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Adaptive traffic control

Adaptive traffic control aim to optimize traffic flow. Unlike statically programmed systems, they dynamically adjust to the current traffic situation. The result is an intelligent and responsive traffic management system that makes cities and communities safer, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly.

In contrast to static signal systems, adaptive traffic control relies on real-time traffic data. This data is captured by the BMA TLC and communicated via the BMC to the traffic light controller.

Typical Use Cases:

  • Optimized Traffic Flow: Signal timings are dynamically adjusted to reduce waiting times and avoid congestion.
  • Smart Prioritization: The BMA TLC enables the classification and prioritization of specific road users — for example, cyclists, pedestrians, and e-scooter riders.
  • Simplified Infrastructure Maintenance: A BMA/BMC setup can replace several traditional induction loops. With no excavation work required, both installation effort and long-term maintenance costs are significantly reduced.

Products

  • The BMA TLC V3 functions as a detector for adaptive traffic control.
  • Detects and classifies 12+1 traffic classes, including cars, trucks, buses, pedestrians, cyclists, and e-scooters. (Full list)
  • Uses Region of Interest (ROI) or Crossing Line as event triggers.
  • Potential-free contacts on the BMC can be flexibly switched based on application-specific rules.
  • The BMC acts as the communication interface between the BMA TLC and the traffic light controller.
  • Supports up to 12 potential-free contact outputs and can connect up to 4 BMAs.

Installation

Please refer to the installation instructions for each product.

Configuration

The BMA TLC must be configured in the Control Center as follows:

  1. Activate BMC as an I/O device
  2. Under “Model & Event Triggers” apply the following settings:
  3. Select Model: Traffic & Parking (Standard) (see model for details)
  4. Add Region of Interest (ROI) or Crossing Line (see event trigger documentation for details)
  5. Define rules for the ROI or Crossing Line and assign the appropriate BMC output

Example Configuration: Presence detection

In the example configuration, two ROIs were defined for presence detection at the stop bar and two more for the approach. Optionally, directed ROIs can be used to consider only vehicles traveling in the relevant direction. This prevents unwanted signaling caused by oncoming traffic.

The dry contact 4 on the BMC is switched when the ROI named “SL2” is occupied.

Example Configuration: Occlusion

In this example, oncoming traffic and vehicles at the stop line should be detected. However, a large vehicle waiting at the stop line may block the view of the ROI in the background. In such cases, the "Occlusion" ROI type can be used to treat the ROI as occupied when it is fully occluded by a vehicle.

Example Configuration: Presence Only vs. Presence and Counting

ROIs are primarily intended for presence detection. However, they can also be used to count vehicles passing through a specific area using the Presence and Counting IO rule logic. The Presence Only logic activates the output pin whenever the rule conditions are met. The output remains ON as long as at least one matching object is present inside the ROI. The Presence and Counting logic behaves similarly, but additionally generates a short counting pulse whenever a new matching object enters the ROI. Each object is counted once upon entering the ROI. This allows external systems to determine the number of detected vehicles by counting the rising edges of the output signal.

The following example illustrates the difference between the two modes. The ROI spans multiple vehicle lengths, meaning several vehicles may occupy the ROI simultaneously. Two rules are configured using the same ROI – one using Presence Only and one using Presence and Counting.

The charts below show the resulting output signals.

  • IO Pin 1 remains ON while at least one vehicle is present in the ROI.
  • IO Pin 2 behaves similarly, but briefly toggles OFF for 100 ms whenever a new vehicle enters the ROI, generating an additional rising edge.

The red numbers indicate the counted rising edges. For the Presence and Counting signal, this count corresponds to the number of vehicles passing through the ROI.