December the 20th, 2024 – Yet more innovation in the form of RFID tags is set to grace Croatian motorways. Here’s what they’re all about.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, RFID tags will be placed on 23,585 traffic signs along Croatian motorways in order to quickly determine whether a particular road sign is damaged or is missing. This is the current plan revealed by Hrvatske ceste (Croatian roads). The company that will establish the RFID tag system is currently being sought, and when they find it, it will have one year to place the RFID tags on Croatian motorways. They’ll also need to establish the entire system of “smart signs”, according to a report from Večernji list.
The idea is very simple in its essence; RFID tags are more sophisticated bar codes that can be read remotely and very quickly. That is the key point for Hrvatske ceste because they want to collect data from traffic signs while the vehicles are on the road. This can be done at a speed of 50 kilometres per hour and from a distance of 12 metres. The desire behind the move is to reduce the overall costs of inspecting traffic signs and the general condition of the roads. According to estimates, the “smart signs” system will cost them 760,000 euros excluding VAT.
“The equipment required for the system of automatic recognition of traffic signs using RFID tags includes three vehicles. They’ll have a built-in device for automatic distance measurement, a GPS device for location and continuous monitoring, and be equipped with light signals to warn road users about measurements or testing or ongoing works. All vehicles must be equipped with appropriate RFID readers. In addition, they’ll require antennas for reading RFID tags, a portable EPC code reader and the mobile app, as well as computers with the associated apps for reading RFID tags on traffic signs,” stated Hrvatske ceste.
The winner of the tender will also have to develop an app for the interactive review of data collected in the field for the regular maintenance of the new RFID tags. This app will enable the display of information graphically and in tables, as well as the automatic generation of reports.
