A remote sensing technology analyses the exhaust gases of up to 1,000 vehicles per hour in Madrid. The system uses infrared and ultraviolet light and reads the license plate to associate each measurement with a specific car.
Madrid has tested a remote sensing emissions system that allows for measuring the gases emitted by a vehicle while it is moving, without the need to stop it. The technology, known as Remote Sensing Device (RSD), projects a beam of infrared and ultraviolet light that crosses the roadway. When the car passes, the exhaust gases cross that beam and absorb certain wavelengths. By analysing that absorption, the system calculates the concentration of pollutants in just moments.
According to negocios.com, the equipment deployed in previous projects in the capital has managed to collect information from up to 1,000 vehicles per hour. In addition to emissions, the system records the speed and acceleration of the vehicle at the time of measurement, two parameters that influence the amount of gases emitted.
A camera photographs the license plate when the car passes through the measurement point. This allows each reading to be associated with a specific vehicle and, afterwards, to cross-check the data with administrative records to determine its age or type of fuel. In seconds, the system obtains several pieces of information: a car, a license plate, a speed, an acceleration, and a measurement of its actual emissions.
The difference with the environmental label is that it classifies the vehicle according to its emissions regulations, but does not reflect what it emits after years of driving. A car may have a malfunction or poor maintenance in its anti-pollution systems and emit more gases than expected. Remote sensing directly measures what comes out of the exhaust pipe, without relying on administrative classification.
The operation is reminiscent of a moving MOT: there is no need to take the car to a station or place a probe in the exhaust. The vehicle simply passes through the measurement point. Drivers travelling through Madrid may encounter cameras and sensors alongside the road without it resulting in a speeding fine.
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