High drive for data
Transcription
High drive for data
Issue 01 | 2014 | siemens.com/mobility ITS magazine The Magazine for Intelligent Traffic Systems High drive for data How modern information technology helps optimize road traffic Future 2Go Which municipalities stand to profit the most from traffic control via the Internet? “What are the concrete benefits promised by the digital networking of traffic? And what contributions can the different stakeholders make?” Editorial | ITS magazine 1/2014 Dear Reader, Coining new words can be tricky, as we all know. This was recently illustrated in various TV features on this year’s CeBIT trade fair, by the sometimes rather entertaining attempts of industry experts to explain the neologism ‘Datability’, which had been chosen as the motto for the event. Five years earlier, the exhibition organizers’ linguistic imagination had been a bit less of a challenge. At that time, the headline for the world’s leading computer trade fair was doubtless easier to interpret: ‘Webciety’ – networked society. Back then, the trade association BITKOM provided impressive numbers demonstrating the degree to which our daily lives were already being shaped by the Internet in 2009. Even then, the Internet and the mobile phone were more important to young people than their current relationship. By now, the Web has long since entered the world of mobility. Thanks to ever more sophisticated systems for car2X communication, traffic management systems can rely on increasing volumes of real-time data, which enable not only a more efficient use of the available road infrastructure, but also help improve road safety. Traffic control via Internet, too, has turned from a futuristic vision to virtual reality. In the fall issue of our magazine, we explored the question of how much individuality is left in individual transport in the face of the continuing automation of automobile travel. This time we are addressing a different topic: on the one hand, the concrete – including financial – benefits promised by the digital networking of traffic systems, and on the other hand, the different contributions of various stakeholders in this field. The answers are provided by experts who ought to know, for example Professor Dr. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, longstanding President of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, a research institute that is playing a central role in the European innovation process. Plus other top-level representatives of the major industries involved, such as IT specialists like Microsoft, SAP or IBM, car manufacturers like Ford or Toyota, and leading automotive suppliers like Bosch. As always, I hope you enjoy the read. Sincerely, Markus Schlitt 3 ITS magazine 3/2012 | Focus Content 06 Focus 06 14 “Every euro invested brings a return of eight euros” Professor Hans-Jörg Bullinger, President of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft from 2002 to 2012, talks about the current state of progress in building ICT-networked transport systems and their benefit fora mobile society “A completely new dimension for mobility” Statements of leading representatives from different industries on the future progress of the digital revolution in mobility 20 Trends & Events 20 Smart future Even more impressive than the quantity was the quality of the exhibits at the Intertraffic, especially those paving the way to the ‘smart traffic’ of the future 23 The smart X Class The new Sitraffic sX traffic controller is setting completely new standards in terms of user-friendliness, flexibility, connectivity and efficiency Partners & Projects 24Shortcuts 4 Traffic engineering news from Brazil, Abu Dhabi, Sweden and Germany Focus | ITS magazine 3/2012 Progress through cooperation Owing to innovative communication technologies, road traffic is increasingly turning into a team sport. The new team spirit benefits not only the drivers themselves, but also the responsible traffic authorities 28 Knowledge & Research 26 Boomtime for know-it-alls If traffic information was a currency, it would have hit one all-time high after another in recent years. And there is no end in sight to this bull market – on the contrary 30 Profile 30 “The basic direction has been set” Markus Schlitt, Head of Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) since October 1, 2013, talks about his plans to follow a path of dynamic continuity, the unique synergy effects within a highly diversified corporation, and what would be the greatest nightmare scenario for him as a keen driver Mobility & Living Space 28 Future 2Go It goes to show how quickly some futuristic visions can turn into virtual reality: An innovative webbased mobile traffic control center allows municipal traffic technicians to control and monitor their traffic infrastructure while on the road – even if their town does not operate a traffic computer of its own Rubrics 25 In the side-view mirror Reflections and lateral thoughts about networked mobility: “Speak to me!” 32Imprint 5 ITS magazine 1/2014 | Focus ITS magazine 1/2014 | Focus “Every euro invested brings a return 1 Interview Professor Dr. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, President of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft from 2002 to 2012 and named “Manager of the Year” in 2009 by a leading German 6 Focus | ITS magazine 1/2014 Focus | ITS magazine 1/2014 of eight euros” financial journal, talks about the current state of progress in building ICT-networked transport systems – and their benefit for a mobile society. 7 “The data are used exclusively for driver information. There is no automatic intervention that would be comparable to automatically switching on a washing machine” Professor Bullinger, the world of communications is on the brink of switching from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0, where machines will be able to process the information collected by humans. In the world of traffic management for instance, experiments with so-called Floating Car Data (FCD) have been under way for some time. Is the world of mobility actually a step ahead of the Internet? Yes and no. For many years, mobility research has been looking into the technical possibilities for networking road users. Key research topics are, for instance, the special technologies needed for car-to-X communication, in which vehicles and highway infrastructure talk directly to each other, or the options of FCD that you allude to. However, the data that is gathered and aggregated are always used exclusively for providing information to the driver. For safety reasons there is no automatic intervention that would be comparable to automatically switching on a washing machine. By contrast, the automotive manufacturers and 8 suppliers have been far-sighted in their creation of a uniform standard. Already at an early stage they recognized that networking will never function if isolated proprietary solutions are implemented: It requires a common basis. This basis for networked communication, the IEEE 802.11p standard, was validated in the biggest European field test called simTD (Secure Intelligent Mobility – Test Field Germany) and carried out with the involvement of the Fraunhofer institutes FOKUS, IESE, SIT and AISEC, among others. From 2015, the standard will be introduced in all new cars manufactured by the member companies of the Car-2-Car Communication Consortium (www.car-2-car.org). What’s exciting here is that every manufacturer is developing specific services and customer value propositions on this basis and hence, despite the joint introduction in the market, each company can create their own unique selling points. Tools developed by the Fraunhofer institutes, for instance the VSimRTI simulation environment, enable the early demonstration of the new services’ potential and help make their development more rapid and robust. In your book “Morgenstadt” (“City of Tomorrow”) you state that the opportunities being created by modern communications processes can be put to astonishing use in the transport sector and are providing options that were not even thinkable 30 years ago. When you wrote those words, what were the specific applications that you had in mind? First and foremost, networking means information exchange in near real time and hence more dynamic and more closely needs-based control. Besides classic risk and congestion warnings, we can imagine the creation of dynamic environmental zones. Until now these zones have been static and generally lack effectiveness, despite the fact that environmental pollution indicators are available in real time already today. If the measurement system was connected to the vehicles, drivers could be presented with Focus | ITS magazine 1/2014 alternative route suggestions at times of high environmental pollution. Simultaneously, drivers of hybrid vehicles could be encouraged to switch to fullelectric mode and would then be free to continue on their route through affected zones. Bill Ford, the great-grandson of Henry Ford, has similar ideas about the future of mobility. In his view, every automobile should be regarded as a rolling smartphone, in other words, as part of a giant network. How far are we from this scenario? Not so very far. In the Memorandum of Understanding issued by the Car-2Car Communication Consortium, all vehicle manufacturers have accepted an obligation to install car-to-X communications technology in their new vehicles from 2015. Daimler has already made longer strides and announced the technology when presenting the new S Class. The vehicles are transparently linked using the UMTS/LTE-based backend. In part this was made possible thanks to joint projects with the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, in which the Fraunhofer FOKUS institute under the leadership of Dr. Ilja Radusch evaluated the potential – and limits – of ‘combined’ communication. When the discussion turns to the development of interdisciplinary solutions for transport systems, Ford insists on the active involvement not only of motor manufacturers and mobility leaders, but also of telecommunications service providers. What might be the best possible distribution of tasks among these three players? Function diagram Cooperative Systems: “The objective of increasing road safety, for instance through risk or congestion warnings, is the most important driver of innovations in this field” 9 ITS magazine 1/2014 | Focus This is an open question that has to be examined in different ways, especially for reasons of data privacy. It appears very sensible to define clearly who will receive which