Sharjah academic develops smartphone system to warn motorists of fog

A fog warning system has been developed to notify drivers ahead of time about areas with low visibility. It will also act as a guide, suggesting alternative routes.

Dr Oualid Ben Ali, Assistant Professor and Head of the MIS Department at the University Of Sharjah, has developed an early warning system for fog detection. Antonie Robertson/The National

ABU DHABI // A system that sends warning signals to motorists' mobile phones as they approach areas with heavy fog has been developed by a UAE academic.

The system – the brainchild of Dr Oualid Ben Ali, an assistant professor at the University of Sharjah – detects the presence of fog, and provides drivers and the authorities with early and real-time warnings of fog hazards, and instructs drivers to reduce their vehicle’s speed.

Fog detection, fog density data collection and analysis, and driver fog notification comprise its three main components.

“Fog-warning systems in other countries rely on sensors that have fixed positions to notify drivers,” said Dr Ben Ali, the head of the university’s management information systems department. “The fog sensors are static and are expensive as a solution.”

Dr Ben Ali is also the co-author of Real-Time Fog Warning System for the Abu Dhabi Emirate, a research study that was part of a two-year project sponsored by the Traffic and Patrols Directorate.

The research aims to reduce the high number of road collisions that tend to occur when heavy fog descends on the capital.

In 2008, a major pile-up of more than 200 cars on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai motorway killed four people and injured hundreds in what was later called Fog Tuesday.

There were no weather sensors installed on roads, no real-time traffic information from a control centre or advance-warning road signs, said transport expert Glenn Havinoviski last year.

Dr Ben Ali said his proposed system was an “original, flexible, inexpensive and efficient solution” that not only warned drivers about areas with heavy fog but also suggested alternative routes.

"We did not replicate any of the existing systems," he said. "We've come up with one that utilises sensors as well as advanced mobile and smartphone technologies to detect fog in any location of the coverage area."

The real-time warnings could also be displayed on message boards installed along motorways, he said.

Patrol officers approaching the boundary of a fog-affected area are able to send signals to the data servers while at the boundary point.

They only have to tap a screen icon on a smartphone that is programmed to send data through a 3G data network.

“The technique can cover any zone in Abu Dhabi and is not restricted by the location of sensors,” said Dr Ben Ali.

The fog server collects real-time data from one or more sources, which are analysed to accurately determine areas with heavy fog on the capital’s geographic information systems (GIS).

Drivers could use their smartphones to act as fog detectors to warn others about poor visibility conditions, said Dr Ben Ali. “The technology is there. Socially responsible drivers can save the lives of other drivers,” he added.

Drivers must have their mobile phones switched on at all times. The phones should be programmed so that their GIS location is trackable and is able to identify and interpret warning signals.

In the UAE, 80 per cent of the population have smartphones – one of the highest penetration rates in the world – and 4G mobile broadband access is widely available.

When the boundaries of fog-affected areas are determined, they will be sent to the servers of telecoms operators, which will then transmit warning signals to all drivers approaching an area with poor visibility.

“The proposed system makes use of sensors, drivers and the patrol officers,” Dr Ben Ali said.

“It can also easily be configured to warn drivers about floods, rain, sandstorms and other adverse weather conditions.”

Two programmers were hired to implement Dr Ben Ali’s proposed warning system and the first prototype is being developed. “It is now up to the Abu Dhabi Police if they wish to implement it,” he said.

During an FNC session this month, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, the Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister, said "smart towers" fitted with sensors would be installed on major roads and they would be able to display messages reminding motorists to slow down in heavy fog.