Description

While driving on highways, motorists should not exceed the maximum speed limit permitted for their vehicle. However, accidents keep occurring due to speed violations since the drivers tend to ignore their speedometers. This speed checker will come handy for the highway traffic police as it will not only provide a digital display in accordance with a vehicle’s speed but also sound an alarm if the vehicle exceeds the permissible speed for the highway.

The system basically comprises two laser transmitter-LDR sensor pairs, which are installed on the highway 100 metres apart, with the transmitter and the LDR sensor of each pair on the opposite sides of the road. The installation of lasers and LDRs is shown in Fig. 1. The system displays the time taken by the vehicle in crossing this 100m distance from one pair to the other with a resolution of 0.01 second, from which the speed of the vehicle can be calculated as follows:

Speed(KMPH) = Distance/Time  = 0.1km/(Reading*0.01)/3600       Or   Reading (on display) = 3600/Speed

As per the above equation, for a speed of 40 kmph the display will read 900 (or 9 seconds), and for a speed of 60 kmph the display will read 600 (or 6 seconds). Note that the LSB of the display equals 0.01 second and each succeeding digit is ten times the preceding digit. You can similarly calculate the other readings (or time).