• Offered for Year: 2023/24

• Module Leader(s): Professor Phil Blythe
• Lecturer: Dr David Golightly
• Other Staff: Mr Simon Edwards, Dr Shuo Li, Dr Yanghanzi Zhang

• Owning School: Engineering
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

Aims

Primarily this module introduces the key concepts of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and Intelligent Mobility (IM) to students. An Intelligent Transport System is a system intended to provide safer and more efficient transportation, through the use of information and control technologies (ICT). Intelligent Mobility (IM) aims to ensure that both people and goods are moved in an optimised and environmentally friendly way, regardless of mode. Both rely on the innovative use of data and applications to enable operators and users to make smarter, more informed decisions, about transport networks.

In more detail, the module aims:
•       To provide an overview of the challenges facing the transport industry, how policy objectives are formed to meet these challenges, and how Intelligent Transport Systems and Intelligent Mobility have a role in solving them;
•       To provide insight into the broad range of ITS currently deployed to meet diverse objectives, and to enable understanding of how current solutions have developed and evolved (legacy ITS).
•       To provide an appreciation of how rapidly technology is developing, and how ITS systems will play a role in the ‘smart’ cities of the future, as ITS transitions from being ‘infrastructure’ centric, to more ‘people and goods’ centric, providing services to enable ‘Intelligent Mobility’.
•       To give understanding of the ‘building blocks’ of ITS: as to how data from ‘hard’ infrastructure can be brought together with information collected from mobile vehicle sources, and ‘soft’ information from people’s behaviour, through the use of modern telecommunications and sensor technologies.
•       To facilitate discussion and debate as to whether solutions deployed in one region or country are relevant and applicable in other locations across the globe, to highlight the need for interoperability of systems, and international standards.
•       To enable understanding of the processes in the development of a business case for investment in ITS from different actors' viewpoints
•       To facilitate an understanding of how ITS systems can be evaluated, to ensure that they are meeting, or will meet their objectives in the real world.
•       To introduce students to key research areas of ITS at Newcastle University and to provide ‘hands on’ experience of using data processing and analysis techniques from these systems.
•       To highlight the need to ensure that ITS systems operate safely and securely in an online world.

It should be noted that the range of examples, applications and services, covered by the module, may change from year-to-year to reflect the hot topics and political realities of ITS deployment and the key University research projects that are running in the academic year. It should be further noted that some of the topics listed in the outline syllabus do deliberately overlap with topics covered (in more detail) in the ‘Technologies for Future Mobility’ (CEG8431) module.

Outline Of Syllabus

The syllabus for the module will broadly cover the following topics:
•       Introduction to Intelligent Mobility and Intelligent Transport Systems
•       The context for IM and ITS: Urbanisation, Congestion, Efficiency, Safety and the Environment
•       How ITS policy has been formed, both in the UK, the EU and internationally
•       Professional bodies dealing with ITS, both in the UK and Europe
•       ITS in Action: Case studies of current ITS systems
•       The building blocks of ITS: Infrastructure, Vehicles and People, bound by ICT
•       ITS for Safe Mobility
•       ITS for Road pricing and road tolling
•       ITS for Public transport, including the use of electronic payment and FINTEC
•       ITS and its role in Freight and Logistics
•       ITS for connected vehicles automation
•       Evaluation of ITS schemes: Modelling and simulation versus Field operational Trials (FoTs) and In-Situ studies
•       Human factors in ITS: Behaviour, Data collection, HMI Design, Elements of successful design

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Formal lectures are used to provide a high-level overview of the ITS sector, and to introduce key systems, technologies, policies and concepts. The deeper understanding of key sensor and communications technologies, as well as the analysis of systems data will be handled through structured ‘hands-on’ computer workshops and demonstrations, as well as lecture material. Broadening understanding of ITS systems generally, understanding how ITS fares on a global scale, the suitability of ITS systems in students home nations, and the design of Human Machine Interfaces, will involve collaborative discussion sessions. Driving home how ITS operates on a day-to-day basis will be handled through a site visit to the operational Tyne and Wear Urban Traffic Management and Control Centre (UTMC).

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams

Other Assessment

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The coursework report will test the students' knowledge and understanding of elements the taught material. The collaborative group work, culminating in a formal group submission with individual contribution elements, will reinforce and embed knowledge of the systems being studied, as well as providing practice in presentational skills required in the modern workplace. A good presentation would require clear coverage of how a particular system may fulfil its stated goals, whilst also appreciating both synergistic benefits, potential issues, its contribution to a larger set of policy objectives, and how similar systems have performed elsewhere.

Reading Lists

• CEG8422's Reading List

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
• CEG8422's Timetable