Dublin high-tech cameras prepared to take on winter weather
DUBLIN, Ohio — While bracing for strong winds and the cold, city crews throughout the state are busy.
What You Need To Know
- The City of Dublin is using the latest technology for snow and ice removal
- The city has installed three high-tech cameras in the field
- The cameras monitor weather conditions from the Vue Robotics weather camera stations
- The sensors detect air and road surface temperatures, allowing crews to handle roads more efficiently
To get ahead of it, the City of Dublin is using the latest technology for snow and ice removal.
The city has installed three high-tech cameras, which are part of the "Snow Go" program. They monitor weather conditions from the Vue Robotics weather camera stations.
"The cameras have onboard sensors and that's an infrared laser,” Operation Administrator Gary Browning explained. “So, the lasers are being shot at the roadway of choice, and then they're providing back the feed."
The sensors detect air and road surface temperatures.
“We can see what the area is looking like as far as if snow is moving into the area, if roadways are beginning to cover, or if there's ice that's present," Browning said.
The cameras also gauge bridge conditions, which Browning explained is key.
"Typically, our bridges will freeze first. So, if we can see that surface temperatures are already falling on a bridge, we know that the regular roadways are going to be shortly behind that," Browning said.
Browning said it helps crews treat roads more efficiently.
"We're getting a little bit more reliable date, giving us that high-quality visualization of the area to know if we need to send a truck," Browning said.
Browning hopes to eventually expand on their high-tech snow plan. He says the city is working on tablets that can map out efficient routes in real time for snowplows.
