I love to cook. I haven’t always been good at it though. The result is my wife has had to put up with a lot nasty meals over the years. However, the meals have been getting progressively better and better. Practice makes perfect and all that. Gone are the days when I would present a bowl of macaroni and cheese from the box, but with an extra sprinkle of cheese on top as some sort of gourmet meal. These days it’s all homemade vegetable stock as the base of an asparagus risotto with fig pan sauce.
Part of the joy of cooking for me are the tools. The toolbox in my garage is a sad sight, but my kitchen is an object of envy for home chefs everywhere. Knives I can pass down to my grandkids, blenders that could mix up an iPhone if I so desire, a nesting set of cutting boards. These sorts of things.
My favorite tool, though, is a 15-inch sauté pan. I named her Valentine because it was a valentine’s gift from my wife. This sucker is like having a magic wand. She does everything I need her to. She keeps a steady, even heat without any hotspots. She is easy to wash and store. She’s perfect. She also cost more than double the rent I paid in college.
When I first got Valentine, I used her for everything, and she worked for everything. Still, after a bit of time I realized it was a bit of an overkill to pull her out when all I was doing was making a grilled cheese sandwich.
All this to say, the best tool you got isn’t always the best tool for the job. I have another pan, a smaller one with a non-stick surface, that I use for grilled cheese. I don't have a name for this pan, but it works better for this and other jobs. I still want a good pan, but I don’t need to get Valentine dirty for that.
After Wavetronix released the SmartSensor HD, we realized there was now a need in the market without an obvious solution. There are detection jobs where something as feature-packed as the HD isn’t always appropriate. Things like simple detection, classification counts, or temporary count stations. Other detection products were problematic and ineffective. What was needed was a product as accurate and reliable as the HD, but at a lower cost point, with low operating costs.
By updating a legacy product, Wavetronix created the SmartSensor V to fill this need. SmartSensor V is able to measure per-lane interval data for volume, average speed, occupancy, and classification counts as well as per-vehicle data for duration, class and lane assignment. For up to 8 lanes of traffic over 200 feet. While V doesn’t have the dual-beam or high definition radar design of its big Brother SmartSensor HD, SmartSensor V works on simpler projects where simplicity and budget are the primary concerns.
SmartSensor V also consumes 57 percent less energy than the legacy version of SmartSensor it was based off of, meaning it’s more modern and efficient, along with updated features such as built in surge protection and memory.
Of course, the end result of all of this is traffic engineers can still utilize modern, proven technology for simpler jobs without sacrificing either accuracy or price.
So, remember, you don’t always have to grab Valentine to do the job. Sometimes, it’s ok to go with the proven value option.