Aldis, Inc. was created from the vision and passion of technology entrepreneurs James Sherrill and Bill Malkes. Both believed that bringing vision and logic technology to an intersection made many things possible, not the least of which included safety and efficiency. Born in 2006, Aldis develops, commercializes and sells patent-pending, efficient traffic and energy management technology and services to municipal partners.
The GridSmart product line is a significant advance in intelligent traffic management. Using an ultra wide angle lens with a horizon-to-horizon view in concert withh proprietary software, GridSmart utilizes advanced vision processing science and the ability to apply logic to what is seen in the intersection and for several hundred feet in all directions around the intersection.
GridSmart combines real-time, single-camera traffic intersection technology with an attractive price point, minimal maintenance and rapid installation. GridSmart maximizes traffic flow by calculating the amount, types and speed of traffic locally, at the intersection level, and adjusting signals accordingly. In contrast to most traditional traffic management solutions, GridSmart can be applied to a single intersection, or utilized in a coordinated system.
In order to achieve this remarkable level of functionality, we have partnered with ORNL’s Image Science and Machine Vision Group. From this collaboration, we have developed image stabilization of GridSmart’s video capture to solve the problem of camera movement caused by wind. Even in high winds, our vision stabilization minimizes camera movement, resulting in a crisp image no matter the conditions.
When fully deployed, Aldis’ program will save approximately 180 million pounds of carbon emissions annually. The Texas Transportation Institute has estimated that in 2003, traffic congestion nationwide costs the economy over $65 billion per year; a figure that has more than doubled since 1993. The National Traffic Signal Report Card released by the National Transportation Operations Coalition in 2005 (National Traffic Signal Report Card) estimates that if all the signals in the United States were properly timed, national travel would be reduced 25% and fuel consumption would fall by 10% or 17 billion gallons a year. This time and energy savings adds up to a reduction in harmful emission (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds) by 22%.