Intelligent Transportation
An intelligent transportation system (ITS) is an advanced solution that aims to provide innovative services related to various modes of transportation and traffic management. It enables users to have access to better information, make safer decisions, and utilize transport networks more efficiently.
Intelligent transport systems encompass a range of technologies, including car navigation, traffic signal control systems, container management systems, variable message signs, automatic number plate recognition, speed cameras, CCTV systems for monitoring, and automatic incident detection or stopped vehicle detection systems. Additionally, more advanced applications integrate live data and feedback from multiple sources, such as parking guidance and information systems, weather information systems, and predictive solutions that utilize advanced modeling and historical data for comparisons.
These intelligent solutions are continuously evolving to enhance the efficiency, safety, and effectiveness of transportation networks, ultimately improving the overall user experience and optimizing the use of available resources.
“Self-driving cars are the natural extension of active safety and obviously something we should do.” — Elon Musk
Application areas of Intelligent Transport Systems
ITS relies on data collection, analysis, and the application of analysis outcomes in the realms of traffic management, with a focus on location-based concepts. Key components of ITS include:
- Traffic Management Systems: These systems utilize data analysis to monitor and control traffic flow, ensuring efficient movement and reducing congestion.
- Advanced Traveler Information Systems: These systems provide real-time information to travelers, including traffic conditions, alternative routes, and estimated travel times, enabling them to make informed decisions.
- Vehicle Control Systems: ITS incorporates technologies such as adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning systems to enhance vehicle control and safety on the road.
- Public Transportation Systems: ITS optimizes public transportation operations by integrating technologies like real-time tracking, fare collection systems, and passenger information systems, improving efficiency and user experience.
- Rural Transportation Systems: ITS solutions are adapted to address the unique challenges of rural areas, improving connectivity, safety, and accessibility in less densely populated regions.
- Commercial Vehicle Operations Systems: These systems focus on the management and optimization of commercial vehicle operations, including logistics, fleet management, and cargo tracking, resulting in improved efficiency and reduced costs.
By leveraging data and technology, ITS enables effective traffic management, enhances traveler experiences, and supports various transportation modes in both urban and rural settings.
Intelligent Transport System operational process
To ensure effective strategic planning, it is crucial to collect accurate, comprehensive, and timely data through real-time observation. In the context of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), this data is gathered using various hardware devices that form the foundation for further ITS functions. These devices include Automatic Vehicle Identifiers, GPS-based automatic vehicle locators, sensors, cameras, and more. Their primary role is to capture essential data points such as traffic volume, surveillance footage, travel speed and duration, location information, vehicle weight, and delays.
Efficient implementation of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) relies on the rapid and real-time communication of information. This aspect of ITS involves the seamless transmission of collected data from the field to the Traffic Management Centre (TMC), as well as the dissemination of analyzed information from the TMC back to travelers. Traffic-related announcements and updates are communicated to travelers through various channels, including the internet, SMS messages, and onboard units of vehicles. This ensures that travelers receive timely and relevant information to make informed decisions during their journeys.
Once the data has been collected and received at the Traffic Management Centre (TMC), it undergoes several processing steps to ensure its accuracy and usability. These steps include error rectification, data cleaning, data synthesis, and adaptive logical analysis.
During the error rectification phase, any inconsistencies or inaccuracies in the data are identified and corrected. This helps to ensure the reliability and integrity of the information.
Next, the data cleaning process is carried out to remove any irrelevant or duplicate data, as well as to handle missing or incomplete data. This step helps to improve the quality and completeness of the dataset.
After data cleaning, the collected data is synthesized to create meaningful information and insights. This involves combining and integrating the data from various sources to gain a holistic view of the transportation system and its performance.
Finally, adaptive logical analysis is performed on the synthesized data to extract valuable knowledge and patterns. This analysis helps in understanding traffic patterns, identifying bottlenecks, predicting future trends, and making informed decisions for traffic management and optimization.
By following these processing steps, the data collected at the TMC is transformed into valuable information that can be used to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Intelligent Transport System.
Travel Advisory Systems (TAS) is used to inform transportation updates to the traveling user. The system delivers real-time information like travel time, travel speed, delay, accidents on roads, change in route, diversions, work zone conditions etc. This information is delivered by a wide range of electronic devices like variable message signs, highway advisory radio, internet, SMS, automated cell.