to improve the condition of Japan's roads in the future, highway management companies will need systems that can understand weather information and provide it to drivers in an efficient manner, as well as systems that make highways more manageable. I think Soratena will be useful in promoting such smart expressways."
Since expressway driving is greatly affected by weather conditions such as snow accumulation, freezing, and heavy rain, weather information is essential for safe and proper management of expressways, and Suzuki - san thought that if LED indicators had the added value of "being able to collect weather observation data as well," it would be sufficient to help manage expressways safely.
Easy to install and easy to start observing as soon as the power is turned on.
Soratena is also attractive for its ease of use, according to Hiroshi Honda san, who is in charge of the Niigata region of the CIREDO Division.
Installation is very easy, and observation starts as soon as the power is turned on," says Hiroshi Honda san, who is in charge of the Niigata region of the CIREDO Division. This ease of use was one of the deciding factors in our decision to install Soratena. One of our customers, Nexco Maintenance Niigata Corporation, which is actually using the system, said, "It is very convenient to be able to easily attach the observation device to a temporary LED display unit.
Also, we can check the observation data immediately on the web using a smartphone or PC, which is very helpful in explaining to our customers.
Smartening up snow and ice control and alerting drivers
How are Soratena equipped with LED indicators actually used? We are currently at the stage of installing Soratena on a trial basis and having the highway management company check the observation data. In the future, we would like to increase the number of installations and have the collected observation data used for snow and ice control during the winter.
Until now, weather information on the road and surrounding area was collected at the management office from patrol vehicles patrolling the site, and this information was used to make decisions such as when to operate snowplows and spray anti-freeze agents, but by using Soratena, which can be easily installed, observation data can be collected more efficiently.
In addition, many areas in Tohoku and Niigata are surrounded by mountains, and the weather can change drastically just by being 1 km away. The more observation equipment that can be installed, the more accurate the data that can be collected. In this sense, Soratena is very useful for snow and ice control on expressways.
Furthermore, Kazuei Yatake - san, Deputy General Manager of the CIREDO Division and in charge of the Tohoku region, looks ahead to the future automation of display switching based on weather data, as follows.
The weather information displayed on LED indicators has not been mechanized to a great extent, but by utilizing Soratena, we can alert drivers more efficiently. If we accumulate weather observation data for each region, we can use the data in the future to automatically reflect warnings such as 'Caution for slipping' and 'Caution for strong winds' on LED indicators. Collecting weather data will also help prevent traffic accidents before they happen.
Can also be used to prevent heat stroke at construction sites and construction sites.
LED indicators are mainly used during the winter season, but the company is considering using them throughout the four seasons in the future. Soratena can also be used for countermeasures against guerrilla downpours and typhoons. In these days of frequent abnormal weather, it is important to collect as much weather observation data as possible throughout the four seasons in order to protect the safety of expressways.
He adds, "I think the system can also be used as a countermeasure against heat stroke at construction sites and construction sites. We are thinking of using Soratena not only for expressways, but also for other applications, such as LED indicators that can issue warnings such as "Beware of heat stroke" (Takahiro Tozu - san, Manager of the Siredo Division).
Safetec aims to contribute to the safety of expressways and construction sites while utilizing weather observation equipment and other devices.
