There is growing interest in the use of four-quadrant gate systems at railroad grade crossings to prevent motorists from driving around gate arms that block only the entrance lanes to crossings. The introduction of four-quadrant gate systems that block both the entrance and exit of traffic lanes across railroad tracks (see Figure 1) has resulted in the investigation of technologies to provide information regarding highway vehicles within the crossing area when these systems become activated by approaching trains. Such systems could detect vehicles on the tracks to time activation of the exit gate to avoid trapping vehicles between the gates.
The objective of this project was to determine the feasibility of using a millimeter-wave (MMW) radar system to detect highway vehicles within grade crossings. The sensor system would be designed to provide a standard interface with four-quadrant control systems for intrusion detection and sequencing the activation of the exit gates.
WaveBand Corporation has developed a novel scanning MMW radar antenna system (See HSR-1). This system has the potential for use in detecting intrusions in grade crossing areas for automated sequencing of multiple gate arms such as four-quadrant gate systems. The system uses a spinning grating antenna. The narrow-beam scanning antenna provides the spatial resolution required for obstacle detection at railroad crossings. Since the system operates in the MMW frequency band, it should be able to detect objects in adverse weather conditions. The objective was a product that can interface with four-quadrant gate controllers to provide data on vehicle presence in the crossing necessary to sequence gate operation.
The final report for this IDEA project can be found at:
