All in one platform – analyzing traffic was never easier: videos from drones, traffic and surveillance cameras, 360°panoramic cameras or even Miovision devices? Only with DataFromSky AI!
Super-accurate data suitable for the most detailed traffic analysis, data accuracy hitting the range from 98 – 100% with rapid delivery thanks to fully automated processing, measuring a wide range of advanced traffic parameters thanks to the trajectory-based approach – these and much more benefits are offered by our online web platform for automatic processing of traffic videos. Moreover, you have access to the license-free desktop application, where you can further analyze every millisecond of your video – visualize, define, analyze, export, become a traffic expert thanks to our professional tool.
Don’t believe it? Feel free to test it!
✅ Click here to download our desktop application DataFromSky Viewer
✅ Download the sample package with 360°video clip and processed data file (tlgx file) – from now on, the whole intersection can be analyzed by a single camera!
Try DataFromSky AI today! 1. Go to our online platform ai.datafromsky.com and test it for free
2. Sign in today and get 3 Credits as a welcome gift on your User Account
3. Upload any video from drones or standard cameras and let the AI do the job
4. Download the results and do the magic with traffic data in our Viewer application
Do you have any questions? Would you like to have a training session on how to use DataFromSky Viewer application? Do you have some special request or want to discuss your project? Let us know about that – contact us!
DataFromSky is a complex system for fully automated extraction of accurate traffic data using AI and machine learning methods. It has been developed and used for the purpose of traffic studies since 2013. DataFromSky AERIAL is a state-of-the-art and fully automated service for video analysis from the bird’s eye view (drones, balloons) for acquiring of super-accurate data not only for traffic research. DataFromSky LIGHT is a service for data analysis from low-altitude cameras for standard traffic research, fully automated as well. Try and see all the traffic magic FOR FREE!
Do you need super-accurate data about every single participant of the traffic flow? Are you looking for a non-invasive solution offering a complete telemetric data about all moving objects in the recorded image, including cyclists and pedestrians? Does your project require analysis of speed profiles and various types of acceleration (lateral or transverse), or distances between objects and even their dimensions? Are you looking for an ultimate solution in the field of microscopic traffic analytics for research of interactions, calibration of models or even development of autonomous vehicles and other scientific and commercial projects? With DataFromSky and it’s bird’s eye view using drones and AI in image processing, you get all of these functions and much more.
A drone is a perfectly mobile camera with immense range of covered area, which can be “installed” within a few seconds. One drone is enough to cover the whole intersection or even a whole transport corridor. A bird’s eye view is the most suitable option even in regards to metering of dimensions, speed and acceleration of objects on the road. With this type of view, you can get data so accurate that will be able to detect change of gears of drivers. Interactions between drivers and links between individual traffic situations and objects can be observed much easier. Thanks to its accuracy, complexity, range and availability, drone-captured traffic data open up a new chapter in the field of microscopic traffic analyses.
https://vimeo.com/230806084
Bird’s eye view is mathematically ideal when it comes to localization of ground targets. In this case a camera has the highest sensitivity even with changing of object position within the image. With growing incidental angle, this sensitivity decreases rapidly. This is the reason why it is not possible to acquire highly accurate data with cameras located alongside the road. Another advantage of the bird’s eye view is with natural minimization of object alignments and occlusions, making the metering even more accurate as the objects are always clearly visible. With this type of camera view, localization accuracy of a vehicle reaches up to 15 cm, with the measurement error under 2% and measuring to 30 cm in dimensions (according to the configuration). If you want extremely accurate not only in counting of object in classes (O/D matrix, TMCs), but also in telemetric data (speed, acceleration, object size), the bird’s eye view is a perfect option. With this accurate telemetric data, it is possible to detect dangerous situations, calibrate models of driver behaviour or even count the capacity of crossroads and much more.
A dependence of localization accuracy on the angle of incidence and flight altitude. The plot shows the area which is possible to be covered with the given localization accuracy of vehicles up to 20 cm, using the 4K camera. Source: DataFromSky.
Accuracy of localization with a view from a drone. Contours within the image represent the possible object localization accuracy at the given part of the image (up to 15 cm!). Source: DataFromSky.
