Browsing: Features

Andrew Martin, professor of systems security at Oxford University in the UK, is an expert in ‘trusted computing technologies’, particularly in cloud, mobile, and embedded applications –embodied in the concept of the Internet of Things. Here, he gives his expert opinion on potential security issues in the field of autonomous vehicles – flagging areas, such as freight, that transportation authorities should be ready to protect from cyber attack.

With the ‘shared space’ movement putting pressure on authorities to remove traffic signals from urban areas, and proponents of connected and  autonomous vehicle technology claiming one day we may be able to do away with them all together, the future for the trusty traffic signal feels far from certain. In a second extract from his new book Traffic Signals, Alistair Gollop, senior ITS consultant at Mott MacDonald, takes detailed look at what we can expect from this technology in the coming years. 

The evolution of the traffic light can be traced back some 200 years, but before becoming the reliable system we know today it has had to recover from a number of design flaws and evolutionary dead-ends – as well as all-out explosions. In this exclusive extract from his new book Traffic Signals, Alistair Gollop (pictured), senior ITS consultant at Mott MacDonald, presents what is perhaps the most complete history of traffic signal design ever compiled. It is just the first chapter of the book, which is a comprehensive guide to traffic signals, from first principles and design issues, to equipment and testing, commissioning and assessments. It is a complete introduction to the subject and likely to be of interest to traffic management practitioners of all levels.

Even though such systems are still very much in their infancy, the days of DSRC (direct short range communication) being used in connected signal systems are already numbered, according to the majority of transportation professionals who voted in a Traffic Technology Today poll – the results of which are published today (January 15, 2016).

Traffic Technology Today has been speaking exclusively to some of the most influential thought leaders at the ITS World Congress in Bordeaux, France, this week (October 5-9), getting news on the latest research projects and opinion on where the industry is heading. Here are highlights from six of the best conversations we’ve had over the past few days.

It’s easy to get carried away with visions of a driverless-vehicle Utopia – an emission-free pod picks you up from your front door at the touch of a button and whisks you quickly and safely to your destination, while you relax or work in its comfortable interior. But Adriano Alessandrini, project coordinator for CityMobil2, Europe’s largest automated vehicle project, has a more cautious vision of our autonomous future.

Two massive, and yet so far mostly separate, areas of innovation in transportation are autonomous and electric vehicles. Nevertheless, when AVs finally become an everyday reality it is almost impossible to imagine them as anything but EVs. Energy storage and EV expert Guy Cressingham investigates how these two research roads are now converging on the same destination – and what challenges will have to be overcome before we get there.