Big data Sources for/from Intelligent Road Transport

1. BIG DATA SOURCES
FOR/FROM INTELLIGENT
ROAD TRANSPORT: AN
OVERVIEW
Dr. Evangelos Mitsakis, CERTH-HIT

2. Data? What is it actually?

3. A small sized data set
 One vehicle transmits its GPS data to a central server
 The GPS data logger contains info about:
o Position (x, y, z coordinates)
o Speed
o Heading
o Unique ID
Description Type Size
Position (coordinates) Integer 24
Speed Integer 4
Heading Integer 4
Unique ID Integer 4
36 bytes

4. A slightly bigger sized data set
 40000 vehicles transmitting their GPS data every second:
 36 bytes x 40000 vehicles = 1440000 bytes = ~ 1 MB/sec
 = 60 MB/min
 = 3600 MB/hour = ~ 3 GB/hour
 = ~ 72 GB/day
 = ~ 25 TB/year

5. An even bigger dataset
 Google Maps has over 20 petabytes of data = ~ 21 million
GB = ~ 20500 TB
Source: mashable.com

6. Why so much data?
 Digitization of everyday activities, including travel, shopping,
billing, ticketing etc.
 Increasing dependence on electronic devices, all of which
leave digital footprints every time they are used.
 Connected devices & vehicles (Internet of Things)
 Connected travelers

7. Progress in Big data technologies:
software and hardware
 Jeffrey Dean, Sanjay Ghemawat (Google)
(2004) MapReduce
 Google’s BigTable
 Apache Hbase
 Apache Hadoop
 NOSQL databases, eg MongoDB
 Graph databases, eg. Neo4j
 SPARQL (linked data)

8. Big - Open - Linked
 While Big Data is defined by its size, Open Data is defined by
its use
 Linked Data is about using the Web to connect related data
that wasn't previously linked, or using the Web to lower the
barriers to linking data currently linked using other methods.
Sources: http://www.opendataenterprise.org/
http://linkeddata.org/

9. Big data for traffic management
 Big data is providing new insights into traffic patterns.
 E.g. several technologies are used in UK’s ‘smart motorways’ to
monitor driving conditions and to allow variable speed limits to be
set to improve traffic flow performance.
 Traffic Information Services collect data through FCD in addition to
CCTV, traffic cameras and traffic sensors to give a real-time view of
traffic conditions.
 Big data is processed to provide real-time traffic data to
information service providers.
 Private companies use FCD collected through vehicle fleets to gather
information on traffic flows and delays.
 In freight and logistics, big data is used to optimize delivery, which
can reduce carbon emissions and mileage.
Source: Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology

10. Big data for public transport
 Help to understand travelers’ journey patterns, in terms of where they
travel, what mode they choose, how frequently they travel and how reliable
their journeys are.
 These insights can be used
o by transport operators to inform decisions around the planning of services. For
example, smart card data.
o understand better the end-to-end journeys that customers make for network
planning and for operations management.
 Inform transport agencies and operators of how people from different
groups (students, children, seniors, regular commuters and infrequent
travellers) use the public transport system
 Gain a deeper understanding of travelers’ needs.
 Big data visualisation is an additional tool for transport organisations
o Improved planning and operational decisions about services.
o Provide travelers with improved “transparency” of the network and the services.
Source: Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology

11. Big and open data for traveler
information
 Opening up (big) transport data to software developers can allow
users to receive personalized information, such as delays on their
local roads or public transport routes.
 It can also generate economic benefit if reduced travelling times
mean that employees spend more time working, or other benefits if
it increases time available for non-work activities.
 E.g TfL data has been valued at approx. 80 million € per year and
has resulted in over 200 travel apps being developed by private
companies.
Source: Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology

12. Big data for asset maintenance
 Big data offer new opportunities to identify problems more quickly
and to reduce costs.
 For example, Network Rail uses smartphones and GPS co-ordinates
to increase the accuracy of locating track defects to within 5 metres
(previously it had been 1 mile).
 On road networks, mobile sensors, such as Floating Car Data (FCD)
are used to overcome the limitations of fixed sensors, such as the
expense of installing and maintaining sensors embedded in the
road.
 In the USA, smartphones have been used to crowd-source
information about the state of assets, such as roads.
Source: Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology

13. Big & open data use in the transport
sector
Governments
• Traffic Control
• Transport Planning and Modeling
• Route Planning
• Congestion Management
• Intelligent Transport Systems
Private sector
• Travel Industry
• Route Planning and Logistics
• Competitive Advantages
• Technological Enhancements
Individuals
• Route Planning (save time/increase fuel-
efficiency)
• Travel (tourism)
Source: International Transport Forum

14. Big and open data, transportation and
smart cities
Source: Smart Cities Readiness Guide

15. Big data in research
 Size, not sample: Allows focusing on size, not sample,
improving accuracy of studies and responses to needs of
governments, companies and people.
 New big data technology means studies will not have to rely
on
o Sample sizes, because the amount of data collected will be vast.
o Models, because the measurements themselves will be able to
replicate reality

16. Big ITS data in Thessaloniki: FCD

17. Big ITS data in Thessaloniki: C2X

18. Big ITS data in Thessaloniki: BT

19. Big data in Thessaloniki: Social
networking services

20. Big data in transport: what to
expect?
 Improved multi-source traffic and travel data availability and
processing.
 Tools to enhance multi-source traffic and travel data fusion (for
improved data quality) for:
o Improved traffic and mobility management
o Improved (better informed) decision support for all related entities
o Improved insights into multimodal traffic and travel patterns,
collectively and at individual traveller level
o Improved understanding of travellers’ needs
o Improved traveller information and traveller assistance services
 Combine big, open and linked data to leverage innovation
and economic benefits

21. Thank you for your attention
Dr. Evangelos Mitsakis
Associate Researcher
Centre for Research and Technology Hellas
Hellenic Institute of Transport
e: emit@certh.gr