Transportation


 * Transportation:** Reservation Systems, luggage processing, navigation, scheduling and distribution, traffic simulations, smart roads and cars, fuel efficiency and traffic safety systems.


 * 1. Use of Technology by an airline**

From your trip to the RBA describe the technology used by the airline to provide the smooth running of operations.


 * 2. Reservation Systems**

About Online air travel reservation systems [|http://www.faqs.org/faqs/travel/air/handbook/part4/section-3.html]

SABRE computerized reservation system used by Silkair, Malaysian airlines [|http://www.sabre-holdings.com/]or [|http://www.sabretravelnetwork.com/]

Online reservation systems allows customers the advantage to book reservations easily and instantly on most airlines, thus allowing customers to reserve seats before flights are fully booked. However note, none of the online-air reservation systems provide access freely, often with a monthly, hourly or per minute cost. Major online reservation systems with online interfaces are Travelshopper owned by Worldspan officially known, as PARS, Official Airline Guide and Eaasy Sabre owned by parent company of American Airlines.
 * __Describe the systems used by transport companies to allow the reservations by customers.__**

On-line airline reservation systems typically allow you to check fares and schedules and make reservations on most airlines. You can also pay for the tickets, which can then be sent by mail, or issued at the airline's airport ticket counter or city ticket office, or by most travel agents. Some allow you to maintain an online profile of information to be inserted into your reservations, such as frequent flyer number and special meal requests. These systems provide the same basic scheduling and pricing data as the ones used by travel agents, but with a different user interface, and restricted access to some information.

All providers of computer reservation systems are required to be non-biased (e.g., even though Eaasy Sabre is owned by American Airline's parent company, they don't preferentially list American first). Some accomplish this by listing the flights in a particular order, like All at random order within each category. Travel agents can, of course, restrict the display to the flights of specific carrier(s). The different stakeholders include: The Owners, Customers and the reservation system company. The reservations systems are crucial in maximising profits for owners, where the reservations systems help to fill flights/ships/theatre shows/rooms etc to maximum capacity, efficiently and without delay. If for instance the transport companies IT computers were to unable to operate, the entire travel industry would lose a huge number of customers and their would be incredibly long lines at booking counters and travel agencies of people who would normally buy their tickets online. This would be incredibly inefficient and cause a lot of problems with customer support. Customers that are either frequent or in-frequent travellers or will benefit from the IT systems used to reserve flights as it saves time and easier then having the hassle of waiting in line in an airport booking counter. They also benefit from a wide range of travel agencies to choose from can pick the best deals. A lot of people depend on the transport companies to arrange their flights especially if they have to travel frequently, it would be very inconvenient if they cannot almost immediately reserve a flight they need. The reservation company acts as an intermediary between buyers and sellers. They earn profit from commission on the reservations they sell to the buyers. They therefore need to keep in contact with a wide range of sellers such as, travel agencies. They are very dependent on their online reservation system they have to spend enormous amounts of money to maintain and upgrade their IT equipment. The system has to be kept running non-stop. If there were to be any problems it would delay a lot of flights and travelling worldwide. By Danny Lim 12S1   Luggage Processing By: Jeffrey Gindro New Technology in Luggage Processing R.F.I.D. tags are the technology that is guiding the luggage through to the its predestined location specified on the computer. All these specifications are then transferred onto the chip. Once this location is chosen the RFID tag is printed out and attached to the suitcase. The tag then guides the suit case down/up the correct turn off to get to the truck. Baggage Handling The basic process is: The people get the tag from the front desk, The baggage is put on the conveyor belt, The belt then directs the baggage through to the correct truck to take it to the correct plane, The truck is loaded, then unloaded at the plane, on the plane. How the RFID tag works. The tag which is printed out at the front desk contains the RFID chip. This chip has all the flight details, this gives off radio waves which are picked up by the antenna that tells the belt what to do and where to send the luggage. Technology Being Used The technology that is used is the RFID tags that are printed out at the front desk. The belt is able to direct the bags to the correct destination by radio frequency, thus Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Issues Due to Technology As said in the video the luggage processing using the new technology (RFID) has been 99%, whereas the barcode has been 90%, so the barcode was more likely to fail than RFID. Therefore RFID is the best technology for guiding the luggage to the proper destination, at the time being. Conclusion In final, the RFID tags being used have been better than the barcode, with less human interaction of the luggage. Bibliography [|www.youtube.com] [|www.howstuffworks.com] [|www.dogpile.com] 
 * shortest non-stop flights
 * shortest flights with transit point(s)
 * shortest aggregate times for one-city connections
 * shortest aggregate times for multi-city connections.
 * __Discuss the social and ethical issues/impacts this has on the different stakeholders.__**
 * 3. Luggage Processing**

