Road traffic flow estimation via public IP cameras

In this research we propose a low cost and scalable system where traffic congestion can be monitored from Internet Protocol (IP) camera without the need of on-site setup. During this research an online map service introduced traffic updates in our area, yet we found that this is not very accurate. We have created a prototype that uses IP camera feeds available for free on a site as a proof of concept. Using background reduction and Haar we were able to identify vehicle motion and estimate their velocity, with which traffic flow could be estimated. In the next phase of this research we shall focus on improving estimation with use of classifiers, developing a system where this concept can be offered as a service via an Application Program Interface (API), and to gather feedback.