Location Based Systems

Europe’s truck manufacturers have revealed a detailed timeline of steps leading up to the introduction of convoys of semi-automated trucks on Europe’s motorways before 2025, with the publication of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) report EU Roadmap for Truck Platooning. This also provides guidance to policy makers and authorities on the regulatory changes and political support necessary for cross-border truck platooning. Truck platooning is the linking of two or more trucks in convo

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) has engaged Arcadis US to provide technical support services and facilitate planning activities related to connected and autonomous vehicles and their impact on highway infrastructure to prepare for the future of transportation. The multi-year US$2 million contract includes developing the strategic implementation plan for connected and autonomous vehicle implementation and performing intelligent transportation systems architectures and syst

A new study by Ptolemus Consulting Group predicts that advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) will have a considerable impact on safety and the potential to reduce accidents. The firm’s Autonomous Vehicle Global Study provides a comprehensive analysis of the timeline, volumes and impacts of the upcoming automation revolution. It quantifies country-by-country the roll-out of ADAS and autonomous vehicles (AVs) and estimates their impact on driver safety. By 2030, Ptolemus forecasts that there will be more

The autonomous cars developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland are able to exchange information with each other and their driving environment. They are able to follow a pre-programmed route and avoid collisions with sudden obstacles without input from the driver. The cars currently require the lane markings or sides of the road to be visible. However, by 2020, VTT says the cars will be driving in more demanding conditions on roads covered in gravel and snow. The autonomous cars feature a thermal

Q-Free has demonstrated the vehicle location capabilities of its current range of Cooperative ITS (C-ITS) systems in Australia in tests carried out with Roads and Maritime Services (RMS), the transport authority for News South Wales. Q-Free’s systems gave second-by-second positional information on heavy vehicles manoeuvring at intersections. They demonstrated Q-Free’s C-ITS systems’ ability to provide to-the-lane accuracy and open the way to future C-ITS applications where, for example, drivers need to be w

Volvo has developed a bespoke autonomous refuse collecting vehicle designed to minimise the need for the driver to climb in and out of the cab when collecting the bins for emptying into the body. Having driven the route to program the stopping points, on subsequent visits the driver can simply press a button on the side of the vehicle to initiate the vehicle moving to the next position – either forward or backwards. The appropriate gear is engaged and the park brake released automatically until the move is

The International Transport Forum, in partnership with the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) is working on a project which examines the impact of driverless trucks. It focuses on developments in Europe and North America, with some evidence drawn from other continents, such as automated trains and mining equipment in Australia. The aim is to consider whether driverless road freight trans

Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems is providing an in-kind investment of its connected vehicle hardware and software technologies to Columbus, Ohio, the recent winner of the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Smart City Challenge. Siemens’ investment, valued at US$385,000, aims to support the expansion of the ‘Smart Columbus’ initiative. The advanced hardware and software will act as the foundation for the city’s future connected vehicle efforts, enabling vehicles to communicate with traffic infrast

The latest research published by MarketsandMarkets indicates that the global market for semi-autonomous vehicles is estimated to be 3.17 million units in 2016, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.85 per cent from 2016 to 2021, to reach 7.84 million units by 2021. However, the global market for autonomous vehicles is estimated to be 0.18 million units in 2025, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 41.26 per cent per cent from 2025 to 2030, to reach 1.01 million units by 2030. The report says the growth

The fifth edition of the European GNSS Agency’s (GSA) 2017 GNSS Market Report offers a comprehensive look at the global GNSS market, providing an analysis per market segment (location-based services (LBS), road transportation, aviation, maritime, rail, agriculture, surveying and timing and synchronisation), region and application type, including information on shipments, revenues and installed device base. In the road sector, according to the report, European GNSS, including Galileo and EGNOS, significantly