City of Moreton Bay to trial object detection and AI for traffic flow

City of Moreton Bay in Queensland is set to trial camera and LiDAR technology at intersections to improve traffic flow on its road network.

The council will deploy "advanced vehicle detection sensor technology", together with “an AI-powered traffic signal control system” at a single intersection in Petrie, which is about 25km north of the Brisbane CBD.

The pilot is billed as an “Australian first”, using AI to make decisions about how to sequence traffic signals, based on actual dynamic traffic movements.

Additionally, the council will collect data on types of road users that can be used to predict and optimise traffic flows.

A City of Moreton Bay spokesperson told iTnews that the technology is already used in parts of Europe, and had “surfaced” in Singapore, New Zealand and Qatar.

“Over the past 18 months, council has invested significant effort in understanding the technology, building internal capability, and engaging closely with industry partners to prepare for deployment,” the spokesperson said.

The pilot location will be fitted with four cameras and two LiDAR sensors for traffic management.

The sensors will be mounted to existing traffic signal poles, while the existing traffic signal controller at the intersection will be replaced with what council called “next-gen traffic signal hardware.”

“The camera will identify objects and feed this back to the controller, before the controller and AI technology determines the most optimal sequencing based on the detection and systems algorithm,” the spokesperson told iTnews.

The existing in-ground loop detectors at the intersection, which are embedded in the road surface and used for vehicle detection, will also continue to be used, but it’s not clear whether that’s as a point of comparison or as a source of data to augment what is collected by the new object detection system.

Mayor Peter Flannery said in a statement that the technology would mean “that higher traffic flows of vehicles including public transport can be prioritised dynamically throughout the day.”

“There is the potential to substantially reduce the time motorists spend unnecessarily sitting at red lights, which is often constrained by legacy traffic control methods, and this can be extremely frustrating especially when there are no cars in sight,” he said.

“Plus, for the first time, traffic signals can be adjusted by individual movements using advanced traffic detection sensors so congestion can be better managed including when vehicles flood our local road network.”

The pilot will initially run on one intersection - of Moreton Parade and Paper Avenue in Petrie - from later this year, for a period of 12 months.

“Council will then deploy the technology to more complex sites, before developing a business case for the city’s rollout [of the technology],” the spokesperson told iTnews.

“It is anticipated that the pilot will conclude in early 2029.”