Free-Flow: Discover the revolution in toll technologies
Date Published
Open Road Tolling, commonly called free-flow tolling or Open Toll Highway (OTR), is fundamentally based on the automatic detection of each vehicle without it needing to slow down to pass through the toll. It is a technology designed to optimize time and reduce congestion on highways, leading to systemic reductions in time spent on the road and, consequently, in the emission of gases into the atmosphere.
In Brazil, the logistics chain of road transport is fundamental to the economic flow: according to the September 2024 Bulletin of the National Confederation of Transport, about 64% of cargo in the country is moved by road. On free-flow highways, gantries are usually used at the ends of the distances to identify the exact location of each vehicle: reading at the entrance and exit ensures greater traffic control.
There are multiple advantages for the user who uses free-flow: for the end user, it is a guarantee that they will only pay for what they have driven, since the toll takes into account the distance traveled; in addition, there is no need to slow down or stop for the reading to be carried out, which saves time for the user and alleviates potential congestion; without these congestions, the risk of collisions near bottlenecks that are a consequence of manual toll collection is also reduced.
For toll operators, the advantages are also significant: although it requires a backend system for data processing, it saves in other areas, such as the construction and maintenance of booths; hiring employees for customer service. But the biggest advantage lies in the possible integration and data capture to analytically understand everything that can be done to improve such a system.
For end users, the system is simple: just equip an RFID transponder that will be read at the time of tolling by an antenna connected to a reader. However, for an optimized solution, it is essential to consider a high-performance reader that is weather-resistant and has powerful ways of communicating with the toll system that will effectively process the reading data.
ACURA EDGE-60R and EDGE-70R RFID Readers
Deploying a system like Free-Flow demands fast and accurate vehicle reading, especially when tracking conditions are subject to traffic and weather variations. With the EDGE-60R and EDGE-70R readers from Acura, part of HID, it is possible to read up to 750 tags per second, while communicating securely via Ethernet for data integration and reception. Regarding weather, both readers offer IP66 protection, making them ideal for installation in outdoor environments.
When it comes to development, the EDGE-60R and EDGE-70R feature the M6e Micro module and come with an SDK that supports C#, .NET, Java, and C. In addition, there are sample source codes and a demo that facilitates the development process. With Acura readers, capturing data in a robust, powerful way and with easy access to development tools is no longer just an idea.
The EDGE-60R and EDGE-70R are the ultimate readers for the Free-Flow Toll System.