types of data in order to offer the corresponding services. Since, already today, telecommunications providers are prepared – under legal obligation – to disclose a wide range of private data, even to foreign authorities, their task should as far as possible be limited to the provision of an encrypted communications service. Vehicle manufacturers agreed at an early stage to implement a pseudonymized communications system aimed at keeping the private sphere secure. In concrete terms this means that in systems based on the car-to-X communications standard, no road user can be directly identified since he or she is active only under rapidly changing pseudonyms. It’s as though you introduced yourself successively to several people at a reception, using a different name every time. Your contacts know that you are an invited guest but they have no means of finding out whom else you have been speaking to throughout the evening. The effects of cooperative systems have already been researched in numerous pilot projects, for instance the simTD in Germany that you mentioned earlier. In Austria there was a similar field trial in the so-called ‘Testfeld Telematik’. How would you assess the results? simTD in Germany was a great success. Not only did it validate the technical maturity of car-to-X communication and the applications that are based on it, but it also quite clearly demonstrated the benefits that the new functions will generate for mobile society. On the one hand, the applications help prevent accidents, making driving and road use safer; on the other hand, they shorten travel times, which in turn benefits the environment by cutting traffic-related pollutant emissions. From your perspective, what is the most important driver for innovations in this field: the wish to increase road safety – or the fear of urban gridlock in the near future and the environmental impact resulting from it? Quite definitely the increase in road safety. Despite rising traffic volumes, we are recording a constant decrease in traffic-related deaths on the world’s highways. But for the European Commission’s pursuit of Vision Zero – the reduction in the number of traffic deaths to nil – to actually succeed, minor evolutionary steps are no longer of any use. Achieving this goal requires the ‘revolutionary’ car-to-X communication, as well as current visionary developments such as highly-automated driving. It’s probably also quite a simple matter to pinpoint the biggest o bstacle. In your eyes, how easy or difficult will the financing of such systems be? The vehicle manufacturers simply factor the cost in to their pricing. For them, the services that can be bolted onto car-to-X are an opportunity to differentiate their products from those of the competition. In the public sphere, the overall economic benefit ought to be reason enough to finance the required infrastructure. In the simTD project context, it was possible to show that every euro invested in infrastructure in this field by the Federal government and the individual German Länder creates an economic “Pseudonymized communication keeps the private sphere secure. It’s as though you introduced yourself to several people at a reception, using a different name every time” 10 benefit of eight euros, in the form of fewer accidents and traffic deaths as well as reduced congestion, among other things. To give a comparison, those speed limit signs that the authorities tend to erect so quickly and generously, have an economic benefit ratio of only one to three or less. According to your observations, are there certain countries or regions that are working more intensively on this topic? Car-to-X communication is being both discussed and introduced worldwide. Recently the US Transport Ministry has decided that car-to-X communication should be obligatory. In Europe the implementation of the ITS corridor from the Netherlands via Germany to Austria represents the next step. How many vehicles would actually have to be equipped with suitable on-board data communication units for the first positive effects to show themselves? As a scientist I naturally have to respond: “It depends” – especially on the type of service that is to be implemented. Our simulations using the VSimRTI software from the Fraunhofer FOKUS institute tends to show that most applications need five to seven percent of vehicles to be equipped with these devices. The installation of more and more roadside stations, i.e. the communications terminals positioned at traffic signals, motorway junctions and so on, could significantly reduce this percentage. Another example is the roadworks warning system that is due to be introduced in the ITS corridor. If all roadworks sites in the area of the corridor were to be suitably equipped, the benefit would be felt by the very first vehicle equipped to receive the message. What are the next milestones to be reached on the way to a perfectly networked mobility system? Rapid market penetration by car-to-X communication is of course one of them. This is the task not only of the automobile industry but also of various public bodies. They need to build more roadside stations and, where Focus | ITS magazine 1/2014 Model construction at the Fraunhofer FOKUS institute: “Our research interests include the collection and analysis of Big Mobility Data, data privacy and secure identities, as well as validation and standardization” Mobility research at Fraunhofer Currently numbering some 67 institutes and independent research centers as well as over 23,000 staff, the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft plays a central part in the innovation process in Germany and Europe in general. Dr. Ilja Radusch, head of the department of Automotive Services and Communication Technologies (ASCT) at the Fraunhofer FOKUS institute, outlines a few current research themes in the field of mobility. People want to move around as speedily, safely and comfortably as possible and with minimum impact on the environment. But in doing so they have differing needs and priorities. Information and communication technologies enable individual solutions that are integrated into an efficient system of transport planning. The basis for this is secure communication between all road users, sensors in the roadside environment and traffic management centers, as well as the intelligent analysis and distribution of the information gathered from all these sources. Current Fraunhofer research topics include the following: • Generation and processing of Big Mobility Data: Effective transport planning has to take account of a wide range of realtime data, for example about accidents, major events and the weather. The VSimRTI simulation environment is able to generate and correlate these data in a way that reflects reality in order to assess the effects on traffic. Depending on the application case, the most appropriate simulators are linked together dynamically and, if necessary, with differing levels of detail. VSimRTI also enables the simulation and evaluation of the impact of new applications in the context of the intended environment. •Data privacy and secure identities: The route taken by a given vehicle, especially a private one, and the place where it parks fall within the driver’s private sphere. Fraunhofer FOKUS has developed a security architecture that pseudonymizes the driver so that while it is possible to track routes and locate stopping places, they are not assigned to any individual. Furthermore, encryption is used for transmitting the streams of data exchanged between different road users and between road users and the traffic management center. Connecting the car to the Internet enables new infotainment offerings such as the use of video platforms. This requires secure authentication, for instance using the corresponding function of the new German ID card. These issues are being explored further in the ‘Next Generation ID’ innovation cluster, pooling the expertise of five Fraunhofer institutes, universities, numerous industry partners as well as the states of Berlin and Brandenburg. •Validation and standardization: Not only a vehicle’s own functions and communication network must operate reliably, but also the embedding of the individual vehicle into multi-vehicle networks. To this purpose, Fraunhofer FOKUS has developed a complete suite of tools for validating hard- and software components in field tests (the ITEF tool) as well as a test-bed for systematic testing of interoperability and conformity for vehicle-to-X communication. The test-bed supports quality assurance and certification of such systems. The ITEF tool provides a uniform synopsis of test scenarios and results as well as further processing options. Standards are vital to ensure interopera bility of the communications devices used by different road users. In this field, the Fraunhofer researchers are involved in the work of ETSI and the CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium, among others. 11 ITS magazine 1/2014 | Focus appropriate, open up existing systems for extended communications. Many of the traffic management centers in Germany – which are widely scattered, as befits our federal structure – already collect comprehensive traffic data, but only a few of them are prepared to make these available as ‘Open Data’. Our Open Data experts, including those from the Fraunhofer FOKUS institute, see significant potential for new startup companies and jobs if more public data is made available. At the German Congress on Traffic Law in Goslar, one of the issues discussed was the question of ownership of all the data that will be passing back and forth. Do you have an answer to that? As this is not among the objects of research at the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, the matter affects me only to the extent that I am a normal road user. As such my view is fairly relaxed, precisely because the systems involve pseudonymous information. Whether cooperative systems will fulfil the high expectations placed on them is of course dependent on their acceptance among road users. What are the criteria that will decide what they think of the extra information? In the simTD and other projects, the acceptance of the systems was of course investigated. The results were thoroughly positive. The road user’s favorite is normally the signal-phase assistant. But, as explained earlier, the implementation of this device is only possible if the traffic management centers open up their data pools. In the media, especially of the tabloid type, there has been repeated speculation about possible hacker attacks on