Networking & Communication Systems

In the UK, the necessary radio spectrum has been identified and standardised technology developed to allow cost effective wireless communication between cars, devices and other ‘machines’. This by Professor William Webb. A world free of traffic congestion, with intelligent systems directing vehicles and alerting drivers to free parking spaces may sound a far off fantasy to motorists stuck in seemingly endless queues on the outskirts of London. Yet this is a scenario not confined to the world of science fict

SQLstream’s Ronnie Beggs discusses with Jason Barnes the potential and pitfalls of using social media for traffic monitoring and management. cataclysmic events such as hurricanes and tsunami have challenged perceptions of what constitutes robust traffic management infrastructure in recent times. Presumptions that only fixed systems could offer high levels of unbroken service, accuracy and communication bandwidth, have been taught some hard lessons by nature. In many respects wireless systems now represent t

A new 3G wireless communications solution which allows Siemens UTMC OTUs to be connected to the company’s PC SCOOT UTC instation has been launched by the company following extensive field trials. The newly released 3G option is available on Gemini2 and is provided by the use of an approved 3G router and antenna kit and is quick and easy to install. It allows junctions to be added onto the UTC system without the need for physically wired or fibre links, reducing installation and civil engineering costs. Acc

TraficOK, a joint development by Romanian software company AROBS Transilvania Software, specialising in customised automotive solutions, and be-mobile, Belgian provider of traffic and mobility information, is, according to both companies, a fully comprehensive traffic portal that provides precise traffic and mobility information the Romanian public accurate and. TraficOK provides detailed and up to the minute live traffic information, sourced from an extensive fleet and uniquely for the Romanian market, enh

Siemens WiMag wireless traffic detection, which is an alternative to conventional loop and radar traffic detection systems, uses magnetic disturbances to detect vehicles and low power wireless technology to transmit data to host controllers. The company says WiMag can offer a more flexible solution than traditional loop detectors, particularly where detection is required at significant distances from the traffic controller. Battery-powered, wirelessly linked and smaller in size than traditional loop detecto

UK traffic information and driver services provider Inrix has introduced a new traffic app for Android that helps drivers locate the closest, cheapest petrol from more than 100,000 petrol station locations nationwide.

A recent survey of fleet managers and decision-makers by GreenRoad, driver performance management service provider, entitled Fleet leaders embracing mobile technology potential, found that fleet managers are leading smartphone adoption and work-related app usage. The survey revealed strong interest in smartphones and mobile devices across the industries surveyed. Sixty-six percent of fleet leaders report that most of their managers now carry smartphones at work. Forty-three percent are using smartphone or

US-based mapping and navigation specialist, Rand McNally has unveiled its new HD 100 device, which the company claims turns GPS units, tablets and smart phones into compliant electronic on-board recorders (EOBR) systems. Designed to work seamlessly with a variety of mobile devices, the hours of service recorder within the HD 100 qualifies it as a compliant electronic driver log. The device plugs into a vehicle's on-board diagnostics port and records the truck's GPS position along with critical vehicle-speci

A two-year pilot project has begun in London with taxi firm Addison Lee and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Renault, which uses the principle of magnetic induction to jump electricity from a base station direct to the vehicle’s battery to deliver wireless charging. The charging technology being used is called Halo and has been developed by mobile innovations company Qualcomm, the organisation responsible for processors powering the latest generation of smartphones and tablets. ‘EV drivers will opt for th

Communication Networks (ComNet) is introducing a four-port self-managed Ethernet switch. It has four TX Ethernet ports that allow the Ethernet data from three of the TX ports to be combined and inserted onto the network through the fourth TX port. The self-management feature requires no user intervention and is pre-programmed to avoid flooding the network. ComNet says the CNFE4SMS offers management without the cost or user knowledge required for a managed switch. The device is pre-programmed and meets the I