Up to 250 000 m² of covered area
With only a single flying camera/drone, it is possible to cover an immensely large area. From the altitude of 120 meters, you can monitor a road section of up to 250 meters in length. With 300 meters of altitude, you can cover up to 700 meters of the road, and that is a very decent area of monitored traffic area! To acquire image data even from very large traffic corridors, it only takes one device. This is why DataFromSky gives you the most detailed analysis for every single participant of the traffic flow you measure.
https://vimeo.com/231056492
Installation within a few seconds
It is definitely not easy to prepare and carry out a traffic research, especially in case of a larger intersections, as you have to install a sensor device for every single mouth of the intersection. You also have to deal with mounting, power supply and on top of this, even protect the device against robbery or vandalism. What you usually get is a series of outputs, which have to be interconnected into one coherent output, which is a very complicated and tedious process. This is not the case if you choose to use a drone for your research! All it takes to analyze the given traffic flow is to fly above the section you are interested in, and make only one video-recording, which contains everything you will need. If your project requires recordings for longer period of time, a drone can be supplied with a cable or you can swap a few drones to get the job done and give you the data you need.
Figure: Drone on the cable — tethered solution and drone swapping . Source: DataFromSky.
An ultimate solution
A video from the bird’s eye view is the cutting-edge solution also when it comes to richness of acquired data. With one take, you get microscopic data from the whole intersection. AI and smart tracking algorithms then convert the video output into an extract with super-accurate trajectories within the individual classes. With data like this, you can answer even very complex traffic research questions, such us: What are the bottlenecks of the traffic flow? Where do the conflict situations take place? What is the capacity of the intersection? How much time do the vehicles need to cross the intersection in its various parts? How many vehicles have breached the speed limit? Where do the pedestrians usually cross it?
https://vimeo.com/317429936
Goahead and try our new platform called DataFromSky AERIAL for free — the most advanced microscopic analysis tool from aerial footage!
DataFromSky is a complex system for fully automated extraction of accurate traffic data using AI and machine learning methods. It has been developed and used for the purpose of traffic studies since 2013. DataFromSky AERIAL is a state-of-the-art and fully automated service for video analysis from the bird’s eye view (drones, balloons) for acquiring of super-accurate data not only for traffic research. DataFromSky LIGHT is a service for data analysis from low-altitude cameras for standard traffic research, fully automated as well. Try and see all the traffic magic FOR FREE!
DataFromSky is a cloud-based platform for fully automated traffic analysis from videos using AI and machine learning methods. The output of the video analysis is an extract in the form of classifications of trajectories. This extract is then analyzed for various traffic tasks with numerous analytical functions it offers, fully interactively. Why is DataFromSky so unique:
● Super-accurate data suitable for traffic research (read more)
● Possibility of measuring a range of advanced parameters thanks to the trajectory-based approach
● Impeccable control of outputs thanks to extreme detail in displaying and simple export of results
DataFromSky is composed of two advanced platforms — DFS LIGHT and DFS AERIAL. The AERIAL platform serves for traffic analysis from the bird’s eye view, using the state-of-the-art technology in the microscopic view on data. LIGHT version serves for standard traffic research in mass-scale using fixed cameras and numerous functions from the AERIAL platform. Both versions of DataFromSky have their real-time versions thanks to the series called DataFromSky Embedded.
Figure: both versions of DataFromSky. Source: DataFromSky.
Created for research, developed for traffic studies
Development of the system started as a part of a research project in cooperation with BUT in 2013. The goal of the project was to use drones and advanced image processing algorithms to develop a new approach in the field of traffic analysis based on extracts of trajectories within the image. Thanks to its extreme accuracy, this project made brand new research goals, even those thought to be not feasible at that time, possible. The main aim of the project was to test the ability to localize ground objects with accuracy less than 25 cm from a drone with camera, which is suitable for advanced traffic analysis such as security audit, calculations of intersection’s capacity, research of interactions between individual participants of the traffic flow, etc.
