Wireless digital traffic signs of the future

[EN] Traffic signs have come a long way since the first automobile was invented. They have long served the purpose of warning and guiding drivers and also enforcing the traffic laws governing speed, parking, turns, and stopping. In this study, the authors discuss the issues and challenges facing current traffic signs, and how it will evolve into a next-generation traffic sign architecture using advanced wireless communications technologies. With technological advances in the areas of wireless communications and embedded electronics and software, we foresee that, in the future, digital traffic sign posts will be capable of transmitting the traffic sign information wirelessly to road users, and this will transform our roads into intelligent roads, where signs will appear promptly and automatically on in-vehicle displays to alert the driver. There is no longer the need to watch out for traffic signs since the detection will be automatic and performed wirelessly. This transformation will lessen burden on the drivers, so that they can then focus more on the traffic ahead while driving. Also, this evolution into wireless digital sign posts will fit well with the vision of future smart cities, where smart transportation technologies will be present to transform how we drive and commute, yielding greater safety, ease, and assistance to drivers.Toh, CK.; Cano, J.; Fernandez-Laguia, C.; Manzoni, P.; Tavares De Araujo Cesariny Calafate, CM. (2019). Wireless digital traffic signs of the future. IET Networks. 8(1):74-78. https://doi.org/10.1049/iet-net.2018.5127S74788

Technologies and solutions for location-based services in smart cities: past, present, and future

Location-based services (LBS) in smart cities have drastically altered the way cities operate, giving a new dimension to the life of citizens. LBS rely on location of a device, where proximity estimation remains at its core. The applications of LBS range from social networking and marketing to vehicle-toeverything communications. In many of these applications, there is an increasing need and trend to learn the physical distance between nearby devices. This paper elaborates upon the current needs of proximity estimation in LBS and compares them against the available Localization and Proximity (LP) finding technologies (LP technologies in short). These technologies are compared for their accuracies and performance based on various different parameters, including latency, energy consumption, security, complexity, and throughput. Hereafter, a classification of these technologies, based on various different smart city applications, is presented. Finally, we discuss some emerging LP technologies that enable proximity estimation in LBS and present some future research areas

FPGA-Based Intelligent Traffic Controller with Remote Operation Mode

This paper covers the design and implementation of an intelligent traffic management system for an isolated intersection. The vehicular traffic management system employs Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) as the central decision-making unit and combines its speed and high number of I/O with other system components such as the ESP8266 Wi-Fi module, to record real-time traffic information and apportion green-time for each phase of traffic signal. The design and implementation incorporate three different operational modes namely, fixed time mode, sensor actuated mode and remote control mode, to alleviate vehicular traffic congestion and also reduce the risk of accidents at intersections. The incorporation of remote control mode, which enables an authorized personnel to remotely control the traffic, using a cloud-based application running on a portable device, makes this system different from previous works. Simulation using a prototype of the model on a model intersection, shows that the system can reduce waiting time and increase throughput at the intersections

Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Fingerprint-Based Ignition Key for Motorcycles

Cases of motorcycle theft by breaking mechanical key are still a serious problem in some countries. Therefore, this article discusses the process of development, implementation, and evaluation of a fingerprint-based ignition key for motorcycles. To prevent theft, a motorcycle can only be turned on by a registered fingerprint, and an alarm will ring if the sensor receives an unregistered fingerprint. This prototype used the main component of the SEN0188 fingerprint sensor, Arduino Uno microcontroller, LM317 voltage regulator, and the buzzer alarm module. The test results in shaded place showed that the proposed key successfully ignited the engine by 80% with a dry and clean thumb. However, if the thumb is oily or dirty, the success scanning rate is only 36% of 25 attempts. The proposed key also successfully activates a warning alarm if a fingerprint scan attempt fails three times in a row. Test results on potholes, bumpy, dusty, and puddles roads indicate that no hardware has been disturbed or damaged. Therefore, this prototype has the potential to be further developed and implemented on a large scale in an effort to reduce motorcycle theft rates

Survey on Wireless Sensor Networks for Reliable Life Services and Other Advanced Applications

Wireless is an old technology; however with the advancement of science and technology it has enabled us to send signals to one or more devices without tangible wire connections and reduced complexity. The increasing human needs have lead to the integration of different technologies into a single unit and Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is one such integration where sensors are integrated with wireless system to form a network. This network is used for a plethora of applications in sectors like defence, agriculture, medical, environment and industry

Pay as You Go: A Generic Crypto Tolling Architecture

The imminent pervasive adoption of vehicular communication, based on dedicated short-range technology (ETSI ITS G5 or IEEE WAVE), 5G, or both, will foster a richer service ecosystem for vehicular applications. The appearance of new cryptography based solutions envisaging digital identity and currency exchange are set to stem new approaches for existing and future challenges. This paper presents a novel tolling architecture that harnesses the availability of 5G C-V2X connectivity for open road tolling using smartphones, IOTA as the digital currency and Hyperledger Indy for identity validation. An experimental feasibility analysis is used to validate the proposed architecture for secure, private and convenient electronic toll payment

Technological model for tracking & monitoring brazilian beef supply chain

This paper addresses the issue of tracing the chain of Brazilian beef sector, which contributes\ud largely to the contents of Brazilian exports. In order to, scrutinize the issue of tracking applied to the sector,\ud were briefly raised the demands of domestic and foreign markets, highlighting the heterogeneity of the\ud international market. After, they were raised and briefly explained the main technological solutions currently\ud available. Armed with such data, solutions were proposed. The full adoption of the solutions indicated would\ud reduce the need for paper during the processes contained in the supply chain, streamline the exchange of\ud information securely, allowing the real-time tracking of the product during his trip to the importer, increasing,\ud in addition, the reliability the quality of Brazilian product