LED Technology… Then, Now and Tomorrow.

LEDs or Light Emitting Diodes were first designed and built in the 1920s but were impractical for commercial use until 1962. Basically, when the diode inside of an LED is switched on the electrons are able to recombine and release energy in the form of a very bright light; this is called electroluminescence. The color of the light emitted is determined by the energy gap of the semiconductor in the LED. Early LEDs were only available in the color red but modern ones are available in any color across the visible spectrum, plus the ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths.

LEDs present many advantages over other light sources because they consume much less energy, they produce more light per watt than traditional lighting like incandescent bulbs, they have a much longer lifespan, they light up very quickly, they are brighter in intensity, they need no filters to emit specific colors as traditional bulb lighting does, they are not nearly as fragile as bulb lights are, and they are very small in size. LEDs also have very long life spans if they are kept in operation at low currents and low temperatures; most will last anywhere from 25,000 to 100,000 hours each.

LEDs have very few disadvantages but they do initially cost a bit more than conventional lights, they require a lower temperature environment to operate properly, and they are more sensitive to current/voltage fluctuations which therefore will need to be a bit more precise when utilizing LEDs.



LEDs can be used in many applications in many different industries, they are also a very environmentally friendly option because of their small size, low power usage and because they are completely non-toxic. They can replace traditional lighting like fluorescent bulbs; they are more practical for appliances such as televisions, radios, calculators and watches. Companies now make super-bright flashlights with LEDs. Since the LED is completely sealed they are perfect for outdoor signage since the elements will not affect their operation so they are now used for highway signs, construction, advertisements and they are even now being used to replace and upgrade traffic lights for better visibility.

Recently there have been some amazing advancements in LED technology… there has been talk that LEDs will be used for new strip-style lights to replace fluorescent bulbs in office environments that will also have the capability to interact directly with your computer providing your connection to the internet. No wires, no fuss.

WTI utilizes high-technology enhanced power LEDs in all of our infrared camera systems, like the Ambervision series for example. For more information check out the product page at http://www.gotowti.com/Products_Ambervision.htm or to view our entire line of solutions please visit http://www.gotowti.com.


~The WTI Team



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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

www.gotowti.com ● www.wirelesstech.com

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Intelligent Transportation Systems

Did you know that cars pollute the most while sitting idle at intersections waiting for the light to change?



Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) refers to all of the efforts made to the transportation infrastructure. This includes systems that monitor traffic to control the street signals, internal and car-to-car communications, car navigation systems, collision avoidance, crash detection, electronic speed limit signs, speed and red light cameras and other innovative systems to ensure safe driving and keep pollution to a minimum.



Traffic congestion and the rise of new and better technology started the push for real-time control and more efficient traffic solutions.



Traffic control cameras were designed and built to eliminate the much more costly and unreliable induction loops. Induction loops are installed into the road itself and they detect the vehicle’s magnetic field as the vehicle passes over the loop. These systems are quite costly to install since they either have to be put in before asphalt is poured for a street or cut into existing asphalt. These systems are also vulnerable to extreme temperatures – both hot and cold – which can make them fail. Failure means the lights will not change when a vehicle pulls up to it.

Have you ever pulled up to a red light at two in the morning and no matter how long you sit there the light just will not change? That’s a loop failing to sense your car.

In order to overcome these types of problems, video cameras were created with specialized housings, lenses and software to measure traffic flow, automatic incident detection, license plate recognition, and other traffic related issues.

The video systems are totally non-intrusive as they do not require installing any equipment inside the roadbed; instead the cameras are generally mounted at the top of light-poles with the cables being run through existing paths in those poles.

Video from the camera is fed into processors that analyze certain characteristics of the video. They can be set up to detect lane-by-lane vehicle speeds, vehicle counts, lane occupancy, stopped vehicles, vehicles facing the wrong direction and so on. A single video detection processor can detect up to eight simultaneous feeds.



For over 20 years WTI has designed and manufactured innovative ITS systems – from the camera systems to wireless communication devices. For more information on our complete line of solutions check out our web site at www.gotowti.com.

~The WTI Team



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WTI (Wireless Technology, Inc.)

Video Surveillance Products Dedicated to the Broadcast, Global Security and Transportation Markets!

www.gotowti.com ● www.wirelesstech.com

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