onboard vehicle systems, or on the entire networked traffic system. Is this a real risk in your eyes? If no action were taken against it, then yes. But in fact, defense lines have been installed from the outset, for instance by internally isolating the systems. As things stand now, they perform the simple task of either informing or warning the driver; there are no direct interventions in the vehicle itself. In some countries, even the planned EU-wide eCall system, which reports the positions of vehicles involved in serious accidents to a control center, is being viewed with skepticism. What reaction do you expect from the man on the street faced with the idea that in future, he should be permanently sending data to the infrastructure? eCall and car-to-X communication are two fundamentally different systems that have nothing to do with each other. Thanks to pseudonymization as described at the outset, the information transmitted from car to infrastructure and to other cars presents no risk at all from the data privacy point of view. By the way, we mustn’t forget that user positioning is not a totally new problem. Many of the citizens who are suddenly struck by despair when faced with this scenario, nevertheless carry a mobile phone around with them that makes them easily locatable and traceable to within a few meters. Credit card use also presents opportunities for determining location. Where is the boundary between taking a trip while integrated in a networked system, and autonomous driving? Both systems – highly automated driving and car-to-X communication – are capable of complementing one another outstandingly well in cooper ative driving maneuvers. This has al ready been researched in EU projects such as TEAM (www.collaborativeteam.eu – coordinated by Fraunhofer FOKUS). In this context it is important to bear in mind that there is never any question of remote control via communication systems. Local sensor systems always use technical means to prevent an incident. However, the job of communication is to enable a more direct transmission of the driver’s intention – for example, “I wish to turn left” – so that it does not have to be deduced using only cameras and ‘direction indicator recognition’. 12 Professor Bullinger, thank you very much for talking to us. Focus | ITS magazine 1/2014 Signal phase information, mobile devices, navigation satellite: “In the simTD and other projects, the acceptance of the systems was of course investigated. The results were thoroughly positive” Personal background Professor Dr. Hans-Jörg Bullinger was President of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft in Munich from 2002 to 2012; in 2013 he was named Senator of that institution. After his studies in mechanical engineering, he received a doctorate and completed his postdoctoral fellowship, qualifying as a lecturer at the University of Stuttgart. He soon took up leading positions in applied research and teaching. He was founder of the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering and Organization (IAO), which he led for 20 years, and the Institute for Labor Science and Technology Management (IAT) at the University of Stuttgart. Together with Dr. Arend Oetker, Professor Bullinger is chairman of the economy and science research group at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, which is the central consulting body for innovation policy and for guiding the implementation and further development of Germany’s ‘High-tech Strategy 2020’. He is also a member of the European Commission’s European Research and Innovation Area Board (ERIAB), a member of the university council of the Hagen distance-learning university and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK. For his personal commitment, Professor Bullinger has received numerous awards and several honorary doctorates, as well as an honorary professorship. In 2009, manager magazine voted him ‘Manager of the Year’ and in 2013 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of German Research. 13 ITS magazine 1/2014 | Focus “A completely new dimension for mobility” Statements “How will the growing impact of information technology change mobility in the next 10, 25 or 50 years – not only in terms of vehicle equipment, but also with respect to traffic control, traffic management and traffic information?” This is the question that the ITS magazine asked some of the driving forces behind the digital revolution on wheels. And although the respondents represent quite different sectors, their answers make one thing clear: They are all pursuing a common goal. 14 Focus | ITS magazine 1/2014 VDA SAP Matthias Wissmann Michael Kleinemeier Former German Federal Transport Minister and current President of the German Motor Industry Association (Verband der Automobilindustrie/VDA) President, SAP Middle & Eastern Europe For every country throughout the world, free-flowing and safe traffic is a central pillar for economic growth and prosperity. To exploit the opportunities that information technology presents for the optimization of mobility, the traffic of the future must be intelligently networked. Owing to the new possibilities of the digital revolution, vehicles are becoming more and more intelligent. The interaction between different modes of transport and the infrastructure is a positive effect of the mobility evolution. Networking facilitates precise control of freight transport over large distances and using different modes. Of course, there is no way of knowing already today what transport networking might look like in 20 years’ time. However, it is certain that information exchange and communication will be playing a prominent role. Those technical innovations that the German automotive industry is pursuing with intent, will achieve further increases in vehicle safety, environmental friendliness and driver convenience. We will come ever closer to the vision of accidentfree motoring. Increasingly powerful on-board electronics enable everything from modern driver assistance and infotainment systems right through to partly or highly automated driving functions. The integration of additional information from infrastructure equipment, other road users and service providers via vehicleto-vehicle communication (V2X communication) is supporting this development. Developing networked mobility as a motor for economic growth and at the same time protecting the climate – these are tomorrow’s challenges for urban mobility. The transport concepts of the future must integrate the developments of a world in change. An idea that we know from the world of movies will soon become hard reality: highly autonomous driving, i.e. the ability of a vehicle to take its occupants to a destination in a safer and more anticipatory manner without needing a person to take the wheel. For this scenario to become reality, powerful information technology (IT) is essential. The developments in IT and the automotive sector are mutually dependent: While vehicles are already equipped with devices such as sensors and cameras that are constantly generating data, processing and analyzing these data remains a challenge. At the time of writing, only specialized solutions are capable of analyzing these data streams against the background of geographical data. For safe autonomous driving, a vehicle must be able to instantly recognize any anomalies and disruptions in both its own operation and that of the traffic network and immediately make the appropriate response. To do this, it needs to process the available real-time data to generate relevant information from which to derive the right actions. The future task of IT will be to reduce processing times and latency to a minimum. To maintain the flow of traffic, the vehicle must be able to predict dynamic changes in traffic density, for example due to congestion and roadworks, on the basis of aggregated vehicle travel logs and public data. A reliable and fast technology platform as the link between vehicles and communication hubs is essential for this task. On top of this, IT will be able to help minimize vehicle downtimes by supplying data for preventive vehicle maintenance. The insights gained from practice should then also be used in the product design and quality processes to directly improve automotive development and manufacture and hence enable safe autonomous driving. SAP provides an extraordinarily powerful real-time data platform and is working with the industry on a first generation of solutions that should permit this extended scenario, or parts of it, to become reality. 15 ITS magazine 1/2014 | Focus Microsoft Dr. Christian P. Illek Chairman of the Board, Microsoft Germany Through the integration of modern information technology – Big Data is the buzzword – we are transforming the vehicle of the future into an intelligent system that provides greater convenience and safety and is able to communicate not only with its driver, but also with other vehicles and the traffic infrastructure. Taking feeds from many sensors and GPS, vehicles generate gigabytes of information with every hour on the road – about the environment, the drivers and their driving behavior as well as the prevailing traffic situation. In addition, vehicles network with more and more external data sources, which in turn feed further traffic information into the overall system. Intelligent algorithms are used to evaluate these huge data volumes and derive valuable information that is opening the door on a completely new dimension in mobility. Smart assistance systems support motorists in critical situations and adjust the car to the driver’s individual preferences and requirements. Vehicle manufacturers analyze the data to gain important insights for the optimization of their vehicles’ safety systems, among other things. For truly free-flowing travel, the aggregated realtime data may also be applied to optimize traffic control. The traffic management system may for instance be programmed to fine-tune the settings of the guidance systems in accordance with the data on current traffic concentration. This could put an end to the time-wasting congestion that causes economic damage running into the billions in Germany alone. IBM Ivo Körner Managing Director of Sales, IBM Germany Congestion and inner-city stop-go traffic impose costs totaling several billions on the national economy every year. Add to that the cost of accidents, many of which are due to poor weather conditions or a lack of warnings on traffic disruptions. Intelligent traffic control and information in real time can play a major role in defusing these situations and