ITSC 2017 Takeaways!

This year, I presented my research "Multi-Agent Based Road Traffic Control Optimization" in Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference (ITSC 2017), International workshop on Large-Scale Traffic Modeling and Management, Yokohoma. I worked as a student volunteer there as well.

Connected Vehicle 

Key highlight of the all three keynote speeches is the concept of "Connected Vehicle".  Different V2X technologies to connect vehicles, infrastructure and people to provide better mobility services were discussed. First keynote was "SIP Autonomous Driving" delivered by Mr. Masao Fukushima (Nissan R&D). Development of a digital dynamic map platform with the aim of realizing autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance systems was discussed. Dynamic map is an essential component in autonomous car navigation. This is done by Dynamic map platform Pvt Ltd.

Dynamic map platform. Source: https://connectedautomateddriving.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2_Day2_PL10_Kuzumaki_final_LR.pdf

ART information center was introduced as a way of gathering required mobility information such as traffic congestion, waiting time and bus route information. Currently, they are planning to come up with map using point cloud information and IoT based services will be added in the future.

Source: https://connectedautomateddriving.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2_Day2_PL10_Kuzumaki_final_LR.pdf

 Next Keynote was "From the World's 1st Car Navigation, towards Connected and Automated Driving in the Future" by Mr. Yoichi Sugimoto (Honda R&D). This was an interesting session where he explained the "Honda electro gyrocator", world's first commercialized map based navigation system (1981).

Honda electro gyrocator. Source: https://www.jsae.or.jp/autotech/data_e/14-2e.html

He further spoke about more advancements innovated by Honda R&D to realize connected vehicle concept. One such innovation is "Honda Telematics services" (1998) that focuses on  leveraging IoT solutions to provide connected car platform.

Honda Telematics. Source: http://itsasia-pacific.com/about-its-asia-pacific/examples-of-its-deployment-by-countryarea/1998-auto-manufacturers-telematics-service-japan/

Further, they have introduced Internavi system route, the world's first floating car system that collects traffic information from vehicles and provide them to it's users. 

The next Keynote speech was done by Prof. Emeritus U. Ozguner (Control & Intelligent Transportation Lab - Ohio State University). The topic was "Smart cities: An Intelligent Vehicles Perspective". One highlight of the session was "Smart Columbus", an experimental smart city that is designed to enable the connected vehicle concept.

Smart Colombus. Source: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16novdec/hottopic.cfm