eNews 09 October 2009
eNews: October 2009
About eNews
The ITS Radar International project provides an intelligence service for the Highways Agency (HA) on ITS developments in Europe and around the world. It summarises key information for decision-makers and practitioners on activities related to Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and covers specific areas of key interest to the HA. This is carried out by TRL and AECOM on behalf of the HA.
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Index
European Policy
Future road transport – safe and clean
A high level meeting is planned that aims to bring together decision-makers from the European Parliament, the European Commission, EU Member States and industry in order to discuss how to make road transport safer and more environmentally friendly.
Mobile phone operators sign eCall MoU
GSMA, the body representing the worldwide mobile communication industry has signed an eCall Memorandum of Understanding to secure the deployment of a single in-vehicle emergency call service across Europe. A position paper setting out mobile phone operators’ views on key issues for pan-European eCall has also been published.
Economic crisis responsible for reduced congestion in the UK
A recent report shows a clear link between major financial events and congestion levels in the UK. The report highlights that in the last two years congestion across UK’s motorways and trunk roads has reduced by 31 percent.
eSafety Technologies demonstrated during eSafety Challenge
The first eSafety Challenge was recently held in Italy. The event included demonstrations of the latest eSafety technologies such as lane support systems and warning and emergency braking systems. Delegates also had the opportunity to “test drive” some of these new systems.
Links Course
This article discusses interoperability of Road Pricing systems and the challenges that are currently present. Limitations of technology, legislation and business case for interoperability are all highlighted as being hurdles that need to be overcome.
European Research
Call for detailed European geographical database for transport
A call for proposals has been issued for the supply of geographic information services to develop a geographic database on transport networks in Europe. The database will be used to support the European Commission’s analysis and decision-making.
Satnavs distract motorists
A recent survey by the RAC, one of UK’s motoring organisations, has shown that over 40 percent of those surveyed have admitted to getting distracted while driving by fiddling with their satnav.
Study shows that traffic-enabled satnavs can reduce driving time and emissions
A recent study conducted by NAVTEQ in Germany has shown that live traffic-enabled in-vehicle satellite navigation devices can reduce journey time by around 18 percent and CO2 emissions by approximately 21 percent.
New cooperative Vulnerable Road User detection system developed in European project
The European SAFESPOT project has developed a system that is able to identify vulnerable road users and animals, and warn nearby drivers of their presence. The Vulnerable Road User (VRU) system is based on a thermal vision system and cooperative vehicle to infrastructure communication.
Predrive-C2X project progress 09
The European Predrive-C2X project is carrying out preparatory work for full scale field trials of vehicular communications technologies to support cooperative systems. The project is now going through a process of developing the Common European Architecture for Cooperative Systems based on a document drafted by the COMeSafety project.
eSafety research into “Car Users’ acceptance of eSafety technology”
The eSafety Aware initiative has published the results of a study on motorists’ knowledge about eSafety technologies, their attitude towards these technologies as well as the purchase patterns and decision factors when buying a new car.
Swede sixteen
An article summarising 20 of the key projects and initiatives presented at the 16th ITS World Congress in Sweden in September. It includes summaries of a project testing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems for trucks, the work of the GNSS Metering Association for Road User Charging, and a Swedish trial of Variable Speed Limits.
Connect and serve
An article on the role of cooperative systems for reducing congestion and improving traffic safety, discusses the example of the COOPERS (Cooperative Systems for Intelligent Road Safety) project.
Pilots
Above average – speed enforcement
A study was undertaken to measure the impact on traffic flows in roadworks on the M4 when average speed enforcement (SPECS) was implemented. The study showed a reduction in congestion, improved journey reliability and improved driver safety compared to the three years before the roadworks began.
Child safety
AMULETT was a three year research project to develop a vehicle-pedestrian transponder with the aim of improving safety for vulnerable road users. Drivers are alerted to the location of the AMULETT carrier if the system calculates that there is the potential for a collision.
The safety equation
The SAFESPOT project is aimed at design and validation of cooperative ITS systems for enhanced road safety. It is managed by Centro Ricerche FIAT and is expected to finish in January 2010.
Mobile phones could become lead ticketing technology says DfT
The Department for Transport foresee traditional paper tickets being replaced by smart ticketing systems. Near Field Communications devices in mobile phones, contactless bank cards and smart cards will become the predominant ticket media.
ISA presents huge potential to deliver safety benefits
A six-month trial of Intelligent Speed Adaptation began in May 2009 in London within the M25 motorway area. The trial using Transport for London’s vehicles is aimed at reducing road accidents and is expected to reduce the number of traffic offences.
Driving change
The Department for Transport has conducted a study into the carbon footprint of deploying Managed Motorways across England. It was found that a change from conventional widening to Managed Motorways would result in a saving of 850,000 tonnes of CO2 during the installation of all the proposed schemes across England.
Technologies
The great wall of China
Five million people regularly drive through Beijing. In view of this and the 2008 Olympic Games, the Beijing Traffic Control Centre was equipped with a new, visual information platform to integrate and improve traffic management capabilities.
Street to screen: how sat-nav maps are made
TechRadar took a ride in a Navteq mapping car, to discover how satellite navigation maps are made. Navteq is a provider of information for navigation devices such as digital maps, traffic and location data.
Highway patrol – mobile weather patrol monitoring
Mobile-based technology combined with sensors can fill in the gaps between weather monitoring stations. For the first time a mobile non-contact temperature sensor has been developed – ‘Surface Patrol HD’.
Web assets?
Advancements in Web 2.0 applications provide basis for development of cutting-edge ITS applications. However, industry buy-in will be a critical step to the improvement of Web 2.0 applications and development of innovative ITS tools.
