Simulation of Road Traffic Monitoring by Satellite

European Space Agency (ESA)
1995/96


This project , supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), is concerned with the monitoring of road traffic by satellite. The proposal is that a small number of vehicles, 'tracer' vehicles, be fitted with GPS-based position determination units that would be interrogated by satellite. This system will measure vehicle speed and position directly in contrast to current traffic monitoring systems which rely on extrapolations of vehicle flow data retrieved from buried inductive loop sensors. In addition, it should be possible to provide a range of supplementary services to make them attractive consumer products and encourage the fitting of these systems to cars and trucks. The satellite communication system between the mobile vehicles and the hub uses the PRODAT protocol. The intention is to simulate such a system and to understand the accuracy of the traffic information received, and the problems to associated with accessing the vehicles via the satellite link. Another result of the simulation will be a demonstration of the merits of the system.

Personnel

This work was performed by: [List of Projects in ERG]