Promoting Vehicle and Road Intelligence Empowers Smart Transportation

A fundamental consideration in road and smart highway development is the continuous advancements in AIoT and other innovative technologies related to intelligent vehicles and roads, which are constantly evolving. Advantech is working closely with ecosystem partners from every sector to develop and implement in-vehicle and infrastructure solutions for smart highways and roads as part of a greater effort to advance smart cities.

Advantech provides VinBus with complete software/hardware integrated solutions

A fundamental consideration in road and smart highway development is the continuous advancements in AIoT and other innovative technologies related to intelligent vehicles and roads, which are constantly evolving. Advantech is working closely with ecosystem partners from every sector to develop and implement in-vehicle and infrastructure solutions for smart highways and roads as part of a greater effort to advance smart cities. Advantech provides VinBus with complete software/hardware integrated solutions Vehicle intelligence systems include vehicle positioning, navigation, collision avoidance, and safety warning solutions. Many of these technologies have matured and are now used widely by vehicles in urban areas. VinBus, a renowned public transportation service provider in Vietnam, is equipping its electric buses with Advantech’s intelligent bus solution. These buses are the first of their type and have been deployed in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Phu Quoc.

VinFast, a subsidiary of VinGroup that manufactures automobiles, was seeking a partner capable of supplying the smart solutions they needed for their electric buses. Advantech’s superior hardware and software-integrated solutions for electric buses and extensive experience implementing similar projects in Taiwan made them the logical choice.

While collaborating with Advantech, VinBus opted for the TREK intelligent electric bus management system as their solution. David Yang, Product Manager at Advantech, said “TheTREK intelligent bus management system delivers advanced driver assistance and behavior management functions, as well as Wi-Fi services and advertising. The system improves bus safety, comfort, and convenience; and is helping to transform public transportation in Vietnamese cities.”

VinBus specializes in intelligent electric buses and is a subsidiary of Vietnam’s largest conglomerate called VinGroup. They recently launched a large-scale electric bus project aimed at improving environmental sustainability. VinGroup sought to improve commuter experiences by building safe, comfortable electric buses that provide a range of diverse smart services.

VinBus’s intelligent electric buses have been undergoing trials since May 2021. These trials involved the provision of passenger services Fon 10 routes in Hanoi and four routes in Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc, respectively. Between150 and 200 buses were put into service during this first phase. These buses delivered a comparatively safer, more convenient, and comfortable public transportation experience to Vietnamese commuters. Van Lin, Senior Director of the Intelligent Mobile Solutions and Fleet Management Sector at Advantech, pointed out that VinBus has completed the first phase of the electric bus project and is expected to launch the second and third phases within the next two to three years. The second phase will involve the deployment of 2,000 to 3,000 electric buses in major cities in Vietnam. These electric buses will combine comfort and intelligent features in an effort to make bus patronage more appealing. Advantech is now replicating this successful project in other countries. Advantech has further developed the TREK-60 modular in-vehicle AI platform in an effort to meet the unique criteria Fof different cities. TREK-60 features a high performance processor with 5G and Wi-Fi 6.0 technologies, supports expansion via add-on modules, and offers other high-end communication capabilities aimed at producing more intelligent solutions for buses.

Advantech promotes road intelligence

Roadside smart solutions are used in smart bus stops, parking fee collection, traffic signal controls, electronic toll collection (ETC),intelligent bus routing, and intersection safety controls. Advantech solutions proved crucial in realizing all of these applications.

When considering bus stops, Mr. Lin posits that countries committed to promoting bus rapid transit (BRT) systems are presently attempting to integrate road information into smart bus stops. This improves travel experiences by facilitating the provision of precise arrival times that enable passengers to better plan their itinerary.

He added that in addition to general gate control systems, the popularization of electric vehicles means that future parking lots will create demand for charging and vehicle management smart applications. Accordingly, Advantech is working with its partners to provide relevant software and hardware-integrated solutions for charging stations. 

Advantech and FETC International are working together to promote smart transportation applications for ETC systems. Currently, FETC uses WISE-PaaS, Advantech’s industrial IoT cloud platform, because of its comprehensive device connectivity and management functions,remote operation and maintenance, and AI model training. According to Mr. Lin, their collaboration with Advantech will make it easier for city transport administrators to implement new smart applications. These applications will be in line with their operational goals and aimed at improving overall road network management.

Building a complete smart road system from the edge to the cloud

Mr. Lin added that smart road networks can only be built if the vast data collected from in-vehicle systems and road infrastructures are integrated on a dedicated platform for analysis. Doing so is key to creating door-to-door smart transportation services through the utilization of Mobility-as-a-Service.

Likewise, smart roads development cannot be accomplished by building single-point applications. This development necessitates a set of intelligent systems that connect expandable platforms at the network edge using an open cloud platform. System administrators seeking to create intelligent applications need ensure that data is accurate and used effectively.

Mr. Lin concluded that realizing smart road transportation systems pivots on a city governments’ ability to build smart infrastructure. This influences everything, from smart intersections and roads, to the eventual formation of a complete smart road network. Industry chain manufacturers in smart road transportation should encourage further collaboration to develop smart road solutions. Advantech’s role in this development involves the utilization of its specialized industrial grade hardware and Advantech’s WISE-PaaS as the core integration platform that connects partner solutions and creates an open SaaS.