Business from technology

ICT in transport

Competence

VTT promotes the emergence of intelligent transport systems by developing vehicle and transport ICT systems and services. VTT develops system concepts, subsystems and implements system pilots, evaluates the acceptability, performance and impacts of the systems and prepares implementation and realisation strategies. In its research and development, VTT utilizes its own and its partners HTI, machine vision, sensor systems, ICT, transport and business know-how.

Challenges

Climate change, fluctuating fuel prices and the public sector productivity improvement objectives also require the ensuring of fluent and safe trips and transport with minimal infrastructure investments. This goal is promoted by traffic monitoring, control and information based on real-time transport data and, increasingly, driver support systems based on driver, vehicle and infrastructure interaction, also known as cooperative systems. The great challenges are in implementing the technologies and services intensifying these activities and in improving the competitiveness of the Finnish economy in this rapidly growing business area.

Solutions

• Driver support based on retrofitted and nomadic (mobile) devices
  
• Increasing level crossing safety using train warnings
  
• Mobile solutions for public transport passengers
  
• Constant evaluation of road surface friction from a moving vehicle or road side unit
  
• Self-learning travel time prediction models
  
• Comprehensive toolbox for service performance evaluation
  
• Evaluation of transport telematic technologies, behaviour and safety impacts
  
• Driver monitoring systems, in-vehicle data acquisition and data fusion
  
• Instrumented vehicles for driving behaviour studies, advanced driver assistance system and cooperative system development
  
• Sensors and sensor networks for vehicle applications and infrastructure monitoring
  

Benefits

• Increased transport safety and traffic flow
  
• Decreased fuel consumption and CO2 emissions
  
• Improved travel and driving quality
  
• More efficient transport investments
  
• Global export products
  

References and merits

• Research professors, one part time university professorship, two docentships
  
• Memberships in international organisations (e.g., ERTICO, ICTCT)
  
• Coordination of EU projects (TELEFOT (€ 15m), PREVAL, FRICTION, CODIA), partnership in EU projects: about 50 projects and in total hundreds of partners
  
• Memberships in international expert and advisory bodies: eSafety Forum Working Groups, ITS World Congress board, CEDR task groups, euroregional expert groups, CEN standardisation work group of public transport telematics, review and evaluation groups of framework programmes, participation in the contents of the EU 7FP
  
• Leading the Finnish transport telematic R&D programmes for ten years, ITS Finland board member, ICT SHOK – Cooperative Traffic board member.
  
• Long term co-operation with European vehicle manufacturers and their subcontractors and other companies.