International Road Dynamics Inc. is a road traffic management system engineering company headquartered in

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. Its services include automated toll roads, commercial vehicle inspection systems, traffic data collection products, and traffic management software. IRD provides weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems that are capable of weighing vehicles while in motion and classifying them by axle spacings and speed. Information recorded includes individual axle weights, group axle weights, and gross vehicle weight (GVW). IRD's weigh-in-motion systems are used at highway inspection stations to sort vehicles, ensuring only overweight vehicles are stopped for inspection. This reduces wait times and improves

traffic flow In mathematics and transportation engineering, traffic flow is the study of interactions between travellers (including pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and their vehicles) and infrastructure (including highways, signage, and traffic control devi ...

at weigh stations. IRD's WIM systems are also used by fleet managers to ensure vehicles are leaving terminals within the acceptable weight limits for their classification. IRD is a subsidiary of

Quarterhill Quarterhill Inc. (formerly WiLan Inc.) is a Canadian public technology holding company, based in Toronto, Ontario. It was founded in 1992 as a wireless technology company. In the mid-2000s, it gradually transitioned into a patent licensing compan ...

, an Ottawa-based patent licensing company.

History

Dr. Art Bergan, a world-renowned civil engineer in the transportation field, established IRD in the late 1970s. IRD's first product was weigh-in-motion scales. By the mid-1990s, IRD had become established as a major player in the international Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO) market. In 1995 IRD installed the world's first dynamic truck speed warning system for the Colorado Department of Transportation. Developed for the freeway west of the

Eisenhower tunnel The Eisenhower Tunnel, officially the Eisenhower–Edwin C. Johnson Memorial Tunnel, is a dual-bore, four-lane vehicular tunnel in the western United States, approximately west of Denver, Colorado. The tunnel carries Interstate 70 (I-70) under ...

, the system incorporated sensors and an automatic scale to weigh and classify trucks. An algorithm was used to estimate the maximum safe speed for the vehicle as it approached the descent into the canyon. The speed was then displayed on a variable message sign accompanied by flashing lights. IRD South Asia Private Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of IRD that was established in 2000 and specializes in toll collection systems. , IRDSA employs 160 people and has a 54-per-cent share of India's toll business. Company offerings include manual systems,

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systems, and

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systems. These systems include proprietary weigh-in-motion technology designed to help concessionaires reduce road-damage and revenue losses. IRDSA also manages data-collection services in cooperation with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). IRD acquired the Germany-based PAT Traffic in 2003. By 2009, IRD had installed 10,000 IRD-PAT Bending Plate Scale weigh-in-motion systems. In 2007, IRD acquired a 50% interest in Xuzhou-PAT Control Technologies Limited (XCPT), an Intelligent Transportation Systems company located in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China. XPCT had distributed IRD's products in China since 2003. IRD's joint venture in China provides toll road systems, traffic monitoring, and maintenance. In 2017, IRD was acquired by WiLAN (subsequently re-named Quarterhill) for $63.5 million. WiLAN, a patent licensing company, was interested in IRD's patent portfolio.

References

External links

Company website

IRD South Asia website

XPCT website
{{Saskatoon Corporations Software companies of Canada Companies based in Saskatoon Companies formerly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange 2017 mergers and acquisitions Software companies established in 1980 Companies established in 1980