Precise control
GPS-based machine control can lead to substantial reductions in operating costs for contractors on construction sites and therefore potentially roads authorities.
Come together – collision avoidance
A new collision detection and mitigation system ‘Sensor fusion’ is a promising technology which combines radar and vision systems. This system uses advanced technology to identify and assess risks and then develop and implement collision mitigation strategies.
Applied Traffic launch a new Weigh-in-Motion system
VIPERWIM, a new high speed Weigh-in-Motion system, was launched in April. The system can be used to carry out many different traffic monitoring operations simultaneously. It can be linked to ANPR systems and connected using wireless communications to highlight specific vehicle types in, for example, inappropriate lanes.
Experiences of data capture in an inter-urban environment
The UK road network infrastructure is being mapped for Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) technology. So far 90% of the UK’s road network has been mapped.
Technology to integrate smartphones into vehicle systems
For the first time, a technology that integrates smartphones into in-vehicle systems has been demonstrated. Connectivity between the smartphone and the car enables a wide range of smartphone applications to be displayed on the in-vehicle display and be audible via the vehicle’s audio system.
PTV unveils a new algorithm in VISUM called LUCE
PTV launched a new algorithm for traffic assignment in VISUM called Linear User Cost Equilibrium (LUCE). LUCE is 10 to 15 times faster than VISUM 10 and in the future could be used in real time, offering great potential for ITS Aid to Decision tools.
Coded exchanges
Ethernet- and IP-based networks are essential means of communication for ITS applications. However, different interpretation of standards and some inherent limitations of such networks mean hybrid solutions should be considered.
Standards
International Conference on ITS Telecommunications, Lille, October 20-22
The 9th International Conference on ITS Telecommunications will be held in Lille, October 20-22, 2009. It will bring together engineers and scientists in the field of New Technology of Information and Communication for Intelligent Transport Systems.
eCall Standardisation Update
Development of standards for the EC-supported pan-European emergency call service, “eCall” is continuing well. In this month’s newsletter, recent progress is reported on along the two main strands.
eCall Standardisation Update - CEN TC 278 Working Group 15
UPDATE: A review of the purpose and current status of the six CEN work items for pan-European eCall. CEN TC 278 Working Group 15 (eSafety) is responsible for the development of eCall standards at the application level.
eCall Standardisation Update - 3GPP and ETSI-MSG
UPDATE: A review of the purpose and current status of four work items for the communication of pan-European eCall data and voice messages. These standards are maintained by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, Mobile Standards Group (ETSI-MSG).
New open-source dynamic location referencing method published by TomTom is “of great interest to the industry”
TomTom has launched an open-source, royalty-free dynamic location referencing method, called “OpenLR”. This is a new method, which joins the recently published ISO standard, “AGORA-C” approach, in this work area. The Traveller Information Services Association (TISA) says that “the open source, royalty free nature of the technology is of great interest to the industry”.
TISA publishes guidelines for transmission of Location Table Country Codes in TMC
The Traveller Information Services Association has published specification and guideline documents for the explicit transmission of Location Table Country Codes in Traffic Message Channel.
Article: Common Standards for Ethernet Wired Communication Networks
A recent article in ITS International discusses the needs and challenges of using wired networks for ITS communication. It discusses to what extent Ethernet with optical fibres is required, and furthermore how it can be used in conjunction with wireless networks.
Location Positioning
38th International Loran Association Convention and Technical symposium
The 38th International Loran Association Convention and Technical symposium will be held in Portland, Maine USA, over 13 to 15 October 2009. The event will aim to discuss modernisation of Loran (LOng Range Aid to Navigation) to eLoran and its applications, as well as the suitability of Loran technology as a backup to GPS.
NAV09 Conference and Exhibition - Land
An event will be held in Teddington, at the National Physics Laboratory on 19 November 2009, focusing on Location systems for Intelligent Transport Systems and Indoor Guidance applications.
Summary of the second conference on GNSS vulnerabilities and solutions
The second Global Navigation Satellite System vulnerabilities conference highlighted the likely vulnerabilities that a GNSS-based Road Pricing system may face. Potential solutions and mitigation techniques, including augmentation systems like EGNOS, and non-GNSS technologies such as integrity measurement, were discussed.
JAXA unveil a ground station for tracking signals from the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS)
The Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA) has unveiled the first ground station for tracking and monitoring signals from the proposed Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) which is part of the research into High Accuracy Positioning Experiment System. The system aims to provide higher accuracy GPS navigation signals in Japan.
Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard (RAFS) atomic clocks to be provided for GPS III satellites
A contract has been awarded for designing and supplying atomic clocks for the first two of the next generation GPS satellites, block IIIA. The contract has been awarded to the company which designed and manufactured Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard (RAFS) atomic clocks for GPS IIR and IIF.
Latest GPS IIR(M) satellite declared operational
The last satellite in the series of eight modernised block IIR GPS satellites has been set to operational status and is now part of a GPS constellation of 30 operational satellites.
New GLONASS-M satellites launched
Three more GLONASS satellites were recently launched into orbit. With the addition of these three modernised GLONASS-M satellites and three more in December, the GLONASS constellation could reach its Full Operational Capability ahead of the projected date of end of 2010.
EGNOS Open Service operational capability planned for October 2009
The European Commission is expecting to declare operational use of the Open Service of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) in October thus marking the beginning of the EGNOS exploitation phase. EGNOS enabled GPS augmentations have been shown to increase the accuracy of the GPS signal up to 1 to 2 metres.
Global positioning using mobile phones
A US company is claiming to have developed software that enables mobile phones to determine location with greater accuracy than GPS without using GNSS or WiFi. The technology should also work indoors and underground.
