14.06.2021
United Kingdom, Intelligent Transport
Clean Air Zone in Birmingham
On June 14, 2021, a Clean Air Zone was opened in the city of Birmingham, the entrance to which will be paid for all vehicles that do not meet environmental requirements.
The Clean Air Zone is located within the A4540 Middleway motorway and will be used by Birmingham City Council to encourage drivers of the most polluting vehicles to upgrade or replace their cars, as well as to encourage cycling and public transport.
Cars, taxis and trucks that do not meet the Clean Air Zone emissions standard will be charged £8 per day, and buses and heavy vehicles will be charged £50 per day.
Birmingham City Council says a number of support measures have been put in place for transport companies. This includes temporary toll exemption permits and financial incentives, as well as the Heavy Vehicle Fund (HDV Fund).
href="https://www.intelligenttransport.com/transport-news/125951/birmingham-clean-air-zone/">https://www.intelligenttransport.com/transport-news/125951/birmingham-clean-air-zone/
15.06.2021
Japan, Traffic Technology Today
Toshiba upgrades lidar to monitor transport infrastructure
Toshiba Corporation has announced an updated version of its solution for solid-state lidar (from the English abbreviation LIDAR - technology for obtaining and processing information about remote objects using active optical systems using the phenomena of light absorption and scattering in optically transparent media). With a maximum detection range of 200 meters and exceptionally high resolution, the new lidar will help accelerate the transition to autonomous driving.
It will also create opportunities for monitoring transport infrastructure, for example, for early detection of sagging roads or landslides, the presence of snow cover or foreign objects on the roads.
Modern methods of monitoring transport infrastructure are based on cameras, but their performance deteriorates due to low light levels and adverse weather conditions. Toshiba's extremely compact lidar provides clear, reliable, long-range three-dimensional scanning and detection objects in a wide range of lighting and weather conditions.
The key moment in the creation of a compact lidar unit was the innovations that Toshiba introduced into its silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) light receiving chips to increase the achieved image resolution.
Toshiba has also made sure that the new lidar demonstrates the durability required for outdoor use in all weather conditions. The temperature compensation mechanism automatically adjusts the input voltage applied to the light receiving elements to mitigate the effect of changes in external temperature. This means that increased SiPM performance is maintained despite any fluctuations in ambient temperature. Toshiba has also reduced the overall size of the lidar projector and receiver to 350 cc .
Further research and development will lead to an increase in the detection range, image resolution and miniaturization of lidars. This will open up new possibilities for autonomous vehicles.
href="https://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news/asset-management/toshiba-to-deploy-lidar-on-infrastructure-for-transportation-monitoring.html">https://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news/asset-management/toshiba-to-deploy-lidar-on-infrastructure-for-transportation-monitoring.html
16.06.2021
Finland, Traffic Technology Today
New partnership will improve C-ITS data exchange in Finland
Dutch and Finnish intelligent mobility companies Monotch and Nodeon have announced the signing of a partnership agreement on the deployment of urban intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) in Finland. The partnership will provide the Finnish road authorities with the opportunity to implement the Monotch TLEX I2V software platform and take full advantage of its C-ITS services. The services being implemented in Finland include priorities for traffic lights and optimization of their operation, as well as real-time information services for road users.
TLEX I2V is a highly scalable system specifically designed to send and receive large amounts of data with ultra-low latency. The ready-to-use technology with an accessible interface and various protocol options is used in the nationwide UDAP platform initiated by the Dutch Talking Traffic program, in InterCor, Concorda and in the NordicWay3 project.
Combined solutions will make a significant contribution to the optimization of traffic flows and they will provide real-time information to road users. The road authorities will be able to improve road safety, as well as give priority to certain participants. For example, at traffic lights, cargo vehicles, emergency services, public transport and cyclists may have priority over the rest of the traffic. But more importantly, platforms are used to inform road users in real time.
17.06.2021
United Kingdom, Intelligent Transport
The UK's first "accredited mobility center" opened in London
On June 17, 2021, the UK's first "accredited mobility center" was opened in London, Redbridge district, combining environmentally friendly vehicles with public infrastructure facilities. The center itself is a complex that provides bicycle rental services, electric scooters and charging stations for micro mobility devices and electric vehicles, located in the immediate vicinity of the metro station and bus stops.
It is the first centre in the UK to meet the standards set by the national joint transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK), working in collaboration with the London Borough of Redbridge, EB Charging, Ubeeqo and Meristem Design.
CoMoUK reports that plans are underway to open more similar mobility centers across the UK.