The project entered the market under the name of DataFromSky and this allowed for further dramatic development and creation of a solution that is unique worldwide and already used in hundreds of research projects. From the very beginning, DataFromSky aims at solving the most challenging tasks in the field of traffic analysis. It is a software-based on scientific research and unique know-how, as it is constantly improving with sensitivity analysis of the system and numerous simulations as well as measurements within the real traffic. DataFromSky has by far the largest database of traffic behavior from places all around the globe, thanks to analyzing thousands of intersection nodes with extremely detailed data. Such a database background also guarantees the most advanced AI for these types of analyses, as our AI constantly improves with learning from the biggest database of traffic situations recorded with a drone, worldwide.
No black box solution
The philosophy of DataFromSky is to provide data that you can trust. This is the reason why it is based on possible highly detailed checking of the outputs of the analysis so that you can verify the accuracy of the automated analysis in a concrete video/place of yours. DataFromSky is not a black box solution, which would use only statistical data to hide the actual quality of outputs. It is actually the other way around, as with DataFromSky, you will have outputs displayed in a well-arranged and transparent manner so that you can easily evaluate the validity of data from the automated analysis. Always demand a possible control of outputs from detection algorithms for individual vehicles, as within the first five minutes of the video, you will already reveal potential system failure, which could consequently lead to an incorrect engineering decision. With DataFromSky, you have this option, as it stands on a philosophy that behind every good decision there are accurate data. No black box solution!
Guarantee of 100 % results
Collecting data is usually a time-demanding and, consequently, also rather costly process. It is not always possible to record a video in a way that an automated analysis would be able to extract all the data you need. Reasons for failure of the automated analysis can differ from bad quality of the video, unsuitable angle of recording, mechanical problem, etc. To make sure that you have positive returns on your video recording investment (which can be rather expensive in case of recording from a drone), DataFromSky offers a program called „Guarantee of 100% results.“ If you decide to use this program, our AI-based control system will come into the game and provide throughout analysis of the outputs and fix the incorrect results in a way that your traffic study is impeccable and error-free. This service can be purchased at any time in case you find out that the automated output did not match your expectations.
Data is yours — no further payments
You can download a complete analysis to your own computer and store it, therefore you can come back to it at any time in the future and without any further costs. Outputs of the analysis can be accessed, viewed and worked with offline from any place even without the internet connection. To open and view the data, use our professional application called DataFromSky Viewer, which also offers a whole range of advanced analytics including displaying of results directly in the video. With supported “views” on traffic data, you can easily set various types of configurations of traffic analyses. Thanks to this interactive application, you will also be able to immediately react to any new emerging questions related to your traffic research even during the presentation of its outputs.
DataFromSky platform is constantly under development on all levels. If there is a specific type of export or a new type of analysis that needs to be added, let us know. We have already implemented tens of advanced functions on demand and incentive of our users, while some of them are still available. We have rich experience with the implementation of request from our clients in the field of traffic analysis, as we have been involved in numerous research projects already. As a DataFromSky user, you get not only super-accurate data, but also personal approach and professional support in order to successfully realize all your projects.
Real-time analytics — DataFromSky EMBEDDED
DataFromSky is not solely about post-processing. The system also embodies devices which allow transforming literally any camera into a smart sensor. We took the AI from DataFromSky and optimized it into the smallest processing units. This is how the DataFromSky Embedded series came into being. It is a platform from DataFromSky using the state-of-the-art processors with low input power, built for the operation of deep neural networks. Do you want real-time data? Do you want an adaptive system for traffic signal control within intersections? Do you want a smart camera? Ask for the DataFromSky Embedded series.
DataFromSky has revolutionized the process of traffic data collection and analysis and unlocked new possibilities in the analysis of microscopic traffic behaviors, such as capacity evaluation and detection of risky situations — near accidents. Source: DataFromSky.
DataFromSky is a complex system for fully automated extraction of accurate traffic data using AI and machine learning methods. It has been developed and used for the purpose of traffic studies since 2013. DataFromSky AERIAL is a state-of-the-art and fully automated service for video analysis from the bird’s eye view (drones, balloons) for acquiring of super-accurate data not only for traffic research. DataFromSky LIGHT is a service for data analysis from low-altitude cameras for standard traffic research, fully automated as well. Try and see all the traffic magic FOR FREE!
