Case Study: Mowic improves road safety and cuts salt‑spreading costs with Digi International’s XBee‑powered TrackIce

Mowic’s TrackIce Using RF Technology to Freeze Out Ice Problems On The Road

Mowic, a market leader in GPS systems for road maintenance that recently acquired FYM, faced the common winter challenge of unpredictable icy road conditions that increase danger, wear on vehicles, and municipal salt-spreading costs. Not knowing exactly where and when ice forms meant inefficient salt use and higher operating expenses for road crews.

Mowic developed TrackIce, a wireless, battery-powered sensor network using Digi XBee RF modules: a mother unit with meteorological sensors and distributed road sensors that measure surface temperature and conductivity to determine salt needs. Easy to install and energy-efficient with long battery life, TrackIce enables sensor grids, feeds data to services like Meteogroup, reduces unnecessary salt use (two days saved can cover a year of service), and supports skid forecasts and targeted prevention—saving money, time, and lives.

Mowic