Precise positioning in the Road Transport sector (2013)

Overview

Road transport for this report includes passenger and freight transport, fleet management, transport logistics and the related support services that manage operations in the transport sector and road infrastructure support.

The transport and logistics sector was an early adopter of GNSS technology, using it to track vehicles, freight movement and is already widely adopted. In recent years the sector has experienced a growing need for greater accuracy, reliability, integrity and increased interoperability. These are required to support integration with complimentary intelligent systems to get greater efficiencies and competitiveness in logistics, reduce fuel consumption and maintain and service the infrastructure that supports it.

Geographical scope

Australia

Non-quantified impacts

Intelligent Transport Systems have already begun roll-out in Europe, USA and Japan. However, in regard to the specific precise positioning navigation aspects of C-ITS 1 Australia currently lacks the supporting positional infrastructure (via CORS 2 coverage) and the survey grade road base data to effectively facilitate certain functionalities at (largely) the ‘where in lane’ level of C-ITS. This can include functionalities such as those related to vehicle safety, which would require both precise positioning information and car sensor information to reliably make intelligent safety decisions based on the immediate road environment.

Positioning across the transport sector has many varied applications including freight and logistics, vehicle charging, intelligent transportation systems and container management.
- Existing freight and logistics systems typically don’t require cm level positioning; however, they do require the high reliability and integrity that can be provided by augmented GNSS.
- Automation of freight facilities and transfer hubs have specific accuracy tolerances requiring reliable cm level precise positioning.
Accuracy requirements vary depending on the application. However, reliability, integrity and interoperability across multiple systems can be as important as positional accuracy in some circumstances.
Significant improvements in productivity have been achieved from the use of augmented GNSS in transport applications. Further improvements are possible. Their realisation will depend on further development of applications as well as extension of augmented GNSS services.

Quantifiable impacts

The Road Transport and Transport Storage and Handling sectors have jointly benefited from the use and application of augmented GNSS. Combined output from these sectors is estimated to have been between AUD 154 million and AUD 213 million higher in 2012 than it would otherwise have been without the benefit of augmented GNSS.

By 2020 combined output is projected to be between AUD 534 million and AUD 916 million higher than it would otherwise have been, as a result of greater use in cooperative intelligent transport systems and in freight and container management at ports and transfer nodes.

Reference

Find this article at: http://www.ignss.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=afaFsLr%2Brmc%3D&tabid=56

Region

Australia

Study type

Case studies and CGE modelling

Economy sector

Infrastructure (Transport)