VicRoads is trialling OptaSense technology along 40km of the Monash Freeway. It is being used to monitor traffic in real-time.

1. Monash Freeway Project 2015
wmblewett@qinetiq.com.au
www.OptaSense.com

2. Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS)
The fibre is the sensor - Real-time situational awareness via light
Achieved via the utilization of existing VicRoads
fibre optic assets - OptaSense© provides a real
time, linear sensing capability to better and
more safely manage traffic conditions.
©OptaSense Ltd 2015

3. • Speed Estimation
• Incident Detection
• Congestion Monitoring
• Journey Times
• Vehicle Counting
• Bridge and Tunnel
monitoring
• Low flow monitoring
• Fibre Break
• Personnel Intrusion
Detection
• Rock Fall
• Seismic activity
Connected to a single dedicated core on the
VicRoads Fibre Optic network, OptaSense is
deployed in less than a week to monitoring
40 km of the Monash Freeway traffic in real
time.
Time
Distance
VicRoads approached OptaSense to trial
our DAS technology and to test our
Automated Incident Detection
capability.
©OptaSense Ltd 2015
OptaSense and VicRoads

4. OptaSense Installation
OptaSense Field Rack
The OptaSense Field Rack
is connected directly to a
dark fibre on the VicRoads
network.
Installation and
Commissioning activities
completed in less than One
Week for 40km of traffic
monitoring capability.
©OptaSense Ltd 2015

5. OptaSense Installation
Geo-referencing, Mapping and User Interface
Fibre optic cable is located by
a work crew via GPS and
matched to the optical
distance on the fibre.
Safe to Install and Operate
• No roadside infrastructure
• Minimal installation requirements for work crews on
carriageways
• Maintenance activities required on rack mounted
equipment only
VicRoads Freeway
Condition Thresholds
loaded into OptaSense.
Settings updated
remotely as the system
evolves.
©OptaSense Ltd 2015

6. Verification & Validation
VicRoads
STREAMS Data
OptaSense
VicRoads
Ground Sensors
OptaSense
Data feed to
User Interface
©OptaSense Ltd 2015

7. Verification & Validation
Slow traffic approaching Eastlink - Outbound Emergency incident (behind VMS) Warrigal
Rd inbound resulting in congestion
©OptaSense Ltd 2015

8. Graphical User Interface
Travel times
Congestion / Queue
50 m Section Speeds
Journey times
Vehicle Counting
Replay Functionality
Personnel & Environmental Alerts
©OptaSense Ltd 2015

9. Innovative, Efficient and Safe
Peak
Off Peak
• Dual use of
fibre
• Minimal
infrastructure
• Small
fraction of
full,
traditional
system cost
OptaSense
• Significant
infrastructure:
power,
comms,
multiple
installation
sites etc.
• Extensive
civil costs
• Major
Outages
Traditional
• No power
replenishment
• MTBF >7
years
• No moving
parts
• No hardware
adjustments
• No people at
risk
OptaSense
• Battery
replacement
• Equipment
failure
• Camera lens
replacement
• Hardware
adjustments
• People at risk
Traditional
CAPITAL COSTS OPERATIONAL COSTS
©OptaSense Ltd 2015

10. Find out more about OptaSense at
www.OptaSense.com
Contact William Blewett at
wmblewett@qinetiq.com.au for
information on this project.
©OptaSense Ltd 2015