The Scottish Government has also identified mobility centres as a strategic transport priority for the future.
https://www.intelligenttransport.com/transport-news/126087/mobility-hub-london/
18.06.2021
United Kingdom, Intelligent Transport
Opening a network of roads connected to 5G
In the UK, the "Road Sensor Network" project has been launched, which uses the capabilities of 5G technology to reduce congestion on some of the the busiest roads in the West Midlands. A network of 5G sensors to prevent congestion will transmit real—time traffic information to the regional control center so that measures can be taken promptly as congestion increases - possibly to change the direction of buses, make detours and issue instant warnings to motorists. Traffic data will also be used to identify traffic trends and help plan future transport development.
This project is aimed at obtaining a more detailed picture of the traffic flow by deploying various sensors, radars and cameras with 5G support in the network of main routes. Obtaining such information will help reduce congestion, as well as predict and manage growing traffic levels, especially during major events or incidents.
https://www.intelligenttransport.com/transport-news/126103/5g-tfwm/
06/18/2021
Australia, World Highways
Lumitex lights LED lamps in Melbourne tunnels
Two EastLink tunnels in Melbourne, Australia, became the first large tunnels in Victoria, illuminated by LED lamps.
The parallel tunnels "Mallum-Mallum" and "Melba" with a length of 1.6 km each, allow vehicles up to 4.65 m high to pass under the valley "Mallum-Mallum" without affecting wildlife and sensitive landscape.
Traffic in the tunnels was blocked due to modernization work: about 60 technicians using 22 scissor lifts exchanged 1,066 high-pressure sodium lamps for 1,174 new LED lights from Lumitex, an Australian manufacturer based near Perth in the Australian state of Western Australia.
A representative of EastLink said that before the start of the project, several suppliers and LED products were tested, which included trial installations in tunnels. This cost an additional $300,000 and led to the fact that Lumitex and its L4D series were chosen as the preferred product.
EastLink announced that the new LED lights – the "L4D" series from Lumitex — are whiter and brighter than the old sodium lanterns, which makes driving through tunnels easier and safer for drivers. Except In addition, the quality of the image on CCTV footage has improved; emergency workers and incident response units in the tunnel now work with light that allows you to see natural colors better. For example, if a motorist is injured as a result of a vehicle collision, brighter lighting will help ambulance workers in treating the victim. And in the event of a fire in a vehicle, fire and rescue services will have more favorable conditions for the operation of their equipment.
From an environmental point of view, the new lamps consume about 26% less energy, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 469 tons per year, EastLink reports.
https://www.worldhighways.com/wh12/news/lumitex-lights-melbournes-eastlink-tunnels
21.06.2021
USA, Traffic Technology Today
Why do smart roads carry the same value as autonomous vehicles?
Dr. Georges Aud is the co–founder and CEO of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which ensures the future of connected and autonomous mobility through an AI traffic management platform, — examines why a more intelligent infrastructure is just as important as intelligent vehicles.
There is no doubt that self-driving cars, or autonomous vehicles (AVS), are much safer than the average manned car. In fact, more than 90% of serious accidents are due to driver error, which means that autonomous vehicles can significantly reduce the number of collisions and save lives.
However, there are still many obstacles that have yet to be overcome, including seeing objects behind occlusions, such as buses or trucks, detecting the movements of pedestrians and drivers long before they start moving, and also being able to cope with faulty car sensors. Another complication that AV technology has not yet fully developed is the ability to respond adequately when new and unusual traffic incidents occur.
The emphasis on technology should be placed not only on the car itself, but also on modernization of real road infrastructure. Modern artificial intelligence (AI) for the development of intelligent infrastructure will not only help unmanned vehicles to better understand the roads, but also improve overall road safety.
Moreover, intelligent infrastructure can prevent traffic backup by adjusting traffic light signals when necessary.
21.06.2021
Italy, Innovation origins
Self-charging electric cars on the roads of Italy
Electric cars charging while driving will soon become a reality on a section of electrified road in northern Italy. This is undoubtedly the dream of every urban planner and landscape architect: no more electric charging poles and stations, but instead cars can be charged while driving. Now this has become possible thanks to a system developed by the Israeli company ElectReon Wireless. The technology allows charge the batteries of electric vehicles while driving on a specially constructed electrified road. The first test is being conducted in Italy on a kilometer-long stretch of highway between Milan and Brescia.
Electrified road
In a nutshell, Electreon is building infrastructure by installing copper coils under asphalt. The energy is transmitted directly and wirelessly to the car's batteries while driving by magnetic induction. The system includes a control unit located on the side lane of an electrified road. The receiver is installed in the chassis of each electric vehicle participating in the test.
https://innovationorigins.com/en/first-charging-highway-for-electric-vehicles-is-coming-to-italy/