Our new DataFromSky AI is finally launched! Globally trusted cloud-based platform for fully automated traffic analysis from videos using AI and machine learning methods with 100% guarantee of results (optionally).It is capable of measuring a wide range of advanced traffic parameters thanks to the trajectory-based approach: analyzing current speed acceleration/decelerationm, classification up to 16 categories, safety analysis (measuring Time to Collision, Heavy Breaking or risky situations), configurable gate counting including O/D matrix, travel and occupancy times, headways, Gap time & Time to follow analysis, capacity, estimations, various export functions and statistics and many more features… Click this link, upload a video taken by drone or standard camera and analyze your extracted traffic data or try one of our outputs available here.
To help you started we give you 3 credits to provide you up to three hours of video analysis. Follow us on LinkedIn and get 3 credits for LIKE and another 4 credits for SHARING this post. It means up to 7 hours of video analysis completely free of charges!
The employment of drones and automatic image analysis offers new possibilities in traffic surveys, thanks to the accuracy of the measurement, the coverage range and the uniqueness of the obtained data. The camera is the most sensitive on the change of the position of ground objects in all directions when using the bird’s eye view. The dynamic occlusion between individual objects is minimalized as well.
These factual reasons together with advanced algorithms for extraction of traffic data ensure perfect information about every single participant of traffic flow.
In terms of accuracy of vehicle localization, the most ideal drone position is directly above the intersection — so-called TOP DOWN VIEW. At this position, the camera is the most sensitive to the change of the position of the object in the scene, therefore an extremely precise measurement of vehicle speed and acceleration is made possible. At the same time, the dynamic occlusion between individual objects is minimalized. Nevertheless, drone suspension directly above the traffic node is not always possible due to safety regulation and applicable legislation. In a situation like this, a simple rule applies — place the drone in such position that the view of the analyzed section is near to the bird’s eye view.
The procedure is as follows:
Fly with the drone to the nearest possible place in the middle of the intersection.
Ascend to the maximum possible height. However, do not cross the height where a pixel resolution of monitored objects would be less than 20×20 pixels.
There is a notable drop of the accuracy of the vehicle localization (please note that this does NOT hold for DETECTION or for CLASSIFICATION) if the angle of the view is higher than 55 degree.
A simple rule is as follows:
Angle of incidence ˂ 55 degrees = the drone should always be higher than the distance between the projection of the drone position on the ground and the center of the intersection.
45 degrees means, that the drone altitude is the same as its distance from the center of the intersection.
0 degrees means that the drone is directly above the intersection.
Figure: three situations -0° = ideal position, 45° = ok, altitude is the same as distance from the center of the intersection, 55° = drone should be higher. Source: DataFromSky.
The drone should always be positioned in that way so the dynamic and static occlusions are avoided. Occlusions increase the probability of failure of object tracking and of disengagement of continuous trajectories, in other words, one object will have a higher number of shorter trajectories. The systems are robust against short occlusions, but long occlusions can cause the disengagement of continuous trajectories into more parts.
Figure: two situations — long occlusions are problematic, but system is robust against short occlusions. Source: DataFromSky.
Try to keep the drone in the same position when recording. Do not change the drone altitude nor the camera take and zoom when recording. All parameters should have been set before the start of recording. For high-quality recordings, it is better to use a camera with ultra-wide range lens, not with fish eye lens, which causes high distortion especially noticeable at image margins.
Figure: two situations — try to avoid changing drone position when recording, and also avoid recording against the strong source of light. Source: DataFromSky.
Parasitic optical phenomena / lens speed and scene acuity
When recording, try to avoid parasitic optical phenomena in camera take, which may be caused for instance by the sun or another strong source of light. Always turn the camera in such a way that this strong source of light is not recorded by a camera. Takes of scenes with sky should be avoided.
Figure: three situations — nok: too bright (left), ok: ideal (center), nok: blurred due to low exposure time (right). Source: DataFromSky.
Focusing should always be carried out in such a way so the vehicles / objects are not blurred in a take. At the same try to set the camera in such a way so the objects are contrasting but not over-bright nor too much dark. This should be considered even at the expense of other parts of the shot. In case of night recordings or the recordings at the low light conditions, it is important that besides vehicles also the traffic elements are visibly identifiable.
