Smart road system prototype developed for Italian digital tourist city
The system, developed and tested by tech start-up T.net as part of the Taormina City Tech project, uses LoRa technology to send and receive information via a network of intelligent sensors.
T.net’s smart towers which are used for connected vehicles management
Tech start-up T.net has unveiled a smart road system, developed in collaboration with the National Interuniversity Consortium for Telecommunications (CNIT) and the University of Catania, as part of the Taormina City Tech project.
Taormina, on the Italian island of Sicily, aims to become a showcase and model for a smart tourist city. The project is being led T.net, which is a member of the innovation accelerator EIT Digital’s portfolio, and is supported by the municipality.
LoRa technology
Smart Road 4.0 uses connected vehicles to send and receive information via a network of intelligent sensors and claims to improve mobility and increase safety. It does not rely on GPS for geolocation but uses LoRa technology, perfected by T.net, for wider range of action (up to 10km in rural areas and 5-6km in urban areas), more accurate geolocation (from the current 200 meres to 5 metres) and reduced battery consumption.
All data sent to, and from the connected vehicles, is protected by end-to-end encryption.
Vehicles can connect to weather and traffic detection systems to receive real-time information on road conditions, traffic, or emergencies, making it possible to deviate traffic flows in the event of accidents, suggest alternative routes or manage parking access, making it simpler for travellers to move around the city.
Developed with a total investment of €1m, Smart Road 4.0 was presented at the International Conference on Electrical Computer, Communications and Mechatronics Engineering (ICECCME), held in Mauritius.
“Our innovation is already generating great interest; it is no coincidence that they asked us to come and present it in an international conference such as ICECCME. The support of CNIT, the University of Catania, and the city of Taormina, was instrumental in achieving this result,” said Francesco Mazzola, CEO of T.net.
The Taormina City Tech project is scheduled to be concluded by the end 2021 and focuses on a range of services from mobility and waste collection to lighting, which will be managed via a network of intelligent sensors.
Vehicles can connect to weather and traffic detection systems to receive real-time information on road conditions, traffic, or emergencies
It leverages 5Ghz wireless networking, enabling the creation of an internet of things (IoT) network and a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) corridor for connected autonomous vehicles. This is intended to significantly improve intermodal communication in real-time as well as the overall travel experience.
Based in Milan, T.net is an SME specialising in IoT sensors and digital transformation and is part of EIT Digital Equity Portfolio. The company joined the EIT Digital Accelerator in 2018 and later continued its journey with EIT Digital, becoming a partner in 2021.
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