A new systems-agnostic universal cooperative ITS (C-ITS) communications unit will be demonstrated at the 2016 ITS World Congress, which takes place in Melbourne, Australia from October 10-14.
Developed by the Norwegian tolling and intelligent traffic technology company, Q-Free, the new Universal ITS (U-ITS) Station offers a common solution for roadside and in-vehicle systems, with a unit that interfaces readily with other manufacturers’ products. At this year’s ITS World Congress, Q-Free’s U-ITS Station will be helping to achieve two significant firsts. The outdoor demonstration area will host the first C-ITS showcase of its type in the southern hemisphere; and it will also be the first implementation of C-ITS technology and applications using open, agreed standards on live intersections anywhere in the world. Q-Free’s U-ITS Station will form the heart of the C-ITS display and live demonstration on Melbourne streets.
The U-ITS Station is a compact, comprehensive C-ITS solution providing full hybrid, ETSI/ISO-standard communications. It is available in roadside and in-vehicle versions that use many of the same components. Its conformity with internationally agreed C-ITS standards enables ready interfacing with other manufacturers’ technologies. This is significant, as previous ITS World Congress outdoor demonstrations have featured proprietary standards, or effectively represented a single supplier’s product set.
During the Melbourne World Congress, U-ITS Station-equipped coaches traveling to and from the outdoor demonstration area will pass through a series of intersections. The roadside U-ITS Stations will broadcast standard messages, including intersection map and traffic signal status (SPaT/MAP), roadside awareness messages (CAM) and roadside service announcements. A central ITS station will provide open web access, enabling smartphone, tablet or PC users to follow the demonstration live. As well as the live real-world demonstrations, Q-Free will be in attendance within the main exhibition, and key members of staff will be on hand to talk about the U-ITS Station, as well as the company’s other systems that support smarter mobility in urban and inter-urban environments.
“The Universal ITS Station is the most technically advanced ITS product we have ever created,” said Knut Evensen, Q-Free’s chief technologist. “This is the third-generation unit and it is now a very highly capable and, crucially, robust solution for the C-ITS environment. Interoperability testing with other manufacturers went entirely according to plan. Everything worked just fine, first time. What we now have is an effective, accessible, totally standards-compliant solution that is fully capable of supporting C-ITS pilots around the world. We’ve already achieved our first sales in this respect.”
