| Raytec's Fusion IR illuminators have been deployed by Vaisala at its first roadside monitoring station |
The unit's batteries are charged during daylight hours by a combination of solar and wind energy and remain topped up after dark from wind energy alone, sufficiently enough to allow regular snapshots after dark. The unit is equipped with two low-consumption, zero-maintenance Fusion illuminators, giving its two cameras clear views of the surrounding area, up to a range of 150 metres.
"More of our clients are asking for cameras in out-of-the-way locations where it would be too expensive to have a mains power supply," says Gerry Sharp, Vaisala's Field Service Specialist. "Using Raytec energy-efficient lighting we are now confident that we can deliver increasingly effective video solutions using just solar and wind energy."
The ground-breaking weather station, which is being used to monitor roadside conditions on the A83, is programmed to capture a snapshot every 10 minutes 24/7 and send the image and associated weather station data to a server at the Vaisala office in Birmingham. It is then made available to the client through a Web Interface.
"The fact that it can capture and relay still images entirely without mains power provides proof of concept", says Gerry Sharp, and will pave the way for further installations.
Vaisala is the UK's market leader in installing and maintaining roadside weather monitoring. The groundbreaking new unit incorporating Fusion Infra-Red is monitoring a stretch of road that has previously suffered from land-slides. Raytec's Fusion Infra-Red units were chosen for this application not only because they use very little energy and require zero maintenance, but because they feature a direct DC power feed and in-built photocell, with no need for a specialist power supply unit.
"We've been working with Raytec for a while now and are very confident in the quality of their technology," adds Gerry Sharp.