09-07-2012, 02:12 PM
Zigbee for intelligent transport system applications
[attachment=27270]
Abstract
Wireless communication technologies are expected to be widely employed in the near
future in Intelligent Transport System applications. The important innovations in
wireless and digital electronics will support many applications in the areas of safety,
environmental and emissions control, driving assistance, diagnostics and maintenance
in the transport domain. It is evident that wireless communication technologies can be
used in-vehicle, inter-vehicle and between vehicle and infrastructure in transport
applications. Among the different possibilities, Bluetooth is currently the most widely
used automotive wireless technology for in-vehicle communication while Wi-Fi is
used for vehicle to vehicle communication by several pilot research projects. ZigBee
also has a role, mainly in the interconnection of wireless sensor with vehicles and
infrastructure.
Introduction
A recent study by the UK Government’s Office of Science and Innovation, which examined how future intelligent
infrastructure would evolve to support transportation over the next 50 years looked at a range of new technologies,
systems and services that may emerge over that period [1] [2]. One key class of technology that was identified as
having a significant role in delivering future intelligence to the transport sector were wireless sensor networks and
in particular the fusion of fixed and mobile networks to help deliver a safe, sustainable and robust future transport
system based on the better collection of data, its processing and dissemination and the intelligent use of the data in
a fully connected environment [3]. As future intelligent infrastructure will bring together and connect individuals,
vehicles and infrastructure through wireless communications, it is critical that robust communication protocols are
developed.
Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs) are self-organising mobile networks where nodes exchange data without the
need for an underlying infrastructure. In the road transport domain, schemes which are fully infrastructure-less and
those which use a combination of fixed (infrastructure) devices and mobile devices fitted to vehicles and other
moving objects are of significant interest to the ITS community as they have the potential to deliver a ‘connected
environment’ where individuals, vehicles and infrastructure can co-exist and cooperate, thus delivering more
knowledge about the transport environment, the state of the network and who indeed is travelling or wishes to
travel. This may offer benefits in terms of real-time management, optimisation of transport systems, intelligent
design and the use of such systems for innovative road charging and possibly carbon trading schemes as well as
through the CVHS (Cooperative Vehicle and Highway Systems) for safety and control applications.
ZigBee Technology
The ZigBee standard [9] has evolved since its original release in 2004 and it is a new low cost low power wireless
networking standard for sensors and control devices. ZigBee provides network speeds of up to 250kbps and is
expected to be largely used in wireless sensor network applications where high data rates are not required. ZigBee
uses the media access control layer and physical layer of IEEE 802.15.4 for communication between devices.
ZigBee offers a short range wireless networking capability with low cost, low data rate and low power consumption.
EMMA Project
The Embedded Middleware in Mobility Applications project (EMMA) [11] is funded under the Information Society
Technologies (IST) Priority of the 6th Framework Programme of the European Commission and has an overarching
goal of utilising new embedded middleware to support the underlying logic and communications required for future
cooperating wireless objects and the applications they may support in the automotive and road transport domains.
This trend in the widescale deployment of digital processing into the environment – what is variously called ambient
intelligence, ubiquitous computing, the internet of things, or just ‘smart’ technology – goes well beyond transport
and will impact on almost every aspect of our lives. Just as the World Wide Web was a one-time transition in the
technology landscape, bringing information into a globally integrated system, so we are just at the start of another
one-time transition, linking up things through embedded intelligence and communications.
Communication Technologies for EMMA Project
Among the different possibilities, Bluetooth is currently the most widely used automotive wireless technology for invehicle
communication and Wi-Fi is used for vehicle to vehicle communication by several pilot research projects,
e.g., the Car2Car consortium [13]. ZigBee will be able to fill the gap left by these other technologies, mainly in the
interconnection of wireless sensor with vehicles and infrastructure. The ZigBee standard has evolved since its
original release in 2004 and it is a new low cost low power wireless networking standard for sensors and control
devices. ZigBee provides network speeds of up to 250kbps and is expected to be largely used in typical wireless
sensor network applications where high data rates are not required.
