Frost: Intelligent Transportation Systems Benefit Variety of Applications

October 23, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS

With slow driver reaction time identified as a major cause of accidents the world over, governments are looking at novel ways of averting mishaps and ensuring safer roads through the use of ITS.

Recent analysis from Frost & Sullivan found there are numerous applications, such as collision avoidance, incident management and weather alerts, that benefit from the use of ITS.

Large-scale deployment of these systems is expected to improve traffic and related problems in years to come.

"ITS relies on various technologies for their optimal functioning, of which wireless communication technologies are perhaps the most important," said Frost & Sullivan research analyst Arvind Arun.

"In particular, wireless technologies, such as dedicated short range communication (DSRC) and wireless access for vehicular environments (WAVE), have had a profound impact on ITS applications due to their ubiquity and ability to facilitate rapid and simultaneous intimation to all drivers involved in an emergency, as opposed to an information relay from one driver to the next."

Almost all ITS applications - from collision avoidance to traveler information systems - make use of wireless technologies, with safety undeniably being the most important application. Analysts said technologies, such as DSRC and WAVE, are unique in that they have been specifically designed to meet the needs of the ITS sector and have desirable features, including low latency and high data rate.

DSRC, which operates in the 5.9 GHz licensed band, is almost exclusively used for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, while WAVE is used in collision avoidance and vehicle safety services. Analysts said global positioning system (GPS) is another valuable technology, as it eliminates the need for cell phone towers and is used for applications such as automatic vehicle location and intimation of drivers and pedestrians that are unwittingly moving along collision paths.

Apart from communication technologies, analysts said the automotive and electronic industries also have an integral part to play in ITS. While the cost of technology deployment poses a major challenge, the biggest difficulty is the need to achieve interoperability and cooperation between the various enabling technologies and stakeholders. The ultimate objective of ITS cannot be realized by a single technology working in isolation.

"It is absolutely imperative that the various ITS technologies deployed in a particular region are not only compatible with each other, but also capable of complementing one another," said Arun. "Sensors, wireless technologies and electronics all need to work in tandem for ITS to be truly effective."

According to Frost & Sullivan industry manager Vedavalli Rangan, technology interdependence that is widely prevalent in this domain necessitates the need for collaboration among stakeholders in the value chain if deployment efforts are to be successful.

Analysts said companies will have to focus their efforts on developing innovative technologies for ITS, requiring a higher level of interoperability between products and solutions. If companies develop interoperable solutions, there is a greater chance for market penetration and adoption.

Strong governmental support is also critical for ITS research projects. Analysts said government funding for ITS usually encompasses infrastructure and deployment costs. So far, ITS projects have received plenty of government support.

"ITS deployment efforts have been carried out in a phased manner and incremental developments are being made to enhance existing systems," said Rangan. "The huge amounts of capital invested in ITS deployment and the associated risk demonstrates that governments strongly support incremental developments and expansion of systems."

Source: Frost & Sullivan.