This week I have noticed a few units like this attached to a number of motorway gantries. They look like spinning LIDAR scanners. Does anyone know what they are and what they are for?

 

At a guess it's counting traffic.

 

I assume the usual rubber tubes wouldn't work across motorways

Ive seen a few of them go up on the M62 near Ikea. I believe they are the HADECS 3 cameras, http://www.speedcamerasuk.com/hadecs-3.htm

Hmm, they don't look anything like that. I should say the top bit is spinning with something reflective inside. They don't look like a permanent fixment so Aspman you are probably right.

Oh right sorry, there definately are some HADECS just gone up on M62 though, between J28 and J27 both E and W bound. And also another between J26 and J27, currently E/bound only although there looks to be a mounting place on the W bound gantry.

Anything to do with this?

http://www.midas-data.org.uk