preventing fatal accidents, for instance by warning motorists about ice, congestion or other hazards. The foundations for this are being created right now: On the one hand, by 2020 there will be very few non-networked vehicles still on the roads; on the other hand, technologies such as Big Data, Cloudand mobile computing keep accelerating the development of relevant solutions also on the infrastructure side. We are working globally with the leading automobile manufacturers, suppliers and telecommunications service providers as well as public traffic control centers and municipal administrations in developing and implementing the required systems and infrastructure. And although we have barely begun, the results are highly impressive, for instance in terms of improved traffic management. Moreover, aggregated data, intelligent analyses and precise forecasts on traffic load, traffic flow and highway conditions will be valuable resources for active, intelligent traffic management. The enablers include networked sensor equipment in the vehicles, car-to-car communication and analysis tools. We will be able to implement intelligent traffic guidance systems whose route recommendations are based on the position and speed data that the networked vehicles are sending at short intervals. In addition there will be new applications based on adaptive systems, which, for example, know a motorist’s favorite daily routes and warn the driver automatically about congestion and road works on those routes. Our Watson technology is at the very leading edge in this field, and the newly founded IBM Watson Group will be investing massively in the further development of ‘cognitive computing’. Another topic for the future is autonomous driving: It uses all the above-mentioned techniques, which, complemented by optical systems, enable driving without drivers – a further important milestone for greater safety and less disruption on our highways. 16 Focus | ITS magazine 1/2014 “Taking feeds from sensors and GPS, vehicles generate gigabytes of information with every hour” “By 2020 there will be very few non-networked vehicles still on the roads” “Augmented reality on board of the vehicle will link the virtual world with the real. As central display, the windshield will present all relevant vehicle and situational information in the driver’s field of vision” “We will come ever closer to the vision of accident-free motoring” Toyota Dirk Breuer Advisor Advanced Technology, Toyota Deutschland GmbH The so-called ‘mirror link function’ in Toyota und Lexus cars makes it possible to operate a smartphone via the vehicle. With this, on-board accessories such as radio, music systems or navigation equipment will soon become things of the past. The vehicle itself stores the users’ favorite content and functional preferences. Already today, W-LAN for convenient Internet access during journeys is an option available for all our models. This opens the way for the use of additional applications in the vehicle, putting information on parking availability, fuel prices and current traffic etc. at the driver’s fingertips. This concept allows communication not only between vehicles but also with the infrastructure, meaning that in ten years’ time, the flow of traffic will have significantly improved and hazard warnings may be generated only for the immediate local area concerned. Cooperativeadaptive cruise control systems will enable coordinated ‘convoy’ driving. In conjunction with a lane guidance function, the system will allow the vehicles in a certain lane not only to synchronize their braking and accelerating actions, but also to automatically follow the path of the lane. As time goes by, drivers will need to pay less and less attention to the road, so that in 25 years, an increasing number of trips will be made autonomously by the vehicle itself. Finding a space in the underground parking lot, looking for a e-charging station, scheduling the annual technical inspection or filling up with fuel are the kind of everyday necessities that, in 50 years, the driver will not have to bother with anymore. In parallel with this, the FV2 concept study that recently made its debut at the Geneva Salon, is showing how our driving experience might change. The vehicle establishes a physical and emotional bond with its driver. This enables vehicle control by gesture or bodily movement. In addition the driver can adapt the settings for the external display to customize and change the bodywork color at any time as desired. 17 Ford ITS magazine 1/2014 | Focus Christian Ress Technical Expert Connectivity, Ford European Research Center, Aachen In his outline of the “Blueprint for Mobility” project, Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company and great-grandson of Henry Ford, described with some precision how his company imagines the future of automobility: “We see a future in which cars are mutually connected and communicate with each other and with the infrastructure. Driving will become safer, congestion will be prevented and the environment will be protected sustainably.” This is reflected in Ford’s many years of intensive commitment to developing new driver assistance systems based on vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. The electronic brake light for instance is a warning system that advises motorists traveling at some distance that there are heavily braking vehicles ahead. In the event of emergency braking, the electronic brake light uses W-LAN to transmit a data signal, which will be registered on the displays of the vehicles that are following. Tests of this Forddeveloped technology in the scope of the field trial “Sichere Intelligente Mobilität – Testfeld Deutschland (simTD)” demonstrated that motorists were able to initiate their braking earlier. Hence the electronic brake light offers great potential for the avoidance of pileups or at least a reduction in their severity. These field trials covered also successful tests of further functions, for instance a road sign information system, a newly developed hazard warning system that informs motorists promptly about potential risks such as objects or persons on the roadway, an improved on-board traffic data acquisition function, as well as a range of valueadded services. As a rule, for the development of intelligent communications systems, Ford continues to bank on practiceoriented test programs in Europe, the US and all other parts of the world. For example, Ford is involved in the DRIVE C2X field test supported by the European Commission, and in a US-based field trial, covering more than 2,800 vehicles, in collaboration with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. 18 Bosch Wolf-Henning Scheider Managing Director and spokesman for the Automobile Engineering Division, Robert Bosch GmbH Twenty years ago the Internet revolutionized the computer. In the years ahead, it will revolutionize the automobile. By making the automobile into an active part of the Internet, Bosch is helping to make the mobility of tomorrow safer, more convenient and more efficient. At the same time we are bringing the fascination of the digital world to the road. Vehicle networking means more than merely surfing the web while on the road. Bosch is pursuing three guidelines: We are bringing the Internet into the vehicle in a form that can be experienced intuitively. We are bringing vehicles into the Internet and are creating assistance functions with added value. And furthermore we are networking cars with the traffic infrastructure. Today Bosch is already active in all the key technology fields and has initial solutions at the production stage. In the future, completely new functions will emerge. As an example, ‘augmented reality’ on board of the vehicle will link the virtual world with the real. The windshield will become the central display and provide all relevant vehicle and situational information in the driver’s field of vision. Bosch sees a global market for vehicle networking because throughout the world, end customers and automotive companies are keenly interested in vehicle networking. Automated and networked vehicles are, for instance, capable of improving traffic flow by up to 80 percent, or enabling convenient and safe mobility for older people. In addition, study results suggest that an increase in automated driving could cut the number of road accidents by up to 90 percent. To link the automobile with the Internet, Bosch is in a close dialog with globally active car manufacturers but also with innovative companies in other fields – in Europe, North America and Asia. Focus | ITS magazine 1/2014 TomTom Carlo van de Weijer, Senior Manager Intel Transport Systems, Live Feed Engineering and Traffic, TomTom N.V. Information technology has arrived in the mobility field. Cars have become computers on wheels and their capabilities exceed those of the motorists in many respects. Assistance systems are already supporting drivers in various maneuvers and are making driving safer and more efficient. But now that the machines are exchanging more and more of their information, they are also becoming cleverer than highway authorities and traffic management centers. This is transforming traffic management from the ground up, and much more rapidly than many people tend to expect. The enormous growth in quality of navigation systems and traffic information from service providers has caused a drastic decline in the effectiveness of traditional traffic management systems. When motorists prefer to follow the system that is integrated into their vehicle rather than the public signage, then the traffic authorities are more or less forced to cooperate with motor manufacturers and service providers. Traffic management is developing rapidly into a self-controlled system of well-informed individuals. Authorities can withdraw to a large extent from traffic management and concentrate on incident management. Their task is to set the parameters and make all the relevant information accessible to the informationproviders. In the future, automobiles will become yet more intelligent and solve most of the problems that, at present, we are still trying to master through infrastructurebased countermeasures. That is why in the long term, I expect that highway infrastructure will become simplified and “cleansed”. Public signage will be reduced to a legal minimum. On top of that, there will be less flexibility in traffic regulations in order not to over-complicate traffic. In general, intelligence will migrate from the infrastructure into the vehicle. Just as 200 year-old copper cables and 60 year-old