Next Gen Traffic Management can be built on the simplicity of Lumada.
By HSI | August 30, 2017
It is estimated that there will be 2.5 billion cars in the world by 2050. A along with that will come bundled a complete set of issues ranging from traffic congestions, longer waiting times at traffic lights waste of productive working time, increase in fuel consumption and wastage, increased vehicle emissions and also more fatalities.
In India, three Indian cities are in the Top 10 list of worst traffic conditions in the world. The cities include Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata while Bangalore is in 19th place, Coimbatore in 21st and Delhi in 23rd, Hyderabad in 25th, and Chennai in 49th. Even the CO2 Emission index in these cities is quite alarming. The ranking is arranged based on a combination of factors, including the average time spent by a commuter on a one-way trip, CO2 consumption estimation in traffic and overall inefficiencies in the traffic system.
Intelligent Transportation Systems are one way to combat this situation in the future. Armed with data from sensors in roads and vehicles, cities are already using predictive analytics to anticipate and reduce traffic congestion. Drivers use social media to detect and avoid gridlock. City planners analyze data to pinpoint where new bus routes are most needed. Even the way we park is being reinvented. Of course, the ultimate ROI for intelligent transportation solutions would result in a more liveable city, better quality of life for all and enhanced business & economic growth.
The Amsterdam region, with a high population density of 4900/km2, uses smart traffic management systems and smart parking apps. The city is saving 10% of vehicle loss hours and has much cleaner air.
A country like Singapore faces significant challenges to provide a quality transportation system to its citizens that would offer them safe, mobile, sustainable solutions since it has a limited land mass. They are looking at automated vehicle (AV) applications to solve the problem of shortage of drivers by having autonomous buses. Singapore has a huge ageing population requiring safer driving solutions; AV’s would offer them freedom of mobility while ensuring safe driving. It is estimated that there would be over 400 million vehicles with IoT applications by the year 2030.
Intelligent Transport Systems use various technologies from basic traffic management using traffic light sensors to advanced usage of intelligent computers capable of managing data and making intelligent decisions. Intelligent Transport Systems or ITS technologies include communication, data processing and electronic technologies for in-vehicle, vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure and mode-to-mode systems that increase transport safety and mobility, improve the sustainability of travel, reduce congestion, and improve the performance and competitiveness of all modes of transport.
The Lumada IoT platform of Hitachi delivers the most advanced capabilities available today to turn data into intelligent action on which ITS can be designed. Think of Lumada as a three tiered IoT ecosystem of platform, solution cores and co- creation services. Developed from Hitachi’s 100+years of experience in global products and services, solution cores are a library of modular, pre validated, repeatable building blocks that can be readily combined, configured and applied to co-create the desired outcomes. Hence the applications and advantages of technology in transportation can be huge based on the simplicity of Lumada.
As more of humanity, moves to urban areas, opportunities arise for furthering social innovation through smart cities. From providing technology designed to keep people safe, to getting people move within and between the cities faster and more efficiently, to providing data platforms for local innovation, Hitachi is partnering with cities globally to help make our world a better place to live.
The challenge in India lies in not just widening the roads or creating newer ways of transportation but on being better in management of our resources and making the most of what we already have by intelligent use of technology.