Patent for Luggage processing [|http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4137567.html]

Airline – luggage handling system e.g. Helsinki [|http://www.airport-technology.com/contractors/baggage/airport-innovation/]

Baggage Handling software [|http://www.airport-technology.com/contractors/consult/sky/] And [|http://www.airport-technology.com/contractors/baggage/crisplant/]

Describe the technology being used to assist in the handling of luggage.

Research in the news any issues that have arisen through the use of this technology.

Happy New Year Every1! Luggage Processing.doc Done by: Roslee

Research how IT may be used in the scheduling of transport e.g. trains, aeroplanes, coaches. IT technology are used in many different ares for transportation scheduling. For example in the trains, airplanes and coaches. In the airplanes it techonology is needed to book the tickets for the customers. It is also responsible for the seatings, it also makes life easier by using IT technology for the seats of the plane be cause this can easily tell if the plane is fully booked or if there are any seats left over. In the trains IT technology is used to process the ticketing system. For example in Singapore, you would buy the ticket for the train from a machine. It lets you choose the destination and you would have to put the amount of money which is stated by the machine. And once that is done the ticket will be given by the machine. IT is used for mapping directions in the coaches.
 * 4. Transport Scheduling**

Scheduling Software All transport systems require the use of IT with such features as: • Optimization technology Optimization technology is //“////In mathematics, the term optimization, or mathematical programming, refers to the study of problems in which one seeks to minimize or maximize a real function by systematically choosing the values of real or integer variables from within an allowed set.”// basically this means: programming systems by use of Mathematic formulae and systematic values to see real life functions play out in order to seek insight of the effect of different variables. Optimization Software is used in Transport Scheduling to create timing schedules. Such transport systems with this use of scheduling software are: Tracking software Tracking software is implemented into a lot of Optimization scheduling software so that operators can see vehicles in real time and if any mathematical area should arise (especially in Train, coach and plane schedules) a human operator monitoring the vehicle movements can intercept and prevent any unscheduled error. The benefits of tracking software are numerous. However, the issue of privacy is often questioned
 * Public Train systems
 * Air systems
 * Shipment systems
 * Coach systems
 * Crew /staff scheduling

//logicaltransport.com// offers Vehicle tracking services The company offer features such as: Real time GPS systems with accurate mapping You’re able to time and measure distances that your company made deliveries You’re able, as an operator, to talk with the drivers and they can talk/message you at the office You’re able to monitor your company vehicle movement by internet network, allowing you to change your office position to anywhere at anytime  Issues issues that arise from optimization software. The first, privacy issue- Employee’s might feel uneasy knowing that they are being tracked and watched during their work day. Taxi and Bus drivers being tracked will feel less freedom when out on the job- having to explain every toilet stop might become an issue between the drivers and operator who is tracking. However employer’s would argue that through tracking the employee they are benefiting both the company and employee’s -on security issues, - reliability issues of being paid - and consumers are served better -more productive Conclusion I think that transport systems for scheduling are entirely necessary as we save ourselves from accidents, we are more productive and organized, making for good reliability. However, we rely immensely on the use of technology and without scheduling systems it is difficult to define weather or not we’d be able to cope successfully without the use of technology. We are in some terms a society that is due to become much like a patient on ‘life support’ we rely heavily on technology and are becoming more and more unable to operate without the use of it. Technology is constantly evolving and becoming greatly useful and making life easier but if something should happen to cause the loss of technology (electronically) are we going to survive without it? [ardyn.]  Discuss any social and ethical issues that arise from using this technology.