optical fiber technology have been the basis for intelligent servers and clients and made the Internet into a success, cars will themselves provide the solution to the negative effects of mobility. ERTICO Hermann Meyer, Chief Executive Officer, ERTICO-ITS Europe There are several evolutionary trends that will substantially change the responsibilities and the experience of mobility in the context of people and goods transport. These developments will make mobility safer, more comfortable, cleaner and altogether more efficient. The essence of the first trend is that new technologies for information, booking, payment and reservation are making mobility ever easier for the user. This does not merely apply to driving, but to travel or logistics in general. The second trend applies to the growing automation of mobility through the use of technologies that act on behalf of the driver, the traveler and logistics user. Here the machine is making decisions in response to the current situation – in the best interest of the user. The third trend is that mobility will be increasingly delivered as a service by providers who offer suitable services along the entire transport chain and fulfill the users’ specific mobility demands and wishes. The core of these three trends is the collection, exchange and processing of information, in short: connected mobility. The final result will be intelligently organized mobility for people and goods, where new business alliances between vehicle manufacturers, transport industry, IT companies, users, mobile network operators, service providers and the public sector will lead to a string of new innovations for the benefit of mobility customers. These central trends will be discussed at the next ITS Europe Congress in Helsinki from June 16 to 19, 2014, the meeting point of leading mobility and transport experts from the EU and member states as well as from industry and research. 19 ITS magazine 1/2014 | Trends & Events Smart future Intertraffic Amsterdam on March 25 to 28, 2014 With about 800 exhibitors on an exhibition area of roughly 60,000 square meters, this industry summit proved once again its outstanding rank among international traffic engineering events. But rather than sheer quantities, it was the quality of the exhibits, especially those paving the way to the ‘smart traffic’ of the future, that was most impressive. 20 Trends & Events | ITS magazine 1/2014 Until recently, the embedded IQ was the measure of all things to do with traffic engineering. That is to say, making systems and products futureproof first and foremost meant equipping them with maximum ‘intelligence’. But already a short exploratory tour through the halls of the Intertraffic 2014 in Amsterdam showed that the world of mobility has moved forward another step. “Intelligent mobility is good, smart mobility is even better” would seem to be an apt, if somewhat pointed summary of the impressions gathered at the trade fair. These impressions were actively encouraged by the organizers of the trade fair, who for instance had set up a special Smart Mobility Center and organized a full program of sessions, presentations and events on the subject, announced every day in detail in the ‘Daily News’ for the trade fair. There is no doubt that this evolutionary change is not merely a question of vocabulary, but involves the very substance of this technological field, as Markus Schlitt, Head of Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems, explains (see the interview on page 30). As he sees it, new technologies and options have led to a definite paradigm shift in taking the optimum approach to traffic problems and their solution. “I like to compare the road network to a virtual factory: In both cases the objective is to make optimum use of available capacity. And if you want to manage this network flexibly and in real time for maximum efficiency, you need the right roadside infrastructure and a software architecture that will enable this kind of management.“ One milestone on this way is the new Sitraffic sX traffic controller, which turned out to be a true visitor magnet at the Intertraffic (see also page 23). Besides connection options for perfect networking, this controller features innovative technology that opens up as yet unparalleled possibilities for improving road safety: For the first time, controllers can be remotely updated with new functions also when already in use in the field. As these updates do not require interrupting the controller’s operation, dangerous “out-of-service” situations are now a thing of the past. Maintenance activities, too, can now be carried out remotely during ongoing operation, substantially reducing the need for field maintenance. Not only at the company’s own fair booth in Hall 11, but also in the Elicium building of the RAI Exhibition and Convention Center in Amsterdam, Siemens set the topics for lively discussions. At a White Paper Conference, for example, Siemens presented insights on how national and regional capitals can capitalize on the benefits offered by modern traffic management systems. On behalf of Siemens, the renowned strategic transport experts of Credo Business Consulting LLP had carried out a study on the key factors that will help cities with the successful introduction of traffic management systems to improve the urban traffic situation. More than 2,000 registered attendees of the Intertraffic were asked to participate in the survey – and the answers provided some astonishing results. For instance, about a quarter of the cities surveyed currently don‘t havea clear vision or plan on how to use intelligent systems for the efficient management of traffic across their municipal area. In many cases, this is due to a lack of funds that has been preventing cities from implementing modern traffic management solutions, which in turn limits their understanding of the true potential. As a result, constructive suggestions in this area often meet with little interest from the responsible authorities. In their study, Credo grouped the regional and national capitals into four different categories: Cities with the strategic ambition and the appropriate governance to capitalize on modern traffic management (47 percent of cities surveyed, values rounded) •Cities who do understand the benefits of modern traffic engineering, but cannot provide the necessary funds because of budgetary limitations (24 percent) •‘Informed, but conservative’ cities, which have some knowledge and structures around traffic management, but have deliberately decided not to invest in these opportunities (21 percent) •Cities who have no experience with and thus only limited knowledge about the efficiency benefits of modern traffic management and consequently a limited disposition to invest in this field (9 percent) “Be bold, be creative, be knowledgeable – and last but not least: be accountable” Dirk John 21 ITS magazine 1/2014 | Trends & Events For Credo specialist Chris Molloy, the results are both encouraging and disappointing: Encouraging, because more than two thirds of cities have recognized the enormous optimization potential offered by innovative traffic technologies. Disappointing, because close to one third of cities are deliberately or unknowingly putting their sustainable future devel opment at stake. “These days, the fierce competition that used to rage between global megacities increasingly involves also regional and national capitals. And you need no crystal ball to see that cities with inferior transport systems will not be the ones with the best chances in this competitive landscape.” The explanation was provided by Dirk John, CEO of Siemens’ Road and City Mobility business unit, right at the start of his presentation at the White Paper Conference. As shown by the Megacity Challenges Study carried out by his company, mobility is by far the most important infrastructure factor when it comes to making a city more attractive for Highlights presented at the Intertraffic 2014 Sitraffic sX “Smart traffic starts with a smart crossing” – With extremely powerful hardware and highly innovative software, the new traffic controller is setting completely new standards in terms of user-friendliness, flexibility, connectivity and efficiency (see also page 23). Sitraffic smartGuard Offering easy, fast and flexible traffic control via the Internet, smartGuard is the optimum solution especially for those municipalities who want to capitalize on the benefits of modern traffic control without having to invest huge sums in hardware (see page 28). Sitraffic Stream Satellite-based prioritization system for public transport and fire brigade vehicles: Since it works without expensive roadside infrastructure, the solution is especially cost-efficient. “These cities are putting their future at stake” Chris Molloy potential investors. 27 percent of interviewees gave the highest priority ratings to the transport network, with public security and energy supply following far behind at nine respectively six percent. From the results of these studies, Dirk John derives four brief but clear recommendations for action for regional and national capitals: “Be bold, be creative, be knowledgeable – and last but not least: be accountable.” 