Figure: nok — four situations. Source: DataFromSky
An image from camera ought not to be deformed by shaking (caused by drone motor vibrations) as a majority of cameras use the rolling shutter function to load image data in rows. If the vibrations are not sufficiently damped, their effect will occur in the form of shaking in between rows within the image. This shaking then lowers the accuracy of the used stabilization methods. Motor vibrations can be damped with suitable damping elements.
Resolution, FPS and bitrate
Resolution is a key attribute for the detection and classification of objects. The minimal size of an object within the image (for its detection) is 15×15 pixels, while for its correct classification, a resolution of 30×30 pixels is needed. A recommended size for objects within the image is between 30×30 pixels up to 150×150 pixels in the whole monitored area within the intersection. Object size depends on the following parameters:
Image resolution
Drone’s position — altitude / angle
Mutual position of a monitored object and a drone/camera
A common rule is that if you record the video with maximal resolution used by modern cameras these days (e.g. 4K or 5K), it will be sufficient, as it is always possible to reduce the quality, but not the other way around. The following is a simple guide for resolutions:
A distance with oblique angle < or = 120 meters -> FULL HD (1920×1200) resolution will be sufficient, but it is better to use a higher resolution (2k/4k)
A distance with oblique angle > 120 to 300 meters -> use 4K video resolution
Framerate represents the sampling frequency of measurements. For vehicle speed up to 70 km/h, it is possible to use a framerate 15FPS. For vehicle speed over 50 km/h, it is better to use sampling frequency around 25 FPS. Sampling frequency over 35 FPS has no further positive effect on the quality of measurement, but only makes the video and its size unnecessarily large. The final quality of the video is also greatly influenced by bitrate settings. At FULL HD videos, coded with the H264 coding format, the bitrate should be at least 10 Mbit/s. At 4K videos, coded with H264, a minimum of 20 Mbit/s is necessary. The video must not be blurry, pixelated, or any signs of damage caused by compressing algorithms.
Tip for beginners: record video with 4K resolution and 25 FPS with standard bitrate (approx. 20 Mbit/s)
By following these rules you will get suitable videos for automatic processing to extract super-accurate data for your traffic study. Before the final recording, we recommend to carry out a test flight or make a few sample recordings in order to get acquainted with the basic principles. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
Legislation & safety
Before the recording itself, always check what are the legal conditions for the recording of traffic in your country. Legislation differs from country to country and sometimes it is required to use services of a professional pilot with necessary permissions. There is also a predefined maximal flight altitude for drones in many countries (usually 120 meters), as well as a minimal safety distance (usually 50–120 meters away from objects). If the recording is carried out by a professional pilot, it is possible to gain permission even at different conditions. Always take the possible risks of technical failure into consideration.
If you do not want to carry out the recording by yourself, do not hesitate to contact us. We have a network of experienced and certified pilots all around the globe within the DataFromSky PILOT program. We will provide you with consultations about your project and its requirements in order to find the most suitable solution. We can also carry out the recording for you if necessary.
DataFromSky is a complex system for fully automated extraction of accurate traffic data using AI and machine learning methods. It has been developed and used for the purpose of traffic studies since 2013. DataFromSky AERIAL is a state-of-the-art and fully automated service for video analysis from the bird’s eye view (drones, balloons) for acquiring of super-accurate data not only for traffic research. DataFromSky LIGHT is a service for data analysis from low-altitude cameras for standard traffic research, fully automated as well. Try and see all the traffic magic FOR FREE!
Are you wondering is DataFromSky Light can analyze videos recorded during the night or dusk or bad light conditions? Have a look at a new video processed by our fully automatic service DataFromSky LIGHT! There is proof that yes, it can!
Automatic traffic data analysis at any time, in any weather conditions!
Do you want to test DataFromSky LIGHT and have your video analyzed? Our DFS Light analysis is free of charge!
