A two-point vehicle classification system

The counting and classification of vehicles is an important part of transportation engineering. In the past twenty years many automated systems have been developed to accomplish that labor-intensive task. Unfortunately most of those systems are characterized by inaccurate detection systems and/or classification method's which result in many classification errors, thus limiting the accuracy of the system.

This report describes the development of a new vehicle classification program, originally designed for use in the Two-Point-Time-Ratio method of vehicle classification, which could greatly improve the accuracy of automated classification systems. The program utilizes data provided by either vehicle detection sensors, or the program user, to determine the velocity, number of axles, and axle spacings of a passing vehicle. It then matches the axle numbers and spacings with one of forty-one possible vehicle classifications and prints the vehicle class, speed, and wheelbase lengths. It also tabulates and prints totals and average speeds for each vehicle type.

This report then describes a roadside experiment conducted to test the accuracy of the program, and the results of that experiment, which show the program classifications to be highly accurate. The report then describes the options available within the program, and provides instructions and an example on the use of the program. Possible future expansions of the system are also cited.