Transportation asset management uses systems and strategies to create efficient road infrastructure planning and management. The individuals who design these systems ensure that traffic flows smoothly and safely for both motorists and pedestrians. They organize roads assets to ensure the maintenance and management that assists informed decision-making.
Today, transportation asset management thrives on using specific technologies to keep management and operations efficient. But what kind of technology is helping improve transportation?
Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)
The transportation industry is showing promise with advanced and innovative applications that help management services concerning traffic and transport. The goal is to ensure the safety of individuals and well-informed commutes.
Commuters are experiencing the improvements made in the transportation industry through features that allow emergency calls and traffic management. Some programs are designed for the efficiency and mobility of transport systems.
The ITS helps ease traffic congestions while minimizing its effect on the environment. It eventually found its place with various applications that are now assisting transportation management systems.
Technologies And Their Uses
- Automated Surveyors
Maintenance of road infrastructures can be a time-consuming process for contractors. Old methods that rely on visual means are sometimes not enough even for experienced eyes. Spotting road assets such as street signs, local landmarks, road surface conditions, and utility signs stretch the process longer. Even the menial tasks of measuring poles and barriers by hand are bound to encourage danger at some point.
When measuring the condition of roads for a dilapidation report, survey machines provide a safe way for professionals to measure the shapes of trunk roads. Vehicles use this process and have mounted digital video equipment that uses laser-based technology. The laser is pointed on the road that automatically surveys and takes high-definition images of the texture and shape of the road surfaces as the vehicle moves along at traffic speed.
The automated surveyor machines face downward to spot and record a video of surface cracks. The technology also features accurate location referencing, distance measurement, and GPS.
- Apps And Software Solutions
Application and software developers are key players in asset management that allows both on-site and remote management through mobile means. Artificial intelligence-based asset inventory management provides data collection and processing solutions to assemble them into a visual report. The latter is the organized data of transportation and infrastructure assets.
One example is a downloadable app for collecting roadway images stored via the cloud after automated extraction. An associated web-based platform is solely dedicated to asset inventory projects and management. Other platforms also offer enhanced visual data and analytics for interactive mapping.
Contractors also use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the accuracy of roadway asset inventory such as street and highway traffic signs that meets standardized national specifications. Infrastructures, facilities, and ancillary structures like object markers and guardrails are also included in the inventory. AI is also used to extract and annotate road and street-level features. Contractors don’t need to list down business names, signs or decipher blurry images found on Google Street View.
- Sensor Technology
Transportation is one of the industries enjoying sensor technologies to control traffic, entertainment, and safety. Vehicle owners can check tire pressures before travel to avoid being stranded. Rearview visibility systems became mandatory to help prevent collisions of active vehicles.
Sensors are used in various applications for the detection and collection of information. This technology can provide data on the number of passengers in a specific mode of transportation and even the detection of delays or issues in a train platform. Sensors enabled with Internet of Things (IoT) help organizations set and maintain driver efficiency. Manufacturers install sensors averaging from 60 to 100 and may progress to 200 as vehicles become smarter.
- Mobile Communications And Wireless Networks
One of the easiest technological methods is thru mobile communications used by travel management companies (TMCs) to send and receive information and for travelers to access relevant data. TMCs can also use it to test and track field devices and other equipment. Other technologies used by TMCs are 5G and wireless networks to improve the coverage in rural areas and bandwidth increase for the capacity of systems.
Modernized wireless networks also help avoid overloading systems with increased area coverage for field equipment. TMCs benefit from investing in wireless-capable devices, bandwidth increase, and wireless infrastructure since the fraction of the cost is more affordable than increasing fiber backbone.
In Conclusion
Transportation asset management has become more efficient thanks to various technological applications. AI, communication-based, and sensor technology are moving the transportation industry to new heights that future generations can enjoy.