[attachment=27270]
Abstract
Wireless communication technologies are expected to be widely employed in the near
future in Intelligent Transport System applications. The important innovations in
wireless and digital electronics will support many applications in the areas of safety,
environmental and emissions control, driving assistance, diagnostics and maintenance
in the transport domain. It is evident that wireless communication technologies can be
used in-vehicle, inter-vehicle and between vehicle and infrastructure in transport
applications. Among the different possibilities, Bluetooth is currently the most widely
used automotive wireless technology for in-vehicle communication while Wi-Fi is
used for vehicle to vehicle communication by several pilot research projects. ZigBee
also has a role, mainly in the interconnection of wireless sensor with vehicles and
infrastructure.
Introduction
A recent study by the UK Government’s Office of Science and Innovation, which examined how future intelligent
infrastructure would evolve to support transportation over the next 50 years looked at a range of new technologies,
systems and services that may emerge over that period [1] [2]. One key class of technology that was identified as
having a significant role in delivering future intelligence to the transport sector were wireless sensor networks and
in particular the fusion of fixed and mobile networks to help deliver a safe, sustainable and robust future transport
system based on the better collection of data, its processing and dissemination and the intelligent use of the data in
a fully connected environment [3]. As future intelligent infrastructure will bring together and connect individuals,
vehicles and infrastructure through wireless communications, it is critical that robust communication protocols are
developed.
Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs) are self-organising mobile networks where nodes exchange data without the
need for an underlying infrastructure. In the road transport domain, schemes which are fully infrastructure-less and
those which use a combination of fixed (infrastructure) devices and mobile devices fitted to vehicles and other
moving objects are of significant interest to the ITS community as they have the potential to deliver a ‘connected
environment’ where individuals, vehicles and infrastructure can co-exist and cooperate, thus delivering more
knowledge about the transport environment, the state of the network and who indeed is travelling or wishes to
travel. This may offer benefits in terms of real-time management, optimisation of transport systems, intelligent
design and the use of such systems for innovative road charging and possibly carbon trading schemes as well as
through the CVHS (Cooperative Vehicle and Highway Systems) for safety and control applications.
ZigBee Technology
The ZigBee standard [9] has evolved since its original release in 2004 and it is a new low cost low power wireless
networking standard for sensors and control devices. ZigBee provides network speeds of up to 250kbps and is
expected to be largely used in wireless sensor network applications where high data rates are not required. ZigBee
uses the media access control layer and physical layer of IEEE 802.15.4 for communication between devices.
ZigBee offers a short range wireless networking capability with low cost, low data rate and low power consumption.
EMMA Project
The Embedded Middleware in Mobility Applications project (EMMA) [11] is funded under the Information Society
Technologies (IST) Priority of the 6th Framework Programme of the European Commission and has an overarching
goal of utilising new embedded middleware to support the underlying logic and communications required for future
cooperating wireless objects and the applications they may support in the automotive and road transport domains.
This trend in the widescale deployment of digital processing into the environment – what is variously called ambient
intelligence, ubiquitous computing, the internet of things, or just ‘smart’ technology – goes well beyond transport
and will impact on almost every aspect of our lives. Just as the World Wide Web was a one-time transition in the
technology landscape, bringing information into a globally integrated system, so we are just at the start of another
one-time transition, linking up things through embedded intelligence and communications.
Communication Technologies for EMMA Project
Among the different possibilities, Bluetooth is currently the most widely used automotive wireless technology for invehicle
communication and Wi-Fi is used for vehicle to vehicle communication by several pilot research projects,
e.g., the Car2Car consortium [13]. ZigBee will be able to fill the gap left by these other technologies, mainly in the
interconnection of wireless sensor with vehicles and infrastructure. The ZigBee standard has evolved since its
original release in 2004 and it is a new low cost low power wireless networking standard for sensors and control
devices. ZigBee provides network speeds of up to 250kbps and is expected to be largely used in typical wireless
sensor network applications where high data rates are not required.