Location Based Systems

U-blox has announced its entry into the rapidly expanding embedded GSM/GPRS market with the launch of LEON, a new surface-mount GSM transceiver module.

VehSmart has added a personal remote panic alarm feature to its telematics-based concierge and personal assistance services.

Specifically designed for trucking, fleet, and logistics applications, ESRI has announced ArcLogistics Navigator, a complete desktop solution for creating optimised routes and solving scheduling problems.

Brigade has launched a new heavy-duty radar detection system to enable construction vehicles and mobile plant equipment to manoeuvre more safely, preventing costly vehicle damage.

Ton Brand describes the GSM Association's Embedded mTelematics programme. As the world's roads become increasingly crowded, consumers and businesses are demanding better real-time information to help them both avoid traffic congestion and make smarter use of public transport. Embedding mobile connectivity directly into vehicles can enable drivers and passengers to see live traffic flows in their localities, as well as the expected arrival time of the next bus, ferry or tram

Despite much research and technological promise, progress towards cooperative infrastructure system deployment is still slow. Here, Robert Cone and John Miles take a considered look at how and when it might come about. From a systems engineering viewpoint it looks logical and inevitable that vehicles should be communicating between themselves and with the road infrastructure. But seen from a business viewpoint the case is not proven.

Juhani Jääskeläinen, head of the ICT for Transport Unit, DG Information Society and Media, European Commission, details the results of Call 4 for research projects in ICT for transport. Since the closure of the call and evaluation process during the summer of last year the European Commission (EC) has been negotiating and signing contracts with projects which were selected from proposals submitted to Call 4 of the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) fo

Masternaut has launched what it claims is the world's first vehicle tracking system based around a single intelligent mobile communication unit. The system comprises a Mobile Communication Centre (MCC) combining vehicle tracking, GPS satellite navigation, hands-free mobile communications and real-time job scheduling and messaging in a single unit. According to Masternaut, which already has 150,000 telematics units installed across Europe, the new all-in-one unit eliminates the need for separate sat-nav

Navteq has announced the launch of its Traffic service in Russia, delivering comprehensive, real-time traffic information to nearly 16.5 million people in three major cities

FreightWatch Security Net, a provider of embedded cargo and portable surveillance tracking solutions, has received FCC 47 CFR Part 15, Subpart B certification for its Geo F2 'Pill Bottle' location tracker, the first commercial-class Qualcomm inGeo platform-based product