One of the core components of a smart city is an Intelligent Transport System (ITS). This system automates transportation management by processing the data from sensors and connected IoT (Internet of Things) devices.
The applications that form Intelligent Transport Systems generate huge datasets by collecting data from connected IoT sensors and devices around the city. The ITS system requires an architecture that can manage this data, such as a Kubernetes orchestration system.
Container orchestration is becoming popular at the enterprise level, with a number of transportation systems applying container orchestration solutions. One example is General Electric (GE) Transportation, which ensures availability across their mix of environments by leveraging Kubernetes.
The idea of leveraging container architecture to improve the efficiency of intelligent transportation systems is also getting traction at the academic level. Technology institutes are developing models using Kubernetes or OpenShiftOpens a new window to manage IoT applications in a smart city, especially for managing transportation.
What Is an Intelligent Transportation System and How Does It WorkSmart cities implement ITS to reduce transportation problems. An intelligent transportation system provides users with information about traffic conditions and available transportation modes in real-time. This information makes commutes shorter and more comfortable.
A Traffic Management Center (TMC) lies at the center of an intelligent transportation system. TMC systems collect and analyze the traffic and transportation data in real-time. An efficient TMC relies on the automation of processes such as data collection, analysis, and transmission.
Below is an overview of how an ITS processes the data from collection until it is conveyed to the user.
Data collection
The data collection layer of an ITS consists of connected devices and sensors that collect the data in real-time. Devices such as automatic vehicle identifiers, GPS locators, sensors, and cameras are used to map the traffic and transit conditions. Some of the data the devices collect include travel speed, time delays and traffic count. The devices leverage IoT technology to send the data in real-time to the TMC servers, which can store and analyze large amounts of data.
Data transmission
The collected data travels through a communication network consisting mostly of a combination of wireless and LAN networks. The ITS often makes use of methods such as Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DRSC) or Radio and Continuous Air-interface, Long and Medium (CALM).
Data analysis
Once the data arrives at the TMC, the system processes it in several steps. The TMC first cleans the data of inconsistencies and errors, using specialized software for rectification. Next, the data is pooled and analyzed using statistical predictions based on software modeling. This statistics software can predict a traffic scenario that provides useful information to passengers.
Traveler information
Travel Advisory Systems (TAS) is the ITS layer that conveys transportation updates to passengers. The system releases real-time information updates about travel time, delays, traffic conditions, or changes in routes. The system informs passengers through a range of electronic devices such as message signs, SMS, mobile apps, and website platforms.
An ITS integrates nine components of which traveler information is one of them. The other components of an intelligent transportation system are as follows:
- Traffic signal control systems: Use sensors in the pavement to monitor the demand for the right of way and changes in cross-street demand. The sensors send this information to the traffic signals, which then adapt to traffic demands. This results in shorter waiting times at intersections and better traffic flow.
- Freeway management systems: Use ramp metering to measure the traffic entering and leaving freeways. This helps keep the demand low, reducing congestion.
- Transit Management: Uses Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) technologies to help maintain the schedule of buses.
- Electronic fare payment: These technologies reduce the need for handling cash for transit operators.
- Electronic toll payment: This eliminates the congestion at toll collection plazas. A sensor detects a transponder in the vehicle, billing the driver’s account automatically. A transponder is a radio frequency identification (RFID) device. This device is attached to the inside of the car, behind the rear-mirror, enabling the sensor to detect it.
- Incident management systems: Use cameras and road sensors to detect and locate traffic incidents. These systems include dynamic message signs, alerting travelers to accidents on the road ahead.
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Applications of Cloud Computing for ITS
Transit operators and cities usually deploy intelligent transportation systems in a hybrid cloud environment. For example, a connected vehicle usually connects to the ITS via a local area network (LAN). The vehicle system shares information about its health with ITS.
Fleet companies usually integrate Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud solutions for their transportation management needs. The fleet management system uploads the data collected from connected vehicles to the cloud. The platform then analyzes and processes the data delivering actionable information to drivers and transportation officers in real-time.
A cloud environment provides ITS with the flexibility required to process and analyze the data. Still, processing large amounts of data remains a challenge. This is where cloud-native technologies such as container computing come to help. Containerization has become popular among software development companies as a way to speed up application development and deployment.
Using containerization in a transport system involves including all the information an IoT device needs inside a container. The IoT device sends the containerized data to the ITS. As each IoT device represents one or more containers, a smart city transportation system can receive and manage millions of information containers. The solution is the implementation of a container orchestration system such as Kubernetes.
Installing a Kubernetes Container Platform for ITSsResearchers and companies such as AT&T are developing solutions to implement container technology to intelligent transportation systems.
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What is Kubernetes?
Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration system. Originally designed by Google, Kubernetes automates the deployment, scaling, and management of applications. Kubernetes manages containers over multiple hosts while monitoring the applications running inside the containers. This cross-host flexibility is ideal to manage the different components of a transportation system.
Other benefits of using a kubernetes platform include:
- System usage optimization: Transportation operators can use the Kubernetes dashboard to review how much computing resources the system consumes. This allows the system operators to easily optimize servers and cloud resources according to the system demand.
- Scalability: Orchestrating containers using Kubernetes enables you to scale up or down the system on demand. ITS operators can use a Kubernetes platform to add more IoT devices or containers to the network.
- Reliability: One of the main features of Kubernetes is the ability to automatically replace damaged containers with new healthy ones, copying the previous container information. This self-healing feature gives transportation systems the reliability and availability they need.
The consequences of malfunction in a transport system can be disastrous. One of the challenges of an intelligent transportation system is integrating IoT devices to a cloud computing environment. Cloud-native software provides a way to overcome this challenge.
ResearchersOpens a new window are exploring the benefits of implementing a container-based system across a network of IoT devices in smart cities. This model can ensure reliable and secure communication between the transportation system IoT devices, such as sensors, and connected vehicles, and the TMC.
Wrap Up
Intelligent transportation systems face the challenge of scaling operations to accommodate the growing demand for services and information. Researchers and technology companies are applying container services to help manage the data coming in daily from a myriad of IoT devices. Using Kubernetes can provide an effective solution to achieve the scalability an efficient ITS requires.
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