ITS is the integrated application of advanced technologies using electronics, computers, communications and advanced sensors. These applications provide travelers with important information while improving the safety and efficiency of the transportation system.
Intelligent transport technologies
Computational technologies
The current trend is toward fewer, more costly microprocessor or modules with hardware memory management and real time operating system.
The new embedded system platforms allow for more sophisticated applications to be implemented including model-based process control, artificial intelligence and ubiquitous computing.
a. Floating car data/floating cellular data
Floating car or probe data collection is a set of relatively low-cost method for obtaining travel time, speed data for vehicles travelling along streets, highways, motorways (freeways).
a. Triangulation method
In the developed countries a high proportion of cars contain one or more mobile phones. The phones periodically transmit their presence information to the mobile phone network even when no voice connection is established. By measuring and analyzing network data using triangulation, pattern matching or cell sector statistics, data can be used for traffic flow information. An advantage of this method is that no infrastructure needs to be built along the road, only the mobile phone network is leveraged.
b. Vehicle Re-identification
It requires set of detectors mounted along the road. In this technique, a unique serial number for a device in the vehicle is detected at one location and detected again (re-identified) further down the road. Travel time & speed are calculated by comparing the time at which a specific device is detected by pairs of sensors. This can be done using the MAC address from Bluetooth or other devices or using RFID serial numbers from electronic toll collection (ETC) transponders.
c. GPS based methods
Vehicles are equipped with in vehicle GPS (satellite) navigation system that makes two- way communication with a traffic data provider.
Sensing technologies
Technological advances in telecommunication coupled with ultramodern microchip, RFID (radio frequency identification).
a. Inductive loop detection
Inductive loops can be placed in a roadbed to detect vehicles as they pass through the loop’s magnetic field. Loops can be placed in a single lane or across multiple lanes, and they work with very slow or stopped as well as vehicles moving at high speed.
b. Video Vehicle Detection
Traffic flow measurement and automatic incident detection using video cameras is one form of video detection. A single video detection processor can detect traffic simultaneously from one to eight cameras depending on the brand and model. Some systems provide additional outputs including gap, headway, stopped vehicle detection and wrong way vehicle alarm.
c. Bluetooth Detection
Bluetooth is an accurate and inexpensive way to measure travel time and make origin and destination analysis.
d. Audio detection
It is also possible to measure traffic density on a road using the audio signal that consist of the cumulative sound from tire noise, engine noise, engine idling noise, honks and air turbulence noise.
Intelligent Transport Application
1. Emergency vehicle notification system
The minimum set of data containing information about the incident, time, location, direction of vehicle while travelling and vehicle identification.
2. Automatic speed enforcement gantry
A traffic enforcement camera system, consisting of camera and a vehicle monitoring device is used to detect and identify vehicle disobeying a speed limit or some other road legal requirements. Speed cameras identifies vehicles travelling over the legal speed limit. Red light cameras detect vehicles that cross a stop line or designated stopping place while a red traffic light is showing.
3. Variable speed limits
Recently some jurisdictions have begun experimenting with variable speed limits that changes with road congestion and other factors.
4. Collision avoidance system
Japan has installed sensors on its highways to notify motorists that a car is stalled ahead.
5. Dynamic traffic light sequence
It avoids problems that usually arise with the system using image processing and beam interruption technique. The system could emulate the judgement of a traffic police officer on duty by considering number of vehicles in each column.
6. Cooperative systems on the road
Communication cooperation on the road includes car to car, car to infrastructure and vice versa. These data can be used to detect events such as rain (wiper activity) and congestion (frequent braking activities). The goal of cooperative systems is to use and plan communication and sensor infrastructure to increase road safety. Road operators, infrastructure, vehicles, drivers and road users will cooperate to deliver the most efficient, safe, secure and comfortable journey.
7. Electronic toll collection
Today, most toll roads are equipped with an electronic toll collection system, like E-Z pass which detects and processes tolls electronically. E-Z pass uses a vehicle mounted transponder that is activated by an antenna on a toll road.
8. Emergency management services
Emergency management services are greatly enhanced by traffic control centers that continuously monitor roadway conditions. These services reduce response times, help save lives and reduce the occurrence of secondary incidents.
3 Potential Benefits of ITS
Safety: ITS technologies can be used to smooth traffic flow, reduce congestion and hence reduce certain types of accidents. Cooperative ITS, which involve communications between vehicles and roadside infrastructure, could be used to improve safety by providing warning on heavy braking or potential collisions at intersections. ITS can be used to direct traffic away from accident and alert emergency services as soon as an incident occurs.
Productivity: Congestion lowers productivity, causes flow on delays in supply chains and increase the cost of business. ITS can increase the productivity by finding innovative ways to increase the capacity of our current infrastructure.
Environmental Performance: ITS reduce congestion and frequency of stopping and starting the vehicle. It reduces fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emission compared with normal driving condition.
Other benefits
a. Time saving
b. Better emergency response time & services
c. Reduced crashes & fatalities
d. Cost avoidance
e. Increased customer satisfaction
f. Energy & environmental benefits
g. Decreasing probability of congestion occurrence
Research shows that ITS has following features:
Accident cost saving 44%
Time saving 41%
Emission/fuel 6%
Operation cost 5%
Agency cost saving 4%
Others < 1%
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