22 Sitraffic SST5 Stella The innovative outstation for local incident detection and warning and the perfect solution for improving safety and accelerating traffic flow on critical road sections. Sitraffic Sensus Unit The compact hybrid onboard unit is compatible with all toll collection technologies: accurate to the meter, easy to operate and fit for universal use in satellite-based as well as microwave-based systems. Interurban Service Tool The convenient smartphone app for repair and maintenance jobs at outdoor systems makes commissioning and troubleshooting easier, faster and more efficient. Trends & Events | ITS magazine 1/2014 The smart X Class Sitraffic sX traffic controller Reduced to the max: The more complex the traffic situation at urban intersections tends to become, the less complicated the traffic controller needs to be – and the smarter. Sitraffic sX is the pioneer of a new generation of controllers since its extremely powerful hardware and highly innovative software are setting completely new standards in terms of user-friendliness, flexibility, connectivity and efficiency. The name says it all: The lowercase ‘s’ stands for ‘smart’, the uppercase ‘X’ for ‘crossing’. The interpretation is delivered by the motto under which the new traffic controller was presented at this year’s industry summit in Amsterdam: “Smart traffic starts with a smart crossing.” Essentially, Sitraffic sX is both an evolutionary and a revolutionary product. On the one hand, it builds on tried-and-tested technologies brought to perfection; on the other, it takes traffic control to as yet never achieved levels of convenience, flexibility and efficiency. In fact, Sitraffic sX is a completely new product, whose development – from the drawing board right through to production maturity – followed the principle of ‘focus on the The new Sitraffic sX traffic controller: Evolutionary and revolutionary at the same time essential’, i.e. on exactly those features that will pave the way to the often discussed ‘smart traffic’ of the future for traffic managers in cities around the world. One of the key benefits is the high level of investment security guaranteed, among other things, by the versatility of the new controller. Sitraffic sX grows with the infrastructure of a city because it is so flexible that it can adapt to the widest range of configurations. It can be used as stand-alone solution without connection to sensors and a higher-level traffic control system, or work smoothly as an integral part of a large city’s extensive traffic management system. Of course, it is in such a complete system comprising central traffic computer, tools and the controller itself, that the full range of functions of the new multi-talent can be put to optimum use. What is more, the product designers have achieved something that, in these days of growing complexity, is becoming increasingly rare: the ‘no-frills’ focus on the essential, which translates also into extraordinary ease of operation and configuration. The user-friendly software and intuitive user interface make for very convenient operation of the controller, either via a personal or tablet computer or via a smartphone. Fully programmed and thoroughly tested functions and solution modules are available in a function library. Everything else can be left to the embedded intelligence. Another product banking on maximum simplicity is the new Sitraffic smartCore tool, which makes configuring the Sitraffic sX a breeze. After selection of the appropriate city or country template, the software assistant guides the user through the entire configuration process. With a few mouse clicks the user can even activate the optional innovative Sitraffic sLX traffic-actuated control. The configuration can be automatically predefined on the basis of the defined detectors and easily adapted using the signal programs. The entire process takes only a few seconds! Not only on the software level, but also in terms of hardware design, the product designers have kept their focus on the essential. This is reflected for instance by the extreme ease of installation requiring minimum cabling; by the modular and flexibly expandable design of the frame; by the serial communication between the individual components and last but not least by the tried-and-tested SIL3 security architecture. From the basic configuration with eight signal groups, the controller can be expanded up to turbo-level with more than 64 signal groups and up to 250 detectors. A low-power lamp switch for 230V LED signal heads (5-18 W) rounds off the features on the hardware side. And it goes without saying that Sitraffic sX offers true ‘Plug & Play’ functionality, including automated data synchronization between traffic center and controller. 23 ITS magazine 1/2014 | Partners & Projects Fit for the Soccer World Cup São Paulo Following the successful implementation of the first PC SCOOT traffic control system in this Brazilian mega-city, the responsible traffic authorities want to further optimize urban traffic flow and plan to deploy an additional system including ST950 traffic controllers at several intersections in the chic Alphaville suburb. In addition, the city has ordered ST900 controllers, which will be installed and commissioned in time for this year’s FIFA World Cup to control the traffic lights at intersections around the new Corinthians Stadium in the Itaquera district east of the 20-million metropolis. View of Alphaville: The flow of traffic in this chic suburb is being optimized Girls of all trades Sicore with the highest score Augsburg With the goal of increasing the proportion of women working in hitherto male-dominated trades and professions, a yearly Girls’ Day has been organized in Germany since 2001 under the sponsorship of the EU and two Federal Ministries. On this day, the participating companies invite girls in fifth grade and older to spend a day at a workplace involving technology, information technology, sciences or various craft trades. On March 27, 2014, as in previous years, the SILUX signal head production hall of the Siemens factory in Augsburg opened its doors to interested young ladies. Three groups of girls profited from the occasion to learn about seven different job profiles and the related vocational training or academic study programs, from mechatronics to electrical engineering. Borlänge The Swedish Transport Administration Trafikverket decided to set up a comparative long-term test involving several systems in order to find out which ANPR camera was the best suited for automatically recognizing hazardous materials labels on trucks driving through Swedish tunnels. To this purpose, the authorities installed several Sicore cameras, besides other systems, in the Hallunda Tunnel in Stockholm. For ten months, the data gathered were transmitted directly to the ANPR server in Munich for analysis by the Trafikverket experts. The result of the long-term evaluation could not have been clearer: Sitraffic Sicore reached the highest overall score and outperformed the com petitor products not only in terms of detection rate, but of detection quality. Group portrait with young ladies: In Augsburg, 28 girls had fun exploring the factory, especially when coding and assembling traffic lights 24 Trends & Events | ITS magazine 1/2014 Combined systems – added value Ras Al Akhdar A document of over 300 pages listed the criteria against which the Department of Transport of Abu Dhabi tested the fully integrated Urban Traffic and Tunnel Control System in this affluent district on the West Corniche. At the end of the test marathon, which took more than a week, the traffic authorities were impressed by the outstanding performance of the innovative combination, the first of its kind across the globe. Thanks to the integration of two components that used to be operating totally separately, the system creates substantial added value for the operator. In the side-view mirror Speak to me! In life, communication is everything. And not only for humans. ITS magazine as mobile app Siemens Publications The most exiting perspectives on mobility are now also available for mobile devices: The free ‘Siemens Publications’ app makes it possible for iPad and Android tablet users to subscribe to the ‘mobile edition’ of the ITS magazine. They will be notified as soon as the latest issue has been published. With the device connected to the Internet, the userfriendly app allows the complete download of individual issues for later offline reading. In addition, the app offers a whole range of interactive features, from full-text search functions through to options for sharing particularly interesting articles via Social Media or e-mail with colleagues and business partners. It’s great that thanks to modern technology, it is now possible to connect with everything and everyone – always and everywhere, even during a car journey. For the truly communicative among us, the ideal solution is to have the vehicle equipped to read out incoming e-mails, texts and other messages loud and clear. That way, we can hear about all important events in our “Like-minded community”. All and any. Rumpelstiltskin tweets: “I’m in the car listening to #Johnny Cash.” – Blondie asks: “Who’s #Johnny Cash?” – Kevin (every bit as clueless) posts an update anyway: “I’m jogging in the woods, blood pressure and heart rate OK.” – “Who’s interested in that?” – “Fridge nearly empty, time to go shopping.” – “Like!” – Meh. What really matters is when not only we humans but increasingly also our machines talk to each other: The post van at the intersection politely informs its “followers” that it wishes to make a turn. The plugin car has a heart-to-heart with the charging station about the tariff. And the subcompact chats with the pedestrian crossing. It goes: “Hallo signal, subcompact coming.” – “Oops, just when I’m turning red.” – “Oh well, I’ll slow down then.” – “Like.” – Much better! So, everything OK at home? Since intelligent appliances, from the rain detector to the cat flap are able to act independently and to communicate with us, there’s even more to contend with: Has Fifi got enough food, is the gas tap switched off, and is the door to the terrace properly locked? Really like that! – Honestly? The vacuum cleaner croaks that its bag’s at bursting point. All right – no rush. The door to the terrace claims a time-out for rain and locks itself. But now the cat’s location chip indicates that she’s simultaneously both indoors and out. The fridge reports: “Nearly empty. Shopping list is in the Cloud.” Noooo – not interested in shopping any more! “Voice message to favorite ristorante: reservation for two.” – Mario: “Like!” Message from fridge: “That’s so not cool. I’m outta here!” – Should I like that? 25 ITS magazine 1/2014 | Knowledge & Research Boomtime for know-it-alls Traffic data Mobile apps, top-class navigation systems or the good old radio: These days, drivers can access more and more highquality information about the current traffic situation. However, when it comes to control and management decisions, the data sources have to be at a completely different level of quality. And the ‘virtually’ networked systems of the future will place constantly rising demands on this data. If traffic information was a currency, it would have hit one all-time high after another in recent years. And there is no end in sight to this bull market. Because how well we succeed in keeping both individual and collective travel times within acceptable limits despite the ever increasing traffic density, depends first and foremost on the quality of the available data. This applies just as much to the individual motorist, who wants to get from A to B as fast as possible, as it does to traffic managers, who want to keep vehicles moving in the most effective way across their entire road network by making the most efficient control and management decisions they can. “Of course, not everybody who uses traffic data has the same requirements as regards the