Send link
Significant breakthrough in intelligent transport development
01.04.2011
One-stop shop for transport services on the way
Drivers and other people on the move may soon have an increased range of easy-to-use location based information services available on their smart phones and other mobile devices, from a variety of service providers. VTT and its corporate partners have developed the Vedia Multi-Service concept for transport services and piloted its first applications. Vedia functions include for example automatically finding the nearest parking space that the driver can book and pay securely using a terminal device. Unlike most existing transport services, the Vedia Multi-Service system is not device-specific. The new system also enables charging based on actual use.
Location-based traffic information and user services have been around for some
time, but the services available have been fragmentary and tied to specific
devices. VTT brought together a strong group of Finnish service providers and
other intelligent transport operators to develop the device-independent Vedia
Multi-Service concept.
The Vedia concept allows the use of
several interactive location based information services on the same terminal
device, whether a smart phone, tablet or other mobile device. The idea of a
Multi-Service is to create a virtual one-stop shop where users have easy
access to services through their terminal devices while on the move – on foot,
on public transport or in a car.
The Vedia pilot involves
some 30 vehicles in the greater Helsinki area. They are being used for testing
basic Vedia features: kilometres driven, travel analysed by road type, and
emissions based on the vehicle ID data and emission category.
Initially,
Vedia services will be offered to professionals. Examples of services include
automatically generated driving logs and travel reports, as well as transport
monitoring and control, and updated maintenance services.
Consumer
services will be added later. The Vedia Multi-Service will provide drivers
with real-time information on traffic congestion, slippery roads, the best
deals on petrol, and so on. The terminal device can also instruct the driver
on how to drive so as to conserve fuel and keep emissions low. When
approaching the city centre, the driver can use the service to find a free
parking space, and to book and pay for it. Arriving at the car park, the
driver can check public transport timetables and routes on a mobile device to
find the best way to get to work. Voice output will be developed to enable the
services to be used safely.
Vedia services will cater not
just for the driver but for passengers, too, as it will provide games, films
and other entertainment services. Use of these entertainment services will be
recommended for the rear seats only, for safety reasons.
Vedia
has several distinct advantages compared with existing systems. Vedia will
make high-quality and continuously updated services available in any vehicle,
through an easily installed vehicle device or mobile device. Pre-installed
vehicle systems are expensive, and advanced systems are only available in
high-end models. Moreover, they become obsolete as the car ages.
Vedia
improves on existing satnav systems in that it can incorporate interactive
services, such as payment functions. Satnav systems provide little information
beyond route information, apart from the location of speed cameras and
real-time traffic information.
The long-term aim for Vedia is
that vehicles and people on the move can be online all the time if they so
wish, accessing the services they require
Vedia services are
commercial solutions for which VTT and its corporate partners have developed
new business models, service networks and secure payment functions. The
ultimate aim is to develop Vedia and its tested services into an exportable
product.
Vedia will also enable the use of new kinds of
insurance services and official services, and no separate version of the
system will need to be developed for this purpose. Any services that require
vehicle-specific identification can be accessed using a peripheral registered
for a specific vehicle.
Consumer privacy is of prime
importance in the development of the Multi-Service concept. The Vedia concept
incorporates an agreement between the customer and the service provider. The
service provider may not use the customer’s data for any other purpose than
that specified in the agreement. For example, the customer’s contact and
location information are subject to privacy and will not be disclosed to any
third parties. Customers can check the information on them in the system
through a web interface, using their user IDs.
The Vedia
Multi-Service platform was developed by DNA, G4S, Indagon, Logica, Media
Mobile Nordic, Nokia Siemens Networks, Semel, Teliasonera and Tieto in
addition to VTT.
Press material: Video