Sensors

Bus passenger counting system

Back in 1997, we developed a tough electromechanical sensing system, counting the incoming and outgoing passengers stepping on it, for Egged - Israeli largest bus operator.
Apart from complying with all relevant standards, this system was designed and tested for longevity and multiple abuse and environmental scenarios including:

• Direct sunlight exposure - reaching operational temperatures of 83 degrees Celsius.
• operation below freezing point
• millions of steps, jumps and kicks as part of the duty cycle
• Chemical, water, fire, tear and wear resistance.

The design proved to be quite interesting:

• We had to develop a specialty PU compound that is flexible enough in wide temperature range to relay pressure signals to the sensors, yet tough enough to withstand abrasion and tear stresses.
• We had to develop special production technology and tailored PU machinery to produce the final systems (products are over a meter long)
• Special simulation equipment for proving was developed - 1 million human steps over our product seemed impractical to apply, hence a mechanical stepper was developed.
• Special electro-mechanical sensors had to be developed.

This product line is currently in serial production, the oldest production-line items work over 8 years by now.