Navigation Systems

ATTC talkMobility: Navigation Systems in Intermodal Traffic

The future of navigation lies in the linking of maps, traffic data and weather information

 

The Austrian Traffic Telematics Cluster (ATTC) hosted its fourth talkMobility event last evening, this time in the rooftop foyer of the MUMOK in Museumsquartier. The keynote speaker Corné Louwers, senior business development manager at the world’s market leader in navigation devices, TomTom, came all the way from the Netherlands. He spoke to around 120 guests, including ATTC president and ASFINAG managing board member Alois Schedl, ÖAMTC motor club general secretary Hans Peter Halouska, Austrocontrol CEO Christoph Baubin and Postbus managing director Christian Eder, on the topic of “Navigation Systems and Their Numerous Applications in Intermodal Traffic.” His core message was that the future of navigation lies in the linking of map systems with current traffic data and weather information.

 

“Just as mobile phones have become a normal part of life, navigation systems will continue to develop at a very rapid pace. In the future, navigation systems will be key to the efficient use of road infrastructure because they will do far more than simply calculate a route from point A to point B,” said Hartwig Hufnagl, general secretary of the ATTC and moderator of the evening, in his welcoming address.

 

Presentation by Corné Louwers (TomTom)
In his presentation, Louwers talked about the latest innovations in navigation systems and devices and made it clear that the future of mobility lies in the interlinking of systems. The navigation devices of the future will use current traffic data and weather information to substantially increase the quality and flexibility of route planning. This will in turn result in better traffic flows and increased capacity, as well as improved road safety. “The navigation device of tomorrow is an intelligent route manager that takes all external parameters into account. It provides high-quality information that allows extremely precise time planning and a safe journey,” said Louwers, describing the development of route selection.

 

ATTC president and ASFINAG managing director Alois Schedl added the following after Louwers’ presentation: “It is our job to provide a high level of mobility, safety and information. In this, our main focus in the future will be on making traffic informationconstantly available. The automated intelligence of the vehicles themselves will increase significantly, and car-to-car communication and car-to-infrastructure communication will have a growing effect on traffic flows.”

 

The first step we need to take is to set up systems that support communication between the traffic infrastructure and the vehicle. “That means that we need to bring the information generated on our road network to the customer – not only through local electronic signs, but also on the display in the vehicle. Navigation systems that are linked with the traffic telematics infrastructure are the best tool for this,” said Schedl.

 

New Members for the ATTC
After the discussion, ATTC Managing Board chairman Helmut-Klaus Schimany introduced three new associate members: the market-leading weather service provider meteomedia, the University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien and the IT services provider Cirquent. Schimany also welcomed Joanneum Research as a new full member.

 

To bring the event to a pleasant close, the ATTC invited its members to join the Managing Board members at the AftertalkMobility Clubbing in MUMOK’s exclusive Wittman Lounge for snacks and drinks. talkMobility again proved to be a valuable opportunity for networking. Infrastructure operators, service providers and technology manufacturers established new contacts, and many talked about potential added value for vehicle navigation and possible cooperation projects.

 

The ATTC
The cluster consisting of 16 renowned Austrian companies from the worlds of research, business and industry seeks to communicate the benefits and advantages of telematics to a broad audience. In its talkMobility event series, the ATTC engages in dialog with national and international experts on current topics that are especially relevant for traffic telematics.

 

Invitation: ATTCtalkmobility 4 – Save the Date