Smart Transportation

Smart transportation; One of the components of reaching a smart city

Moving from one place to another is not only today, but throughout history it has always been an inseparable part of our lives; From chariots and horses to wagons, cars, trains and spaceships. With the emergence of intelligent transportation systems and the Internet of Things (IoT), the world is entering the next phase of movement, i.e., intelligent transportation. If this term sounds vague, don't worry. In this article, we try to tell what exactly is smart transportation, how it works and examine the many benefits it brings.

What is smart transportation?

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) use various technologies to monitor, evaluate, and manage transportation systems in order to increase efficiency and safety. In fact, smart transportation uses Internet of Things (IoT) innovations to make moving around the city easier, more affordable, and safer for citizens.

In other words, the intelligent transportation system refers to a set of tools, facilities, and expertise, which include concepts such as traffic engineering, software, hardware, and telecommunication technologies. Citizens can save time and money with the intelligent transportation system that is designed to minimize traffic problems.

Which technologies facilitate smart transportation?

In the smartening of the transportation system, the integrated use of the following new technologies can be mentioned:

• Car navigation

Satellite navigation is used to receive location information, and then the car's position on the road is determined.

• Traffic signal control systems

Modern traffic control systems are adapted to work in a smart way. These systems are actually developed to respond to their surroundings and adapt to traffic conditions. If you're driving in rush hour traffic, and you see green traffic lights all the way from work to home, you're in luck; Because dynamic signals have turned all the traffic lights green to smooth the traffic flow.

• Automatic recognition of the license plate

This diagnostic system is used to identify and read car license plates. This data identifies the location of the vehicle and is used for law enforcement, electronic toll collection and road payment systems.

• Speed control cameras

Radar technology and cameras installed on inner and outer city roads are used to detect cars that drive above the speed limit. Then a digital photo is taken and sent to the driver. In fact, this method is a preventive method to reduce accidents and encourage drivers to drive safer.

How does the intelligent transportation system work?

An intelligent transportation system always has four main elements:

• Collecting traffic data

An intelligent transportation system uses devices such as GPS devices, road cameras, and vehicle identifiers to collect information. These devices collect information about the location and speed of vehicles and traffic conditions.

• Data transmission

The intelligent transportation system transmits the information collected by the sensors to a management center where the data is analyzed.

• Traffic data analysis

At this point in the smart transportation system, data is customized for further analysis and then sent to user interfaces.

• Providing information to users

Finally, the obtained information is made available to citizens via radio, web browsers or text messages. This data informs the citizens about the traffic and helps them to choose the optimal routes.

Why do we need smart transportation?

Smartening the transportation system brings many benefits to a smart city and its residents:

• Smart transportation is safer

Due to the fact that computers are not distracted, they do not get tired and emotional; Therefore, by applying Internet of Things (IoT) innovations and integrating them with computer systems in the intelligent transportation system, both in vehicles and in urban infrastructure such as intersections, the human factor in accidents is reduced.

• Smart transportation is better managed

Data collection is an important key for urban and infrastructure management. Smart transportation not only provides accurate data for every aspect of the transportation system, but also allows city managers to better and more accurately monitor performance. It also provides the opportunity to track maintenance needs and identify key sources of problems that need to be corrected.

• Smart transportation is more efficient

Quality data helps identify areas where efficiency can be improved. Maybe a slight adjustment in the train schedule will result in less delay time. Or maybe by allocating stations differently, bus drivers would be able to provide better service to the community.

• Smart transportation is affordable

As smart transport makes better use of available resources, it can reduce costs thanks to preventive maintenance, lower energy consumption and fewer resources used for accidents.

• Smart transportation provides quick insights

Urban Traffic Management Centers (TMCs) can receive quick visibility and notifications for trouble spots or city-wide issues that affect congestion on city streets, public safety, and emergency response systems.

• Security is much more in smart transportation

Due to the growing trend of worldwide connectivity through the Internet of Things (IoT), cyber-attacks have become almost common among criminals and even national governments. Because they target critical infrastructure such as power grids connected to the Internet and banking systems. However, cyber-attacks in themselves are nothing new. Only the tools of these attacks are new. Critical infrastructure such as transportation has also been vulnerable to physical attacks long before computers existed. Physical threats such as car theft by criminals, terrorists using vehicles as weapons can all be mitigated by the integration, networking and autonomy of vehicles and infrastructure.

• Smart transportation supports the environment

While scientific advances seek to find alternative sources of energy every day, another benefit of smart transportation technology is that it allows cities to use their current resources more responsibly. Public transportation is better for the environment than private vehicles and can benefit more citizens.

• With smart transportation, the supply chain becomes more flexible

The world's supply chains are vulnerable to any disruption. When workers and drivers are sick and traveling from one point to another is a major risk to public health (as in the case of the Corona pandemic), smart freight transportation can literally be a lifesaver.

• Optimization of fleet management and smart trackers

The fleet management system uses GPS as a progressive goal for intelligent vehicle tracking and real-time data recording of the positions of all types of cars, buses, trains, and airplanes. Every type of vehicle that needs to be tracked is equipped with a GPS receiver and sends the obtained coordinates to data recording bases through local or satellite networks.

Take a step towards smart transportation with IoTSmile platform!

With the growing use of smart transportation system by various cities, these cities benefit from many advantages such as safety and modern transportation. Also, the smartening of the transportation system has a significant contribution to the better performance of personnel and managers and the promotion of urban management organizations. In today's world, keeping up with technology is for the benefit of society, and being dependent on traditional formats will not bring benefits to individuals and organizations. Therefore, by implementing the IoTSmile platform, you can benefit from the benefits of intelligent transportation and prepare the smart systems you want.

In this article, we discussed various applications of Internet of Things (IoT) in the transportation sector. Now, in order to receive advice and prepare any of the products, you can contact us by calling the numbers announced on the site, sending an email or registering a ticket. Our colleagues are ready to answer and guide you.

References:

1. Digi: An Introduction to Smart Transportation: Benefits and Examples-December 09, 2020
2. Iotforall: What Makes Transportation Smart? Defining Intelligent Transportation-December 22, 2020
3. log.gunneboentrancecontrol: What is Smart Transportation and is it the Future?
4. Nec: What is smart transportation?-26 January, 2021
5. Conurets: 5 Major Applications of IoT in Transportation-February 28