quality of information,” says Astrid Kellermann, Product Manager for Data Management at Siemens Mobility. “Clearly the stakes are the highest in traffic control. Here it is now all about the acquisition of data for each and every vehicle with splitsecond accuracy, particularly in larger cities. For establishing the general traffic situation, for operating a rules26 based control system or for traffic monitoring purposes, the requirements are not quite as tough. Still, even in these applications, the data must be significantly more accurate and more reliable than that required for routing services intended for individual motorists.” But the expectations of the latter are rising, too. A trend is currently emerging that would have seemed rather unrealistic just a few years ago. Clearly, more and more drivers are now willing to pay for up-to-date traffic information. These days, manufacturers of high-quality navigation systems almost all collect a fee for their traffic-dependent routing services – for example with personal subscriptions or using built-in devices that the user has to pay for when buying the car. Of course, there are also quite a large number of free web-based route planners providing an overview of the current traffic situation. But these come in different grades of quality, which often has to do with the fact that the operators use different sets of criteria for evaluating the current traffic situation. And the models that “FCD is certainly a way of closing existing data gaps.” Astrid Kellermann are used to estimate the travel time delay because of a hold-up are not always 100 percent reliable, either. The commercial routing services derive this information directly from various objects that flow with the traffic against the background of historical data. The so-called Floating Car Data (FCD) now plays an increasingly important role even at the highest levels of the discipline, serving as a Knowledge & Research | ITS magazine 1/2014 All inclusive: Sicore camera system Perfect overview: Today, more and more drivers are willing to pay for quality traffic information supplementary source for the traffic data needed as the basis for control and management decisions. “There is no doubt that the highest level of sustainability is achieved by using local detectors, but of course you cannot equip an entire city that way, but rather you have to focus on clearly defined priorities,” says Astrid Kellermann. “And FCD is certainly a way of closing existing data gaps.” Experienced transport professionals understand where they can use the information sent directly by the vehicles’ on-board equipment as an additional data component – and where they can not. This is because FCD only records a certain proportion of the traffic. At low road capacity utilizations, just a few outliers can distort the representative sample. That is why FCD offers the greatest benefits on main arteries that have a high traffic frequency, where a considerable amount of information is generated even when only two percent of the vehicles are actually delivering data. The quality of traffic data is always related to its quantity. Additional criteria include the time intervals for data updating, positioning precision and the range of data content. But to arrive at maximally meaningful data, a perfect fusion of the FCD and the data supplied by local detectors is needed. And that requires a lot of knowledge and experience, because there are a number of critical parameters that must exactly match up with one another, from the underlying geo-referencing to the defined time intervals and the interpretation of the contents. “Representing the traffic situation using different methods can certainly result in different assessments,” says Kellermann. “Of course, a strategic detector only diagnoses a traffic jam when the traffic is stationary at the point where the detector has been installed. FCD, on the other hand, provides data on delays along an entire route.” This is why it is especially important to merge the data from different sources in the data pool of the traffic control center for uniform, consistent processing. These days, there are also sustainable, infrastructure-based solutions available to directly determine data relating to a particular section. For instance the fully integrated Sicore camera system, which combines processor, illumination unit and image analysis with automatic number plate recognition and data encryption function all in one unit – or the combined Bluetooth/WLAN scanner, which is able to re-identify mobile terminals at different points of the route as the basis for travel time calculations. Both systems offer the municipalities the opportunity to benefit from the advantages of direct travel time measurement, without any concerns about becoming dependent on one particular data provider as is the case with FCD. So exactly what does the ideal data mix look like, if it is required to meet the constantly growing demand for the quality of information in increasingly networked traffic and transportation systems? “It is certainly not possible to arrive at a general formula,” says traffic expert Astrid Kellermann, summing up the situation. “For me, however, is fairly certain that in the future, FCD will be used more intensively than before, especially in traffic management. For example, when it comes to switching dynamic direction signs, or operating roadside information systems that provide journey time comparisons between private transport and public transport. But in traffic control, I don’t think that we will be able to do without local data now and in the foreseeable future. And historical data, too, will always be needed, both for online control decisions, when there is insufficient up-to-date information, and for offline tasks such as the planning or evaluation of individual control measures.” 27 ITS magazine 1/2014 | Mobility & Living Space Future 2Go Traffic control via the Internet That goes to show how quickly some futuristic visions can turn into virtual reality: An innovative web-based traffic control center ‘to go’ allows municipal traffic technicians to control and monitor their traffic infrastructure while on the road – even if their town does not operate a traffic computer of its own. Since the completion of the successful pilot phase in seven European countries, more than 1,500 traffic light systems have already been connected to Sitraffic smartGuard. 28 Mobility & Living Space | ITS magazine 1/2014 Admittedly, not every product with the word “smart” in its name will automatically be a must-have, and the true practical value of overqualified toasters or washing machines is open to discussion. But in the complex areas of the professional world, the available technologies can never be too smart and too thoroughly networked to make the job of their users easier and more efficient. And that is exactly the objective of Sitraffic smartGuard, an innovative software that enables easy, efficient and safe traffic control via the Internet. From any HTML5.0-enabled browser installed on a PC, tablet or smartphone, the user can now access controllers, detectors or car park systems via a so-called ‘Private Cloud’. The specific benefits that the web-based mobile traffic control center offers an individual town or city depends primarily on the municipality’s size. In relatively small towns Sitraffic smartGuard can take over the leading role – as a virtual ‘basic’ traffic control center offering the key functions of a traffic computer. In this case, Siemens operates the required hardware at the company’s premises in Munich, also taking over permanent maintenance and regular updates. Via the Private Cloud, the customers can access the system just as easily and conveniently as if the computer was installed in their own office. As the customers pay only for the use of the system, they need not invest a single euro in hard- or software. Neither do they have to hire IT staff, rent special premises or install security systems. In larger cities whose complex street network requires more than the basic traffic computer functions, Sitraffic smartGuard will take on a different, but no less impressive role – as a mobile add-on module for existing traffic control centers such as Sitraffic Scala. The innovative software complements the conventional operating interfaces with convenient and flexible access options via mobile devices. This allows, for instance, the responsible traffic technicians to spend their weekend at home while actually on standby duty during a major event. The same smartphone that receives the SMS with the automatic error alerts gives the technician access to the system for immediate error analysis and direct activation of the appropriate corrective measures. In addition, the new software program facilitates team play because it offers the employees of the municipal civil engineering office or the police particularly easy access to the traffic control systems. A truly valuable addition to their tools, as Olaf Hary from Police Headquarters in Karlsruhe summarizes the results of extensive practical tests: “All our emergency service dispatchers appreciate Sitraffic smartGuard as a definitely helpful tool. The program operates reliably and requires minimal operator training.