From road to rail, connecting the unconnected
Dr Alison Vincent
The UK transport infrastructure is under pressure like never before. With congestion costing the UK economy £8bn a year, delays present a genuine economic threat, and new transformative capabilities are required, writes Alison Vincent, the chief technology officer of Cisco UK & Ireland.
To overcome this challenge, technology has a key role to play here, and particularly the Internet of Everything (IoE) can help transform transport infrastructure in the UK by intelligently connecting people, processes, data and things. By 2020, we predict there will be 50 billion internet-connected things in the world. This pace of digital disruption presents a fantastic opportunity for the transportation industry to improve safety, mobility and significantly reduce costs.
Improving the journey
The UK population presently stands at more than 64 million and is predicted to rise by 13 million by 2050. However, with three quarters of UK adults already owning a smartphone, such tools can help IoE to revolutionise the transportation industry and create unprecedented opportunities.
In the rail sector, more data – be that from on-train cameras or passenger logs – presents rail operators with the opportunity to provide better information and services to their customers. For example, capacity planning can be further optimised to provide more accurate information on how many passengers embark or disembark at a station.
Real-time open data can be looped back to customers helping them make smart decisions on which carriage to join, where to stand or even whether a later service is likely to be less crowded, based on historical averages. Filter that information to a journey-planning app, and it will allow passengers to make better decisions about when to travel before leaving home.
The inevitability of a more densely populated rail work system means the UK’s transport providers need to adapt to the changes to keep in line with the advancing technologies. WiFi on a train should be considered as important as a train arriving on time, this gives customers the opportunity to be productive, by working, playing or learning whilst on the move.
Rethinking the station
The Office of Rail Regulation stated that the UK hit a new record in 2015, with 1.3 billion journeys being made in 12 months. With more foot traffic on platforms as a consequence this presents not only a challenge but an opportunity for stations to engage with this captive audience. The Station-as-a-service (Staas) approach, where operators, retailers, passengers and security providers are better connected through a single IP infrastructure, will allow these parties to talk to one another to improve the customer experience and optimise station safety and management.
For station operators, Staas will provide them with an opportunity to act as an IoE service provider to on-site retailers, providing cloud-based infrastructure, communications, security and big data analytics. Whilst for the passenger, their journey will be enhanced, with access to multimedia applications instantly and instant visibility of entertainment hubs within the station.
Bringing an end to the traffic jam
By digitally connecting the unconnected in our transport infrastructure, devices can self-monitor and report back their status on hazards on the road or rail, and ultimately provide real time information on transport networks to improve safety and operating efficiency.
The congestion on our roads can be minimalised with IoE technology, by connecting traffic lights, parking bays and vehicles to one single network, allowing commuters to take the most appropriate route, and not waste time looking for that dreaded parking space.
At Cisco we have worked with the Port of Hamburg to deliver Europe’s first smartROAD, to improve resource management, traffic flow, infrastructure condition and environmental management, using an IoE approach with real time data and analytics. This technology means incidents are detected and reported automatically, whilst the deployment of Follow Me Lighting has enhanced safety for pedestrians and cyclists in the port, and saves energy at the same time.
For an ever expanding and busy transport network, integration of IoE technology is crucial. We are already seeing considerable ways in which the IoE opportunity is being realised with an underlying platform forming rapidly in the UK. But for the UK to keep moving, improve safety and to stay ahead in this ever advancing world, we must continue to connect the unconnected to benefit from the full potential of the Internet of Everything.
The author, Dr Alison Vincent is the chief technology officer for Cisco in the UK and Ireland. Dr Vincent has 25 years’ experience in international leadership of software projects. In numerous organisations she has introduced agile methodologies, transforming software engineering to focus on customer value and improved time to market. She is an Ambassador for Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) and Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEMnet) ensuring on-going technical talent in the workforce.
Dr Vincent joined Cisco in 2012 as a result of the NDS acquisition and was responsible for Innovation, Global Process improvement programmes, Open Source policy and intellectual property rights management in the Video Business.