Hardware Device

About the Device

The brain of the TrafficCOM is built on the Arduino UNO, a popular microcontroller platform. It is housed in a transparent plastic case and uses 25 feet of durable tubing to sense the presense of bikes and automobiles that roll over the tube. A 9V battery powers the device, and a USB cable is used for connecting it to your computer. Use the Data Uploader utility to seamlessly view, map, and share your traffic count results with others.


Usage Overview

1) Place the TrafficCOM device at the curb or at the edge of the sidewalk, out of the way of pedestrian traffic.

2) Extend the air tube across the lane(s) of traffic that you desire to measure. Use duct tape to secure the far end of the air tube to the pavement. Tape the strip at several points if possible.

3) Open the end cap and toggle the Mode Switch between Automobiles or Bicycles, depending on what you are counting. Connect the 9V battery and replace the end cap. The battery can be unplugged to stop the count and internal timer. Once plugged back in, the unit will start counting time from where it left off.

4) Count traffic!

5) Connect TrafficCOM to a computer to view and upload the results using the two-step Data Uploader Utility on the TrafficCOM website. Important note: at this time, the TrafficCOM uploader only supports Mac computers running Firefox or Safari web browsers.



Get more specifics on how to use TrafficCOM on the Setup page.

How to Upload the Data

1) Connect the TrafficCOM device to your computer using the included USB cable. Navigate to the Data Uploader Utility on the TrafficCOM website. Click 'Connect'.

2) The stored data is retrieved from the device. Fillout a short Context Report and User Report, then click 'Submit'.

3) Your traffic count data is mapped and instantly available to the world on TrafficCOM.org. Reset your device for its next use.