A busy Luton junction is now even safer for all road users thanks to the introduction of AGD’s innovative AI detector.
The AGD650 – manufactured by AGD Systems – has been introduced on the Austin Road and Bishopscote Road intersection, around two miles from the centre of the town.
Commercial Engineer Dean Jarvis explained that the local authority was seeking advice on an ‘all red’ application for the junction. Under an “All Red Extension” every traffic signal will remain on red when there is a traffic build-up within the middle of the intersection, preventing further vehicles from entering the junction until it is clear, significantly improving safety and maintaining traffic flow.
He added: “It was important for us to conduct a detailed detection test at our production facility in Cheltenham to be able to demonstrate that the entire junction’s detection needs could be served by a single unit. Following this, we met with local authority representatives virtually to scope out the local street lighting and potential mount sites for the detector, as well as discussing the ultimate ambition for the site and to share our proposed solution.
“Following installation, the team visited the site to ensure the AGD650 was covering the whole area needed – which we did by using the dual-zone feature of the detector, as well as masking some areas to reduce unwanted activation. We also provided client training to ensure the best possible results going forward.”
While onsite, Dean offered the client some requested advice on nearby AGD detection and commented that: “This presented the opportunity to visit a second site where the AGD650 would be suitable and to adjust an existing AGD318 radar installation nearby ensuring optimal performance.”
Chris Green, Traffic Signal Team Leader at Luton Borough Council, added:
“AGD provided clear and concise information that allowed me to confidently use the AGD650 for this application. The support and knowledge provided by Dean was second to none and he took the time to discuss different scenarios, explained his thoughts on each and ultimately assisted me to find the right setup, enabling the unit to be deployed successfully.”
With this new understanding, Chris was keen to add: “I have a number of ideas on where we can use the flexibility of the AGD650 moving forward and look forward to making further use of its unrivalled functionality.
The AGD650 went into full production earlier in 2023 following successful trials involving local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales. The dual zone stop-line detector provides ultra-reliable results using in-built artificial intelligence to provide data on moving and stationary targets.
Sophisticated algorithms are utilised as part of the neural processing AI platform, allowing for deep learning image recognition and successful implementation across a variety of different intersections, with two independent zones which can easily be adjusted by the user.