Macedonian smart speed bumps, stationed at two locations in Skopje, have been proven to reduce pollution by up to 90%!
Safer traffic, respect for the allowed speed of movement and less air pollution, are the effects of the two smart speed bumps, who are stationed at two locations in Skopje. For several years, the company Smartbumps has been developing innovative technology that “punishes” only vehicles that exceed the speed limit, unlike the classic speed bumps, which are an obstacle for all passing vehicles. The innovation of Smartbumps is that they “read” the speed of the vehicle, which if it drives at the allowed speed goes on a flat road, but if it moves faster, the smart speed bump rises from the asphalt and the effect is the same as in the classic obstacles.
In this way, smart technology ensures that traffic is not slowed down, but only safer and large amounts of fuel are saved. This reduces the percentage of exhaust gases in the air, which is very important, especially for cities like Skopje, which have serious problems with air pollution.
The two smart speed bumps have been actively working on the streets “Vera Ciriviri Trena” and “Orce Nikolov” in Skopje for several months.
The first benefit of them, says Viktor Nastev, one of the creators of this innovative technology, is that in the past few months the unnecessary harassment of more than one million vehicles, which were moving within the allowed speed, which if there were classic obstacles, was avoided. they would have to brake and stop to cross them. This also avoids emissions of about 14 tonnes of CO2 into the air at each of these locations.
“Our measurements by the smart speed bumps are very positive. The traffic is slow and the number of vehicles that exceed the speed at the first location is only 3%, and at the second is 8% of the vehicles, because at the first location most of the vehicles are residents and pass every day, so they have learned the bump, and at the second location there are plenty of vehicles passing there for the first time, so they ignore the signs. However, it is much more important that the vehicles that exceed the limit do not drive as fast as before, ie almost all drive below 50 kilometers per hour, and the limit is 30 kilometers per hour, “explains Nastev.
Many studies around the world have shown that installing calming devices such as speed bumps reduces the number of road accident victims by more than 50%. Due to the fact that drivers who respect the speed limit go through a flat road, smart speed bumps are even more effective than traditional ones, because more drivers respect the speed limit. However, the main advantage of a smart speed bump is that traffic safety is achieved without the negative effects on environmental pollution. On the contrary, it is over 90 percent smaller, mostly in the vicinity of schools and kindergartens, where this type of obstacles are most often placed.
THE MAIN ADVANTAGE OF THE SMART SPEED BUMP IS THAT TRAFFIC SAFETY IS ACHIEVED WITHOUT NEGATIVE EFFECTS
“The realization of this principle of work of speed bumps is complex, but I can say that I am proud of our team with which we managed to make a quality and robust product that is completely our technology. In the latest products, we have developed a new generation of speed bumps, in which we have included all the experiences from the work of the first prototypes that we placed on the street in real conditions. “In the meantime, our innovation has been recognized at several international innovation fairs, where we have received several awards, including the silver medal at the Taiwan Innotech Expo in Taiwan, which is one of the most important innovation fairs in the world,” Nastev said.
He explains that the team behind the innovative technology is constantly working on improvements to the mechanical part, the sensors and the software. The smart speed bump, in addition to regulating the traffic, also counts all the vehicles, keeps a record of when exactly the vehicle passed, at what speed and whether the speed bumps was activated. Thus, the innovative technology gives a good picture of what is happening on the roads where the smart device is placed and what are its effects. Nastev says that, although the team plans to further develop the product, it has been in a mature phase for a long time, ie it is ready for sale and exploitation.
“We are preparing for the production of an initial series, we have negotiations with several investors, but we still do not have concrete activities. So far, we have excellent cooperation and support from the Fund for Innovation and Technological Development. We have partners in Europe and the Middle East, and there is a lot of interest from the United States. “Due to the situation with the pandemic, things have slowed down a bit, several fairs where we were supposed to present our technology were canceled, but in the last few weeks we have increased activities again,” explains Nastev.