Meng Lu - Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems: Towards high-level automated driving

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is the use of computers and communication systems to collect, send, store, process and use data. ICT is the basis for intelligent transport systems (ITS), comprising a broad range of diverse technologies in the transport domain, using sensor, communication, information processing and control technology. Communication between vehicles and infrastructure defines the area of Cooperative ITS (C-ITS). General goal is to enhance comfort, safety, efficiency and effectiveness of transport and mobility. C-ITS as a prelude for automated road transport is the topic of this book, as outlined in this chapter.

Two main categories of ITS applications can be distinguished: vehicle-based or on-board systems and infrastructure-based or off-board systems. Examples of vehicle-based ITS applications are Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), in-vehicle safety systems and systems enabling connected and automated vehicles. For these systems, vehicles are equipped with various technologies for environment perception and communication. Sensors for environment perception include radar, lidar, camera, and positioning and map database, and need as well processing facilities. Communication technologies, the essential component of C-ITS, include direct vehicular communication based on IEEE 802.11p and cellular network communication. Examples of infrastructure-based ITS applications are tolling, traffic monitoring, traffic control, traffic information and all back-end systems. These systems also use various kinds of sensors (including infrared and inductive loops) and communication technologies [].

First visions of ITS in the form of futuristic self-driving vehicles already developed at the beginning of the twentieth century (cf. 1939 New York Worlds Fair Futurama as in [], running 19861995. In 1994, the first automated vehicle was publicly shown as part of PROMETHEUS. Being first-generation prototypes, these research results were far from market introduction but provided valuable impulses and marked the start of the development of applications for supporting the driver with the driving task.

In an article of 1982 [], triggered the development of comfort and active safety systems.

The focus of active-safety systems is on preventing collisions, and mitigating the impacts if collisions do occur. Increasingly active-safety systems use perception of the environment: the static road infrastructure, and dynamic objects present in that infrastructure. Four main sensor technologies provide information for environmental modelling: radar, lidar, camera systems, and map database and positioning, while also C-ITS has become an important component. In recent years, numerous pilot and standardisation activities took place supporting the deployment of cooperative systems based on the IEEE 802.11p wireless local-area network standard. At the same time, vehicles are increasingly connected to mobile phone networks, which are continuously improving in terms of coverage, bandwidth and latency. Communication technologies have reached a degree of maturity that allows to integrate until now largely separate C-ITS applications at infrastructure- and vehicle-side into a connected ecosystem.

The technological progress and results of research and innovation resulted in the market introductions of a variety of systems. The IEEE ITS Society was established. (C-)ITS technology is a key aspect in a majority of the ongoing research projects on ground transport worldwide. Today vehicle automation is a major research field, which transforms the automotive industry by applying sensor technology and (C-)ITS in order to increase safety, comfort and efficiency.