The only issue with IT technology which are being used in these transporting scheduling is that if there is no electricity then the whole system would completely fail and shut down. So I think that the whole transport scheduling should not only let IT run it and it is also an issue because IT uses up a lot of electricity which is wasting the precious energy from the world right now. by Jeffrey

An example of traffic simulations [|http://vwisb7.vkw.tu-dresden.de/~treiber/MicroApplet/]
 * 5. Traffic Simulations (see Simulations and Modelling)**


 * How could Brunei have benefited from this before building the new traffic lights at the airport roundabout?**

At the airport roundabout, there are traffic conjunctions during timings when several flights arrive at once and passengers leave the airports. This conjunction of traffic, blocks other several lanes around the roundabout with vehicles. Therefore to control the flow of traffic, traffic lights were built; however this resulted in further density of vehicles because it brought traffic to a standpoint for several minutes in each lane. The lack of planned scheme resulted in accidents, as putting up signal at a roundabout made it more confusing for drivers. With the braking of signals at the roundabout there was further stress and collisions, because of a circular road and packed up area. Due to traffic signals, many vehicles were traveling around the roundabout at once, moving to different lanes, which made drivers confused. The traffic signals were also not timed well enough and sometimes traffic was not cleared from the roundabout for the next vehicles to move. The standing traffic was more in certain lanes compared to others, making the usage of traffic signals less effective. The simulations could have been performed, and various road planners such as roundabouts, traffic signals, ramps or parallel lanes could have been used, to demonstrate the best method for controlling the traffic flow. It is possible to easily compare alternative designs and select the best system as well as study the relationships between components in detail and can simulate the consequences of multiple design options before having to implement the outcome in the real-world.The simulations would have shown the effects of the using of traffic signals, and the amount of vehicle density it would result in certain lanes. Also it would have shown the better usage of traffic signals and how to time them in order for good clearing of traffic from the roundabout before the movement of other vehicles. The actual process of developing the simulation can itself provide insights into the inner workings of the network which can in turn be used to see effects at later stages.

[|http://destech.mit.edu/akilian/newscreens/traffic/index.html]for more examples of traffic simulations


 * Describe the changing variables in these simulations**

Most simulation models use various algorithms to simulate the effect of traffic in reality. A simulation using cars was performed determining characteristics such as acceleration, deceleration, speed, and speed limits of vehicles. The position and speed of each vehicle on the network determine the actions of vehicles around it, and through this the roadways can be planned. Thus the interaction of vehicle to vehicle, vehicle to road. Once a vehicle is assigned performance and its movement through the roadway other variables can be determined such as

• Car following: The car following algorithm determines how vehicles interact with one another and how vehicles distribute themselves within a traffic stream. • Lane changing: The lane changing algorithms control how vehicles merge, weave, and make lane changes within the traffic stream. · Gap Acceptance: The algorithm determines how much gap there is between vehicles, and the extreme of traffic conjunctions. · Overtaking of vehicles: algorithms control how the simulated vehicles turn into or across conflicting traffic streams. An example is a vehicle waiting to turn onto major street from aside street, or a vehicle on the mainline waiting to make a left turn across conflicting traffic. · Density: Density of vehicles can also be judge by simulations and whether to add more vehicles on the road to see their effect, on other variable such as gap acceptance and car following.

Therefore the simple rules demonstrate the effects of accelerating to target speed, breaking when getting close to other cars and taking turns at intersections. Also they show what happens with a crowding behavior, outside the bounds of the roads.

This is useful because, certain building volumes are generated from the number of cars that are targeting that particular lot such as highway drive patterns.

Sometimes it is also possible to choose other external factors that could affect traffic, such as weather constions, or cars actual physical position (suitable typres, original parts).

It is **cheaper** to use traffic simulations as it doesn’t require money for real cars or built roads. It is possible to use many variables and predict accurate outcomes (e.g. possibilities of accidents). It is possible to simulate the effect of new infrastructure before it has been build, **saving costs**. Referring to accidents, it is also considered **safer** to use traffic simulators. With simulators accidents that could happen can be analyzed with reasoning for why such an outcome can occur, and therefore such mistakes would not be made in reality when building new roads and maintaining traffic. So the simulator can **model the effect of traffic in extreme conditions**. It **saves lots of time** to use simulators to demonstrate different or new traffic rules. It is possible to **experience a lot more situations in a limited amount of time**. For example allowing overtaking on freeways at either side combined with a speed limit or the effect of increasing percentage of vehicles. All these variables are put together to see their effect, which might be impossible to experience in any other way, or could be a blue moon scenario in reality. Therefore any possible scenarios or influence of vehicles could be tested for accuracy. A lot of scenarios can be experienced by using a single model, such as the effect of control measures like, which are variables that can be altered (restricting speed limits) and the **amount of influence changing** **variables** **can have on traffic flow can be demonstrated** (e.g. does traffic become more stable or increase per lane).
 * Why would road planners perform traffic simulations?**

//Sry if too long!!//

khushboo

How do traffic lights work [|http://www.sefton.gov.uk/page&2781]
 * 6. Smart Traffic lights** [|http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question234.htm]
 * [|http://www.tech-faq.com/traffic-lights.shtml]**

How smart roads work [|http://science.howstuffworks.com/intelligent-highway.htm]
 * 7. Smart Roads**

Describe what is meant by the term ‘Smart roads’. Research to find any news articles that present issues that arise from the development of this technology. Discuss your findings.

