Image Sensing Systems’ Autoscope Technology to See Expanded Implementation in Atlanta, Georgia
Contact:
William L. Russell, Chairman & CEO
Image Sensing Systems, Inc., Phone: 651.603.7700
Saint Paul, Minn., October 12, 1999 - Image Sensing Systems, Inc. (ISS) (Nasdaq SmallCap: ISNS) announced today that its Autoscope® 2004 system was selected for expanded implementation within NAVIGATOR, Georgia's intelligent transportation systems expansion to its Interstate 285 and 85 highway infrastructure serving the Atlanta area.
ISS' Autoscope systems are already being used in Atlanta, having first been installed for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. The current project will see a significant expansion of that use. Image Sensing System's North American distributor and strategic partner, Econolite Control Products, Inc., was selected for the expansion project by M.E. Hunter and Associates of Atlanta, Georgia, through a co-operative effort with Econolite's distributor, Traffic Products, Inc.
The areas included in the project will require 31 Autoscope 2004 systems with 236 image sensors covering about 34 miles of the I-85/I-285 highways. The project includes the development and enhancement of the existing Autoscope Scopeserver interface with the existing NAVIGATOR system. Within that system, the Autoscope Scopeserver will communicate with the video detection systems (VDS) processors simultaneously, processing and collecting traffic data, and send that data to NAVIGATOR applications for display and analysis.
NAVIGATOR, is designed to gather information from a variety of sources: a video monitoring and detection system, Highway Emergency Response Operators (HEROs) and the public. NAVIGATOR processes the information using Geographic Information Systems software, then formulates an appropriate response plan. The response plan is reviewed before being implemented by NAVIGATOR and communicated to the public. This allows the public to make informed choices about their transportation options.
The high level of inter-agency integration sets Georgia's system apart from other transportation management networks around the country. NAVIGATOR links the Transportation Management Center (TMC) to the Transportation Control Centers (TCCs) of five surrounding counties (Cobb, Gwinnett, Clayton, Fulton and Dekalb), the City of Atlanta, and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), creating an intelligent transportation network spanning more than 220 freeway miles.
These satellite facilities manage surface-street-monitoring cameras and traffic signals within their jurisdictions. This broad system allows local, regional, state and federal officials to communicate more effectively, and in turn, manage Georgia's transportation system more efficiently.
The Autoscope® Video Detection System (VDS), provides real-time images of road conditions and serves as an incident verification tool. Operators at the TMC are able to verify incidents quickly and efficiently, reducing response time, speeding up removal of incidents and minimizing congestion. Monitoring and detection cameras are installed on Interstates 75 and 85 and include 67 pan, zoom and tilt full-color TV cameras. More than 300 fixed black-and-white cameras are used to gather information on average speed, traffic volume and vehicle classification and incident response and clearance times. These additional Autoscope video detection systems on I-285 and I85 will vastly increase NAVIGATOR's area of coverage.
Image Sensing Systems' Autoscope® wide area video vehicle detection system collects a broad range of traffic data including volume, speed, roadway occupancy, headways, ramp queue lengths and vehicle classification. ISS has more than 2,800 Autoscope systems installed in 30 countries around the world, including a large number of U.S. sites.
Based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Image Sensing Systems, Inc. is the world leader in products applying video imaging technology for implementation in advanced traffic management systems (ATMS), freeway incident detection and traffic data collection to help reduce traffic congestion and improve roadway planning. The Company's cornerstone Autoscope products provide traffic managers the means to reduce roadway congestion, improve roadway planning and increase cost efficiencies. The Company is particularly suited to provide technical solutions to the emerging ITS market worldwide.
Statements regarding the Company's anticipated performance for 1999 are forward-looking and therefore involve risk and uncertainties, including but not limited to: the ability and willingness of governmental agencies responsible for roadway planning to invest in Autoscope machine vision technology for advanced traffic management, the impact of new products introduced by competitors, higher than expected expenses to establish a worldwide marketing presence and the ability of the Company's North American manufacturing and distribution partner, Econolite Control Products, Inc., to adequately manufacture and effectively market the Autoscope system and to pay royalties owed the Company for sales of the Autoscope system.
