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New
Technology for the Roads...
a brief Summary. |
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| Introduction. |
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| Times have changed since the
golden years of the automobile a few decades ago. Today...
congestion:
pollution: and safety problems: are intensifying. Outbreaks of 'Road Rage'
may
be a symptom of a system that is cracking under the strain, as poorly
trained drivers of... powerful cars: commercial vehicles: sports
utilities: and motorcycles: vie with... cyclists: pedestrians: and other road
users: for increasingly scarce roadway space. |
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| There has recently been a
shift in focus from Engineering and Enforcement as solutions to traffic
problems... back to the Training and Education of road users.
However...
recent rapid advances in Information Technology have re-energised the
search for Technological Solutions. Drivers will need to understand
the benefits and disadvantages of these Technologies in order to
participate effectively in political decisions about their implementation. |
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Some of the New Technologies
being Developed.
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| The following is a brief
summery of some of the different types of Technology being developed...
and their possible uses. Some of these Technologies may be very
beneficial... depending on how they are applied: [i.e. there is little
point in putting everyone to enormous expense to solve a small problem...
or one that can easily be circumvented by serious offenders... like
installing Face Recognition Technology, if wanted criminals are going to
be uncooperative and start wearing... hats: sunglasses: scarves: grow
beards: etc.] Governments need to look at ways Technology can be
used to engage road users in pro-active ways... rather than simply using
it to try and monitor, control or punish them. |
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| Intelligent Speed Adaptation.
Would mean controlling vehicles using GPS Technology. The
vehicle knows exactly where it is... add a piece of software... and the
vehicle knows what the speed limit is on any particular stretch of
road. The vehicle also knows what speed it is doing... so whenever
the driver tries to exceed a speed limit... the fuel will be cut... or
brakes applied... making it physically impossible for the driver to exceed
a speed limit. See Article. They
have not outlined their plans for older, vintage or classic cars... where
the electronics would be incompatible... or for vehicles entering 'The
Zone' from a foreign country. |
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| ISA, 2007.
The developers seem to be backing away from the most extreme example
of ISA. Because... if they take control of the vehicle... then
they will have to
accept some responsibility for what happens as a result. In
their latest model... a driver will be
able to over-ride the system... but this fact will be recorded...
and may be used against them in some way. Basically... they
will have the power to control... but the driver responsibility. |
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| Dynamic Speed Adaptation.
Getting drivers to adjust their speed to desired levels to accommodate
other road users' needs is an on going problem. DSA Technology
offers remote speed advice to drivers about appropriate speeds in
particular stretches of roadway. [Trials are being planned in Sweden
and the Netherlands.] Drivers can respond to emergencies in a combination of three
ways...
they can brake: manoeuvre: or accelerate... and many experts believe it is
important than none of these options are removed. Any system than
over-rides the actions of the driver is going to have to accept some of
the responsibility when things go wrong. |
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| Cameras... of every
kind are already proliferating at an incredible rate... static Gatso Speed
Cameras: mobile Radar units: Cameras that measure speeds over long
distances: [SPECS - sometimes a few klms... sometimes hundreds of klms] Red-Light
Cameras: Cameras watching Traffic-flow: Cameras controlling congestion
charges: cameras mounted on Police cars: etc. And in the not to
distant future... Cameras that read number plates and instantly compare
them to a National Database so illegal vehicles can be intercepted... and
Face Recognition Technology, so wanted criminals can be intercepted. |
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| Road Pricing Technologies.
One way of avoiding traffic bans imposed by politicians... Bengt Forsman
of Sweden's Combitech Traffic Systems suggests... is to cause drivers to be
more efficient in their use of roads by using automated pricing systems...
in which they pay according to use. Forsman goes on to say " In
most cases... today's drivers pay the same for road use regardless of when
they travel: [rush hour, for example,] how much they pollute: the risks
they pose to other road users: or the wear they inflict on the roadway.
Effective road pricing would make traffic and road use more efficient by
charging drivers [or vehicle owners] according to their level and
efficiency of road use". |
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| Automated
Tolls. A variety of automated
tolling systems are coming into use around the world... with a sophisticated
system of cameras and electronic payment systems, combining to extract
payment by degree of road use. Electronic toll roads are becoming
popular around the world as a means of funding highway maintenance and
development. One of the goal's of China's ninth five-year plan was
the completion of 150,000 miles of Highway by the year 2,000.
Financing by means of tolling systems was a key element of this plan. |
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| Driver Assistance
Technologies. These Technologies... being developed by such
companies as Audi and BMW... offer drivers assistance in the form of Information flow... and
if the Technology Developers have their way, into some form of input into
the control of the vehicle itself. [Read BMW
Report for details.] |
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| Adaptive Cruise Control.