We've heard about the smart roads of tomorrow for years. But now "intelligent highway" technology is inching into the mainstream. One reason is that the number of vehicles on the road is increasing far faster than our ability to add more roads or widen old ones. Consider these statistics from the Federal Highway Administration (FHA). Over the past 20 years, it says, we've built about 2% more streets and roads, but there are more than 50% more vehicles using them-and they travel 77% more miles. The result is spreading congestion that is affecting broader metropolitan areas. Pending an unlikely swing away from personal vehicles, traffic planners figure the best solution is to manage traffic flow more efficiently. That's where smart highways come in. A number of possible solutions were demonstrated last year during a big automated highway expo in San Diego. Among them is high-speed "platooning" in which a smart highway takes control of cars and moves them along, bumper-to-bumper, at 70 miles an hour. Those technologies are years away from implementation. More immediate traffic aids include "smart" traffic signals and roadside displays that give drivers instant updates on traffic conditions ahead. The potential U.S. market for smart road technology is enormous. A study released two years ago by the U.S. Department of Transportation pegs it at some $430 billion over the 20-year period from 1996 to 2016.

__**My conclusion**__ There's no question that today's cars are more intelligent than ever. If the technology waiting in the wings is any indication, they'll be even smarter a few years from now. These new features will pamper passengers with new conveniences, protect them more effectively from harm, and minimize the impact of their vehicle on the environment. No matter how intelligent cars and roads get, an old truism about driving remains as valid as ever. It says the most important component in smart cars/ travelling is the brain behind the wheel.

By: Rajeev 12s1

For information – look at the range of articles about technology in cars and then [|http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-computer.htm]on how car computers work
 * 8. Smart Cars**

Research the latest technology used in cars, how is this making cars more intelligent. Describe the impact this technology is having on drivers.


 * 9. Traffic Safety systems**

How crash testing works [|http://auto.howstuffworks.com/crash-test.htm]

How airport security works [|http://travel.howstuffworks.com/airport-security.htm]

//Describe the technology used to improve the safety of traffic systems.// Technology used to improve the safety of road traffic systems

Crash test dummies are a frequently used technology to improve how efficient road traffic systems are. Due to the use of crash test dummies, fatality rates involving cars are decreasing. Automotive crash testing has saved thousands of lives by making cars safer, therefore improving the safety of road traffic systems. The crash test dummy simulates a human being in a crash. Within these dummies, there are plenty of sensors and meters which pick up data which is essential to the car crash testing. Furthermore, this data collected is not possible to be attained with an actual human being. Dummies generally contain three types of devices: accelerometers, load sensors and motion sensors. Accelerometers measure the acceleration in a particular direction. This data can be used to determine the probability of injury. Load sensors measure the amount of force that act upon different body parts. Movement sensors are normally put in the chest of the crash test dummy; they measure how much the chest deflects during a car crash.

//Discuss any social and ethical issues that arise.//

However, many issues arise:

“Traumatic brain and skull injuries are the most common serious injuries sustained by children in motor vehicle crashes regardless of age group, crash direction, or restraint type. To accurately evaluate head injury risk and robustly assess the performance of a restraint concept intended to mitigate head injury risk, head and spinal kinematics must be accurately predicted. Current crash test dummies contain critical differences in spinal kinematics compared to humans in the same restraint system due to the compliance in the human thoracic and cervical spine. The human spine is a relatively mobile, multi-segmented system, while the dummy's spine is essentially rigid. These differences in spinal compliance generate vast differences in the head trajectory of the dummy relative to a human and are particularly poorly understood in the child. The objective of this project is to quantify the frontal kinematics of the restrained 6 and 10-year-old child's head and spine, evaluate the interaction of the child with several restraints, and thus more accurately predict the likelihood of injury and associated injury mechanisms.”

Frontal crash tests in laboratories are strong predictors of passenger cars’ safety on the road, though they fail to accurately project driver fatality risks for trucks, according to a recent Virginia Commonwealth University study.

-Done by Aiman

 (Happy New Year to everyone!)