The key element of high-tech highways will be their ability to converse with vehicles.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pranjal Sharma reports.
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Roads are becoming smarter even if the people driving on it are not.<\/p>\n

A set of smart technologies is making construction, maintenance, and traffic management much more efficient.<\/p>\n

“Few of the enabling technologies for smart highways include wireless communication technologies; Internet of Things (IoT); artificial intelligence; telematics; and smart\/connected cars,” a report by ResearchandMarkets.com says.<\/p>\n

As a result, the market for such technologies is expected to reach $62.6 billion in the next four years.<\/p>\n

Several interesting new technologies are being tested across the world.<\/p>\n

For instance, smart roads and highways can help charge electric vehicles.<\/p>\n

Power cables embedded under the roads can charge an electric vehicle driving over it.<\/p>\n

This will help overcome the issue of limited battery charge for long-distance driving.<\/p>\n

While roads can energise a car, another experimental technology is exploring how to trap energy from passing vehicles.<\/p>\n

Also possible are sensors embedded in roads that can monitor traffic, weather conditions and the status of the road.<\/p>\n

In case of a breach or damage, the sensors can automatically alert highway management authorities.<\/p>\n

The key element of high-tech highways will be their ability to converse with vehicles.<\/p>\n

Smart vehicles with their own set of sensors can share constant information with roads.<\/p>\n

This can help drivers take better decisions on navigation and traffic management while also allowing highway management authorities to plan better.<\/p>\n

India met its highway construction target for last year and is aiming to build 40 kilometres every day in 2021-22.<\/p>\n

More importantly, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is infusing the use of technology in various activities.<\/p>\n

These include construction, road condition surveys, electronic toll systems and project team management.<\/p>\n

NHAI is now using a “cloud based and artificial intelligence powered Big Data Analytics platform — Data Lake.<\/p>\n

“The entire project management workflow of NHAI is transformed from manual to online portal based.<\/p>\n

“All project documentation, contractual decisions and approvals are now being done through [the] portal.”<\/p>\n

All contractors and projects teams are mandated to work on the portal.<\/p>\n

The key advantage of such an approach is the regular flow of information on its various projects.<\/p>\n

“With advance analytics, the Data Lake software forecasts delays, likely disputes and gives advance alerts,” NHAI says.<\/p>\n

The system can also predict the financial outcomes.<\/p>\n

Automated toll management is the key to financial margins and improved efficiency for drivers.<\/p>\n

The FASTag that deploys Radio Frequency Identification technology has been made mandatory and is expected to roll out across the country in the next few months.<\/p>\n

Experts say that the data generated from automated toll collections will be a goldmine for planning and designing highways in the future.<\/p>\n

NHAI’s subsidiary, Indian Highways Management Company, is embarking on a global navigation satellite system-based tolling project.<\/p>\n

Using global satellite-based technology implies that toll plazas will directly be in contact with the vehicle’s navigation devices.<\/p>\n

Once they are matched with tolling and payment systems, effectively the vehicle will pay the toll plaza directly every time it will pass a check point.<\/p>\n

To make the most of satellite-based toll or parking charges, vehicle makers will have to include an onboard unit which is compatible with the relevant systems.<\/p>\n

Roads and highways are at the intersection of two sectors: Smart cities and smart mobility.<\/p>\n

Best results can be obtained with a view of the interconnectedness of mobility and city life.<\/p>\n

As policy makers and entrepreneurs deploy technology across sectors, keeping the big picture in mind would be useful.<\/p>\n

Smart roads will work best with smart vehicles.<\/p>\n

Both sectors will have to work together to achieve the most out of technological innovations.<\/p>\n

Image used for representation purpose only.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis\/Reuters<\/strong><\/p>\n

Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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