Uses sensors to gather Information about the roadway ahead. This Information can then be
used to automatically control the vehicle speed. Image Processing Techniques and sophisticated
Object Tracking Devices, can be used to take
over control of the vehicle in limited situations... such as motorway
driving. |
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| Heading Control Systems... used to make steering easier.
Video cameras provide Information about lane markings and Electro Servo Motors provide input into the steering of the vehicle. |
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| Car Navigation Systems... used to aid drivers in finding
their destination... avoiding congestion... and using roads efficiently.
Global Positioning Systems can tell the driver... the exact position of the
vehicle in relation to a map. Information about... traffic: local
points of interest: or where to turn to reach a destination: can be
supplied to the driver, using an Onboard Computer System. |
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| Traffic Message Channels.
Today's radio traffic reports
have the disadvantage that drivers often have to listen to a great deal of
Information before getting what they need to make a decision, and they may
not get it in time. Future traffic reports are likely to come from
specialised channels encoded in radio signals and can be called up at any
time. |
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| Emergency Response
Technology. With the power
of Information Technology... the vehicle of the future will always be in
touch with assistance. Even if the car that goes off the road and
crashes in a remote area... leaving it's occupants unconscious... will be able
to relay an emergency call to the most appropriate source of assistance
required. The deployment of an airbag can be the signal to send a
message to a service provider... and in turn summon immediate emergency
assistance to an exact location as specified by the GPS co-ordinates. |
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| Galileo.
Central to many of these technologies is the introduction of the
Galileo Satelite Navigation System. If offers a whole range of
options... many good... some that could be really awful... depending
on how they are used. With the possibility that every mobile
phone... and every vehicle could be fitted with a tracking system it
has the potential to turn the "Big Brother" scenario into
a reality. Have a look at their website and form your own
opinion... [See
Galileo Industries.] |
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| Electronic
Vehicle Identification. As stated in a Report from the E.U...
the main target of Electronic
Vehicle Identification is the eventual development of an electronic,
unique identifier for all motor vehicles... which would enable a wealth of
applications... many of them of crucial importance for the public
authorities to combat... congestion: a whole range of driving offences: and vehicle
crime on European roads. And that such a system should be
standardised and interoperable across the whole of the E.U. and eventually
the whole world. |
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| The CitySafety
system. Being launched about autumn 2008 on the Volvo XC60
[followed by Mercedes and Honda] is described as
"anti-collision" technology. A front mounted,
laser-guidance system can detect other vehicles up to 6 metres in front,
on your side of the road...
can sense the speed your vehicle is approaching the one ahead... and will
brake if necessary. Aims to prevent rear-end collisions below 10mph... and
reduce any impact between 10-20mph. Has a separate "adaptive
cruise control" system for higher speeds.
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| On the
down-side... if it works drivers are likely to pay even less attention
to the road: [Volvo drivers paying even less attention... can this really
be desirable?] 100% responsibility remains with the driver... if the
system prevents an accident, it takes the credit... if it crashes, that's
your fault. It might detect vehicles in front... but not those that
turn across your path... or pedestrians, cyclists, motorbikes, etc.
etc. On a motorway... if someone pulls in front of you from another
lane... the system is likely to hit the brakes... when you wouldn't
bother: [which should be avoided as it causes even more braking behind
which can spark a "phantom traffic jam"] and won't brake when
you might... [because you see a hazardous situation developing ahead of
you.] If you accelerate up behind another vehicle in order to
overtake it... just before you pull out... the system may detect the
vehicle in front, and brake, just as you are trying to accelerate...
leaving you in danger of being rear-ended by any following vehicle. This system
won't just step in and save you by intervening on the odd occasion when you're not paying attention... it
will continually interfere with your decisions when you are paying
attention.
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| V2V Information.
Is a system that knows where vehicles are in relation to one another...
and can pass this Information on. The idea is... for example, you
are approaching a blind corner and another vehicle has stopped just around
the bend... it knows you are approaching and warns you. It is not
difficult to foresee some problems with this. Rather than drivers
slowing down so that they can stop within the distance they can see is
clear... they may start to assume that the road is clear unless they are
warned otherwise. Eventually, there will be something around the
bend that the system has not registered... be it a Tractor coming out of a
field... an animal crossing the road... a cyclists? children? etc. etc.
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| Self-driving cars.
Quite a lot of progress is being made but the age of the self-driving car
still appears to be decades away. Technology is very good at some
things... knowing where it is... how fast it is going, etc. but very poor
at interpreting situations on a busy city street or predicting what might
happen in the next few seconds. The system itself is not really
going to work unless it controls all vehicles. It may also encounter
another major
obstacle... drivers simply do not want to give up control of their
vehicles. And manufacturers are not going to be keen in accepting
responsibility if the system is not 100% reliable an accidents still
happen.
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