“ “All our emergency service dispatchers appreciate Sitraffic smartGuard as a definitely helpful tool.” Olaf Hary, Police Headquarters Karlsruhe Besides intuitive operation, the clearly structured graphical user interface is one of the key features that make working with the virtual tool a breeze. The user needs no expert knowledge because anybody who can use a smartphone can work with Sitraffic smartGuard. Four different display modes allow the user to easily locate the required information: • A few mouse clicks on the OpenStreetMap provide the user with a complete overview of the entire system. ‘Bubbles’ integrated in the map show key information on each traffic-infrastructure object. • In the list display, the user can sort and group the different objects on various criteria. A simple click on an object opens a detail window. • The dashboard with an integrated watchlist allows the user to assess the system’s current status at a glance. Any error messages are displayed in red, warnings in yellow. • And the signal plan archive serves to visualize the operational data and trace system history. In the scope of several pilot projects, the visualization concept, which has been specially optimized for mobile applications, has proven its capability of facilitating the traffic technicians’ everyday tasks. “An excellent product,” summarizes Johannes Wetzinger from the municipal author ities of Innsbruck in Austria. “The graphical user interface is well designed and clearly structured. The stylish symbols allow easy access to the detail data of each intersection.” The assessments by other pilot partners from a total of seven European countries have been similarly positive. Both versions of Sitraffic smartGuard – version 1.0 as a Sitraffic Scala add-on and version 1.1 as autonomous web-based traffic control center – have proven their practical worth in a wide range of contexts and are now available on the market. They have already been installed as regular applications in several municipalities, for instance in Esslingen, Bietigheim and Recklinghausen in Germany, but also in a number of cities in Greece, Norway and Finland, soon to be joined by Warsaw und Budapest. Already today the number of traffic light systems controlled via Sitraffic smartGuard totals more than 1,500 – and keeps rising rapidly. At the Intertraffic 2014 in Amsterdam, Siemens presented the updated version 2.0 with numerous additional features such as an integrated strategy management module and automatic maintenance messages. What is more, there is now also the ideal technical partner for the innovative mobile traffic center: the new Sitraffic sX traffic controller (see page 23). The perfect interaction of the two web-based components allows automatic data synchronization and makes it possible to integrate any newly-installed traffic light immediately into the system for direct display on the map. 29 ITS magazine 1/2014 | Profile “The basic direction Interview Mark Schlitt, Head of Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) since October 1, 2013, talks about his plans to follow a path of dynamic continuity, the unique synergy effects within a highly diversified corporation, and what would be the greatest nightmare scenario for him as a keen driver. March 25, 2014, a few minutes before 4 p.m. at the Siemens stand for the Intertraffic: We are surrounded by a Babylonian confusion of languages, people engaged in lively discussions, constantly clicking cameras – the usual hustle and bustle at the trade fair. It’s not easy to hold on to the empty seat reserved for our interview partner because seating is in high demand: Is this seat taken? Erwarten Sie noch jemanden? Est-ce que cette place est libre? C’è ancora posto qui? Está libre? Markus Schlitt arrives on the dot, at a determined pace but with an open smile. It’s his twelfth appointment today. Mr. Schlitt, how about a cup of coffee and a short rest? Thank you, I’d appreciate a cup. But as for taking a rest, I can do that while talking. What would you like to know? Until the fall of last year you were responsible for the strategy of the entire Mobility and Logistics Division of Siemens. Since October 1, 2013 you have been in command of the Intelligent Traffic Systems business. How has that changed life for you personally? One major difference is that I now make many more decisions based on gut feeling. The reason for this can be found in the nature of the task in hand. Unlike strategy development, which is strongly influenced by analysis and long-term cycles of observation, as an operational manager you have to concentrate far more on the short- and medium-term issues generated by day-to-day business. And usually there is not much time for detailed analyses. 30 As you have already had a significant influence on the strategic course of the business, it seems likely that your emphasis will, on the whole, be on continuity? Precisely. The basic direction of Siemens’ Intelligent Traffic Systems business will remain the same, and as things stand I see absolutely no reason for any substantial change of direction. Of course, the details still need to be constantly readjusted, for example when it comes to growth targets, regional priorities or the composition of our portfolio. What are the three most important objectives you want to achieve? As both market and technology leader, naturally we have a clear ambition to set the future trends in mobility – and that not only with regard to optimizing traffic flow, but also to improving safety and reducing the environmental impact of traffic. This magic triangle will continue to be the basis of our mission to lead road traffic engineering into a new era. I think that our innovations shown at the Intertraffic 2014 demonstrated this very clearly (see page 20; editor’s note). Your business is the only one in the world that has expertise in all areas of mobility, as well as in important related fields such as information technology. How do you use in practice the interdisciplinary know-how transfer that this enables? For example, these synergies become particularly obvious in the increasing degree of automation in road traffic. That is why we work closely with our colleagues in rail automation when we are developing IT platforms, as for decades they have been setting the standard in the areas of train control and train protection right across the world. And also when designing intermodal solutions we benefit enormously from having an in-house source of in-depth information about user preferences in other modes of transport. In general, I believe that our holistic understanding of mobility is our greatest strength. We certainly have strong competitors at the product level, but as soon as we talk about complete systems and customized solutions, we offer a service that is unique. Speaking in a more promotional way, we could perhaps say: Where others tend to stop, we keep on going. As Head of Siemens ITS, you are leading a global team of nearly 2,600 employees. This would certainly not be possible if you were to spend 100 percent of your time at your desk in Munich. Which regions have you already visited in the first few months? First of all, you have to understand that our business is very local. What makes us so strong is our high level of local expertise. Against this background I would also like to describe the role of Head of Siemens ITS as being a very important one, but not decisive on its own. Furthermore, in the person of our CFO Mesut Eken, I have a partner at my side with whom I can confer very intensively on all major issues. Among other things, we also agree our business trips with each other. My first destination was China, quite simply because that is where the effects of urbanization are the most visible. And I am firmly con- Profile | ITS magazine 1/2014 has been set” Personal Background vinced that the best solutions can always be found in those places where the problems are most evident. After that, various German, British and American cities were on my itinerary. And soon I will probably be visiting some customers in the Middle East, a region that over the next few years will surely continue to count as one of our strongest growth markets. When you are traveling, what means of transport do you personally prefer? Generally I’m a fan of cars, which still, in my view, offer the greatest flexibility. But privately, here in Munich, I often use public transport as well. Of course on long-distance business trips, I use the entire range – plane, train, taxi. Rental bikes are the only means of transport where I do not have so much experience. The more intelligent and networked mobility becomes, the more we approach the extreme solution – autonomous driving. Are there tasks that car driver Markus Schlitt has no wish to relinquish to technology? I feel like so many other keen drivers. Our greatest nightmare scenario is completely losing control of the act of driving. I do not think this will happen in the foreseeable future. What will prevail, at an ever increasing pace, are semi-autonomous systems, such as parking aids or systems to maintain a safe distance in congested traffic. And cars that are able to look for parking spaces on their own are already technically feasible – the questions that remain unanswered are in general of a legal nature, mainly involving liability issues. • 1993: Graduation from the technical secondary school Weissenburg in Franken, Bavaria • Military service with the paratroopers at Altenstadt Air Base and School for Airborne Troops • 1999: Graduation in Industrial Engineering and Management at the University of Applied Sciences Wuerzburg-Schweinfurt • 1999-2002: Industrial engineer for materials handling and logistics at KSB AG •2004: Graduation as Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM)/Erasmus University Rotterdam (The Netherlands) •2004-2011: Various positions with Siemens Management Consulting (SMC), most recently as Vice President/ Managing Partner •2011-2013: Senior Vice President Strategy and Business Development, Mobility and Logistics Division, Infrastructure & Cities Sector, Siemens AG •Since 2013: Head of Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) Mr. Schlitt, thank you very much for talking to us. 31 ITS magazine 3/2012 | Focus IMPRINT ITS magazine · The Magazine for Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems Publisher: Siemens AG · Infrastructure & Cities Sector · Mobility and Logistics Division Road and City Mobility Hofmannstrasse 51 · D-81359 Munich Editors: Dr. Michael Ostertag (responsible for contents), Karin Kaindl: Siemens IC MOL RCM MK Coordination: Roland Michali: Siemens IC MOL CC, Erlangen Copywriting: Peter Rosenberger, Philip Wessa: www.bfw-tailormade.de · Eberhard Buhl (“In the side-view mirror”) Photographs: Corbis Titel, p. 2, 6/7, 24 o., 26/27 . Gisela Schenker p. 3 . Daimler AG p. 8/9, 14 . dpa picture-alliance p. 8, 11, 12/13, 13 r. . Verband der Automobilindustrie e.V. p. 15 . SAP p. 15 . Microsoft Deutschland p. 16 . IBM Deutschland p. 16 . Toyota Deutschland GmbH p. 17 . Europäisches Ford Forschungszentrum Aachen p. 18 . Robert Bosch GmbH p. 18 . TomTom N.V. p. 19 . ERTICO-ITS Europe p. 19 . Photocase.com p. 25 English translation: Dr. Barbara Gutermann Sprachendienste GmbH, Biberach Concept & Layout: Agentur Feedback, Munich · www.agentur-feedback.de Printing: Mediahaus Biering, Munich Copyright: © Siemens AG 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used without express prior permission. Subject to technical modifications. Printed in Germany. The next issue of the ITS magazine will be published in June 2014 www.siemens.com/traffic ISSN 2190-0302 Order No A19100-V355-B115-X-7600 Dispo No. 22300 · K No 689 313702 IF 04145.5 32 The free ‘Siemens Publications’ app makes it possible for iPad and Android tablet users to subscribe to the ‘mobile edition’ of the ITS magazine. Siemens Publications for iOS Siemens Publications for Android