Analysis, simulation and testing of ITS applications based on wireless communication technologies

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) aim to improve road transport safety and efficiency, to manage road networks in the interest of the society and to provide real time responses to events. In order to reach these goals, real time feedback to the drivers is expected through the integration of telecommunications, sensing and information technologies with transport engineering. Wireless communication technologies, that have been used in industrial applications for more than 30 years, play a crucial role in ITS, as based on the concept of multiple devices (on both vehicle and infrastructure side) interconnected in different ways. Connectivity, in tandem with sensing technologies, is fuelling the innovations that will inevitably lead to the next big opportunity for road transport: autonomous vehicles. Therefore, this study has investigated - through analysis, simulation and field testing – on applications based on wireless communication technologies meant to support both Data acquisition and Data diffusion as fundamental aspects/ phases in ITS, where data is widely individuated as being the key element

An Integrated Realistic Simulation Tool-Kit supporting deployment of C-ITS Services

Today, C-ITS (Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems) Services are facing deployment and therefore it is well recognized the importance of modelling and simulation in order to reduce costs of this process, increase the quality of products and systems, and document lessons learned. This paper presents a novel simulation tool-kit with a flexible architecture that integrates a road traffic simulator and one or more TMC (Traffic Management Centre) modules. The innovation respect to existing solutions is mainly due to integrating field measurements for the modelling of I2V (Infrastructure to Vehicle) communication in order to guarantee a dedicated, practical and realistic instrument for the design and implementation of a specific C-ITS solution. Validation and exploitation of the simulation tool complete operational tests related to (EC-funded) Compass4D Verona pilot site

An Integrated Realistic Simulation Tool-Kit supporting deployment of C-ITS Services

Today, C-ITS (Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems) Services are facing deployment and therefore it is well recognized the importance of modelling and simulation in order to reduce costs of this process, increase the quality of products and systems, and document lessons learned. This paper presents a novel simulation tool-kit with a flexible architecture that integrates a road traffic simulator and one or more TMC (Traffic Management Centre) modules. The innovation respect to existing solutions is mainly due to integrating field measurements for the modelling of I2V (Infrastructure to Vehicle) communication in order to guarantee a dedicated, practical and realistic instrument for the design and implementation of a specific C-ITS solution. Validation and exploitation of the simulation tool complete operational tests related to (EC-funded) Compass4D Verona pilot site

Exploitation of wireless sensor data in virtual reality for the provision of comprehensive support to tunnel safety training and emergency management

Twenty years of tunnel incidents have produced more than 700 victims worldwide. In Europe alone, there have been more than 60 road accidents in tunnels. Major tunnels are not immune: Mont Blanc (March 1999), Tauern (May 1999), and Saint Gotthard (October 2001), produced 62 deaths and multiple injuries. Despite structural and safety systems improvements, a number of factors must be addressed to ensure maximum safety. Factors include preparedness, timely support to the decision-making process, and planning optimal interventions in emergency management situations. This paper discusses the integration of wireless sensor networks (WSN) and virtual reality (VR) for through-life support to tunnel safety and emergency operations management. A WSN system designed for roadside applications is employed for environmental and traffic monitoring, event detection, and indoor localization. Data from the WSN is passed to a VR application. The VR application provides a 1:1 scale 3D model of the locale; allowing the injection and visualisation of detected events, locations, and other relevant information to support training and emergency situations. The modules presented were implemented and tested during the EU FP7 project SAVEME, which developed a system to detect incidents in transportation hubs and to support optimal evacuation guidance for multiple differently-abled travellers. For tunnel-specific challenges, SAVEME collaborated with the Gotthard Tunnel, CNVVF (Italian National Fire Brigade), and ANAS (Italian National Road Company). Testimonials and results obtained during training and live trials indicate how such a system can improve timeliness and provide responders with valuable additional capabilities in the event of an emergency