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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

DARC Services in Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) - Feasibility Study

DARC-palvelu liikennetelematiikassa

The objective of this study was to produce an assessment of the suitability of Data Radio Channel (DARC) for ITS services. In addition, the objective was to review and identify the strengths and weaknesses of DARC in comparison with, inter alia, the GSM/SMS and RDS technologies. The study also aimed at coming up with suggestions for DARC pilot projects within the FITS Programme and increasing the awareness of the prospects offered by broadcasting among Finnish experts of the field. One of the most significant assets of DARC is that its transfer rate is over ten times that of e.g. RDS (net rate 6-10 kbit/s). Another important strength is continuous service, i.e. information can be broadcasted 24h/day. Since the existing FM infrastructure is utilized, DARC-based ITS services can be provided on equal terms throughout the country. For DARC, unlike for e.g. GSM, there is no congestion of the network. Also, one of the strengths of DARC is efficient error correction. Additionally, information can be sent to all receivers simultaneously, and the transmission costs are not dependent on their number, unlike when using GSM. DARC is best suited for provision of traffic information (e.g. to public transport passengers). To some extent, it can be used for fleet and logistic management (mediating messages) and incident management (the VIRVE alarm system of the Emergency Response Centre Administration). In other areas of ITS services (traffic control, demand management, driver support systems, and surveillance), DARC is less suited and is mainly restricted to data transfer in emergencies and updating in-vehicle terminal software. During the study it became obvious that the time is not yet ripe for programming the implementation of pilot projects. One of the reasons is that the volume of ITS-related data transfer is, for the moment, rather low and mainly very targeted. Another reason is that the services directed purely to passengers will in the future probably rather use the DAB and DVB technologies (e.g. radio, digital tv). Thus, DARC is likely to be used for intra- or interorganizational data transfer. Nevertheless, interesting ideas for further work came up, and their possible realization will be reviewed during spring 2003. A good example is the project of equipping 250 public transport stops with displays for passengers, possibly to be implemented through the HEILI Programme; the goal is to use broadcasting in updating a large number of displays in downtown Helsinki. Another DARC service could be an automated system of accident information transmission from the Emergency Response Centres to the Traffic Management Centres of the Road Administration from which it can be mediated to road users. Additionally, transport companies might be interested in participating in a DARC experiment where information on e.g. road conditions or congestion would be transmitted to in-vehicle terminals. This report is available at http://www.vtt.fi/rte/projects/fits/ or http://www.mintc.fi

Language

  • Finnish

Media Info

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01015281
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: TRL
  • ISBN: 951-723-778-2
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Jan 12 2006 8:55AM