Smart Highways
Pardeep Singh
| 18-03-2024
· Vehicle Team
As a pivotal force driving the profound integration of a new generation of information technology and transportation, smart highways assume a strategic role in enhancing highway transportation efficiency and fostering emerging industries.
Globally, nations are fervently advancing technology research, development, and application to stay abreast of the accelerating wave of the scientific and technological revolution, led by 5G, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.
Amid this technological surge, smart high-speed infrastructure emerges as a focal point in the intelligent transportation realm, with its dimensions encompassing driverless driving, vehicle-road coordination, automated monitoring, intelligent operation control, and travel guidance services.
However, a unified consensus on the connotation of smart high-speed is yet to crystallize, as the industry grapples with diverse interpretations.
Aligned with the trajectory of emerging technologies, countries worldwide are actively propelling the evolution of traditional electromechanical systems on highways.
This includes the exploration of technologies such as over-the-horizon perception based on multi-sensor fusion, traffic flow operation law mining, short-term prediction, intelligent active management and control, vehicle-road collaboration, long-lasting road materials, and wireless charging.
The goal is to accelerate the exploration of intelligent high-speed development paths, capturing the commanding heights of integrated application of new technologies and intelligent high-speed evolution.
Examining Japan's strides in intelligent transportation system construction reveals noteworthy practices. Firstly, Japan boasts a robust framework for intelligent transportation systems, achieved through the collaborative efforts of multiple departments.
This framework encompasses research, development, promotion, and coordination agencies, providing a sound structure for intelligent transportation system deployment. Secondly, Japan's approach involves a symbiotic relationship between the government and private enterprises, expediting the research, development, and application of intelligent transportation systems.
Thirdly, the proficiency of the Japanese Traffic Control Center's information collection, processing, and release functions is exemplified by the widespread use of the VICS system and traffic information boards, transforming urban road traffic management from passive to actively induced management, and enhancing management efficiency.
Japan's intelligent transportation system strategy further showcases adaptability by tailoring solutions to local conditions.
The country's unique challenges, such as narrow urban roads and urban canyons created by high-rise buildings blocking GPS signals, have prompted innovative solutions. Notably, Japan utilizes beacons as a crucial means of information release due to limited satellite resources and GPS signal obstruction.
In the United States, a focus on enhancing highway safety through the deployment of connected vehicle systems is evident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates an 80 percent reduction in vehicle crashes with connected vehicle systems.
To achieve this, the U.S. is investing in research on vehicle networking products based on 5.9GHz short-range wireless communication technology. Special attention is given to anti-collision applications for heavy-duty cargo transport vehicles under challenging environmental conditions.
The emphasis includes dedicated wireless communication bandwidth settings, road testing RSU and vehicle OBU equipment, over-the-horizon perception cooperation, and ongoing intelligent connected car testing on relevant highways, with more than 50% of states having deployed vehicle network equipment.
In summary, the global pursuit of smart highways signifies a dynamic intersection of technology and transportation, with diverse nations actively shaping the future of intelligent transportation through innovation, collaboration, and tailored solutions.
The inexorable march towards smart highways, driven by the fusion of cutting-edge information technology and transportation, underscores a global commitment to revolutionize the efficiency of highway systems and nurture burgeoning industries.
In the ongoing scientific and technological revolution led by 5G, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, smart high-speed infrastructure takes center stage, captivating the attention of nations striving to expedite technology research and deployment.