The Range Tracker System is a unique method to determine
highway no-passing zones. The system utilizes two vehicles, a lead
vehicle equipped with a specially modified NiteStar DMI (Distance
Measuring Instrument), a RF modem, and telemetry, and a second vehicle
with a NiteStar DMI, a modem and a laptop computer to log events.
The Range Tracker System works by having two vehicles travel
simultaneously. The lead vehicle continuously transmits its road travel
distance to the following vehicle, and the difference between the two
values is the separation distance between the two vehicles. This
difference is monitored and logged on the following vehicle's laptop.
Passing and no-passing zones are mapped out by recording the distances
where the lead vehicle drops out of sight and then reappears.
The in and out visibility of a target on the leading vehicle
is recorded to determine if a no-passing zone is required. The driver
in the trailing vehicle can adjust the vehicle separation by
controlling his speed. In addition, data may be entered pertaining to
physical landmarks and items such as intersections, school zones,
bridges and more. This analysis allows accurate establishment of
no-passing zones for paint striping plans and detailed inventory of
highway physical features.
The Range Tracker System consists of:
- A Laptop Data Collection Unit
- 2 Radio Frequency Modules
- 2 NiteStar DMIs
- 2 Power Distribution Modules
- Telemetry & Specialized Software
- 2 Magnetic Mount Antennas
- 2 Vehicle Sensor Kits
- Portable Printer
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