Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
successful and applied solutions. Nonetheless, other aspects are still being
researched and it is this in particular that interests us, as members of public and
private research structures. From this point of view, instead of establishing a
bibliographical list, we refer readers to an excellent Website that presents a series of
conferences entitled FORUM Systems and software for the New ICT in transport
[FOR]. This is organized by INRETS (which became IFSTTAR after merging with
LCPC in January 2011) in conjunction with the CNAM, which for five years has
twice yearly summarized different research issues and their progress. We will recap
on certain European projects which are related to these issues at the end of the
chapter.
Around 15 years ago, we conducted an initial project introducing ICT in the car
[DAV 91], [LAB 92], [LAB 94]. At the time, our study looked at helping the driver
through the implementation of a screen presenting an array of information
possibilities and aids for driving. Since then, various industrialized solutions have
been proposed and put on the market. We have recently taken up this subject again
with the students of the Ecole Centrale, in an initially informal cooperation with
Renault Trucks. We have studied this issue in the context of computerization of a
truck or, more generally, a fleet of trucks. Indeed, the current technological
environment allows new and more complete solutions to be envisaged compared to
those that we put forward in the past.
This first study coincided with the creation of a competitiveness cluster LUTB
(
Lyon Urban Truck and Bus
) in Lyon, which we have joined in our collaboration
with Renault Trucks and Volvo IT, as well as with the other members of the LUTB
(section 6.11). Within this framework, again with the students of the Ecole Centrale
de Lyon, we conducted two preliminary studies, the issues of which came out of the
LUTB
Think Tank
s. These studies have contributed to the proposal of joint projects
approved by LUTB and currently carried out by collaborative
consortia
made up of
people from universities and industrial companies under the aegis of LUTB, which
receives institutional funding. We present the two issues where the ICT plays, or
will play, an essential role in the delivery of goods in towns or the dynamic driving
lane management. These studies being ongoing and protected by intellectual
property rights, we only present this preliminary work conducted with students at
the Ecole Centrale to lay the groundwork for these different issues. In the last part,
we present the latest state-of-the-art developments by briefly presenting a number of
recent or ongoing European projects, as well as a few Renault Trucks projects that
are not covered by trade secrets, to show the active and attractive nature of work
being conducted in this area.
