Welsh researchers explore how smart vehicle technology could help run city services
Nation.Cymru staff
Computers, sensors and batteries built into modern vehicles could help monitor pollution, manage traffic and keep communications running during emergencies, according to research led by Cardiff Metropolitan University.
The team has developed a system for sharing vehicles’ technology across a city, allowing equipment already fitted to cars and other vehicles to support public services.
Possible uses include gathering environmental data through sensors, using onboard computers to process information and drawing on electric vehicle batteries for energy storage.
Researchers tested the idea in computer simulations involving 1,000 vehicles. They reported that the system could identify which resources were available and assign them to different tasks while maintaining service quality.
The approach has yet to be tested in real-world conditions.
Professor Issam Damaj, head of computer science at Cardiff Met, said: “Modern vehicles contain a remarkable range of technologies that are often underused.”
He added: “The computing power, communications capabilities, sensors and energy resources already available in many vehicles could help address real urban challenges, from traffic congestion and sustainability to public safety and energy resilience.”
The research covers connected, autonomous and electric vehicles, which can carry cameras, communications equipment and other technology alongside the systems needed for driving.
The team believes sharing those resources could reduce the need for additional equipment, although further testing is needed to establish how the system would work in practice.
Professor Damaj said the researchers had sought to balance technical performance with people’s needs and expectations.
The study was carried out by Professor Damaj and Dr Fiona Carroll at Cardiff Met, working with Professor Omer Rana of Cardiff University, Professor Mehmet E. Aydin of the University of the West of England and Abdallah H. Salem of Beirut Arab University.
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