Telematics: Linux tapped as preferred platform for intelligent highway vehicles

Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Consortium selected Wind RiverGeneral Purpose Platform, Linux Edition as the platform for developing vehicle on-board equipment for its intelligent highway system proof-of-concept activities.

By Control Engineering Staff May 24, 2007

Detroit, MI— Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Consortium (VIIC) selected Wind River General Purpose Platform, Linux Edition as the platform for developing vehicle on-board equipment (OBE) for intelligent highway system (ITS) proof-of-concept activities.

The VIIC was established in 2004 to support the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) initiative, to develop its vision of a national ITS. VIIC’s mission is to determine the feasibility of nationwide deployment of a VII program, and to establish a strategy for implementation, communications standards, and capabilities. Its membership consists of the U.S. DOT, 10 state departments of transportation, and a number of light vehicle manufacturers: BMW of North America, DaimlerChrysler Corp., Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp., Honda R&D Americas, Nissan North America, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, and Volkswagen of America.

The VII system architecture includes equipment running in the vehicle, in the field next to the intelligent highway roadbed, at control centers that provide system services, and in travelers’ personal electronic equipment, such as PDAs. Source: Wind River

VIIC will use Wind River’s expertise in open source and automotive solutions to deliver a board support package (BSP) and configure an emulation platform to accelerate development of OBE. In addition, Wind River’s global support organization will deliver local support, enabling the decentralized development and field testing for the initiative’s disparate members.

VIIC’s OBE initiative will enable a standards-based communications infrastructure that supports vehicle-to-infrastructure and vehicle-to-vehicle communications in an effort to improve vehicle safety, vehicle mobility and enable consumer and commercial services. Wind River says it was chosen for the strength and breadth of its Linux solutions, its extensive automotive expertise and its robust global support services.

Vehicle OBE delivers an OSGi/Java-based application host platform; vehicle interface, human/machine interface (HMI) and global positioning services; and embedded Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) radio, WAVE stack and Java communications API. If deployed, VII will require the build-out of networks, digital radios, pods and communications systems on major US roadways. Such a deployment of roadside infrastructure may incorporate various ITS technologies into the transportation network and integrate ITS communications and sensors in vehicles.

Wind River showed a standalone device demonstrating the OBE’s capabilities in their booth at Telematics Update Conference that was held May 22-23 at the Rock Financial Showplace in Detroit, MI.

C.G. Masi , senior editor Control Engineering Machine Control eNewsletter