Follow these 3 basic steps:
1) record the traffic scene using a static camera or simply your phone
2) upload the video to WeTransfer.com and send it to email address analyze@datafromsky.com
3) receive the results together with DataFromSky Light Viewer software and enjoy your data
For more information, contact us at info@datafromsky.com
Need to perform operational analysis of a roundabout based on the real traffic data? DataFromSky supports the calculation of a wide range of operational parameters such as critical-gap time / follow-up time / critical headway etc. Get super accurate traffic data for your research and/or traffic study regardless of the type of intersection using DataFromSky.
Monitoring and analyzing traffic behavior at intersections and roundabouts is an important task in the present traffic research. Trajectory analysis provides higher-level situational awareness by understanding the behavior of every traffic element in the analyzed scene due to the rich information contained in its own motion. DataFromSky is able to extract trajectories and their spatial-temporal statistical characteristics automatically with very high accuracy and high sampling frequency. Accurate traffic data is essential in any modern research in the field of traffic analysis such as:
An unexpected end of the trajectories – DFS Light detected a traffic accident! Take a look at the video below.
Have you already tested our new service DFS Light on your own video sample? If not, do not hesitate to do so! Follow these 3 basic steps to get precise traffic data faster than never:
1) record the traffic scene using a camera or simply your phone (to reach the best results, follow the instructions in this video)
2) upload your video to WeTransfer.com and send it to email address analyze@datafromsky.com
3) receive the results together with DataFromSky Light Viewer software and enjoy your data
You can upload up to 2 GB free of charge, try it today!
Do you need more precise traffic data? Are you interested in conflict analysis and evaluation of traffic safety? If yes, take a look at our new set of tools for the safety evaluation based on the behavior of road users – click to find out more or contact us for more information.
We are proud to announce that we have connected DataFromSky with a simulation model VISSIM! PTV Vissim is a microscopic multi-modal traffic flow simulation software package developed by PTV Group, first developed in 1992 and nowadays, Vissim is a global market leader in microscopic simulation models! The simulation displays all road users and their interactions in one model.
We have created a promo video demonstrating how to export the results from DataFromSky and use it as an input in Vissim. This possibility opens so many opportunities how to utilize the real data from DataFromSky analysis and how to increase the accuracy of your simulation model!
What kind of data can be exported and what are the plans for further interconnection?
– traffic counts
– vehicle category (number of cars, heavy vehicles, buses, motorcycles etc.)
– turning movements – route decisions and routes
– speeds for model calibration
– accelerations
– travel times (between two defined gates)
– headways between two vehicles following each other (gap in seconds) – advanced gap analysis and headways data provided only by DataFromSky!
– queue lengths (will be added)
The video plays also the role of the very first User manual video of DataFromSky Viewer – it describes the process of creating counting gates in order to export the Origin-destination data and import them into Vissim. Other short instructional videos will follow soon!
Another great project has been accomplished, among other things, thanks to DataFromSky analysis! DataFromSky has made a traffic study of a corridor in the city of Fairfield in Connecticut, U.S.. The data were used for an extensive Safety analysis of the whole corridor called Black Rock Turnpike. The study, created by The Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG) and FHI, identifies strategies to create a safe and attractive pedestrian environment, a robust infrastructure for bicyclists, and linkages between residential areas and the shops, businesses and restaurants along Black Rock Turnpike.
Black Rock Turnpike is a major arterial that serves one of the city’s largest business and commercial districts. According to the estimates, approximately 20,000 vehicles utilize this corridor every day. As the results of the analysis show – although Black Rock Turnpike has a posted speed limit of 50 km/h (30 miles/h), the average speeds are between 55 – 65 km/h (35-40 miles/h). The road widths, speed, high traffic volume and numerous curb cuts create an unsafe and uninviting pedestrian environment. Click on this link to read more about the whole project.
However, what is truly remarkable about this analysis is the method how the data were recorded and analyzed. To be able to cover the whole corridor, which is roughly 1,3 km in length, up to 8 drones recording at the same time were needed! This allowed us to analyze the corridor as a complex scene, obtain the complete trajectories of vehicles for the whole analyzed route and create the detailed Origin-destination statistics! What were the key conditions for the successful analysis?
top-down view position (bird’s eye perspective)
space overlap – at least 10 % of overlap in the analyzed area from each side
time overlap – all the drones started filming at the exact same time
Take a look at the video of raw output of 8 drone videos merged together:
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