A connected vehicle solution that automatically guides emergency services and road operators to crashed vehicles has been demonstrated at a Transport Technology Forum event at the UTAC test track in Millbrook, Bedfordshire.
In the demonstration presented with KL Systems, a fire engine was given the precise location of a vehicle with its air bag deployed which set off an eCall alert on track.
eCall is a built-in safety feature which automatically activates in the event of a collision when the airbags are deployed. It can also be manually activated by the driver or passenger by pressing a button to report something they see, like a stopped vehicle on a live motorway.
VESOS, a start-up created by four connected vehicle experts to maximise the value of cCall technology, simulated a crash and showed how the fire service could receive detailed information about the stricken vehicle, including its location, vehicle type and key risk factors such as a dangerous fuel type. The vehicle type is particularly important for emergency services to know, given they have different safety approaches for an electric vehicle, compared to a traditional internal combustion one.
“Although this was a simulation, the data transmitted from the vehicle was exactly what you would receive from any eCall-enabled vehicle,” explained Alan Gentle of VESOS. “The fire engine received the enhanced eCall data generated through our new TeCall platform, which sits between the eCall service provider and highways and emergency command and control centre systems. The fire engine simply had an app to get this extra, potentially lifesaving information.”
TeCall filters, enhances, prioritises, and forwards eCall incidents that emergency services need, in the form they need. It uses eCall data from the vehicle to estimate the severity of the incident, and help emergency services prepare for what they will find when they get there.
“When every second counts after a road collision or stopped vehicle, this is a vital piece of technology,” added Alan. “eCall data is an obvious and readily available way of saving lives. VESOS is unique in the world of eCall, the only company specialising in the analysis, assessment and implementation of eCall within the world of connected vehicles.
The demonstration was part of the TTF’s SPATULA Group’s presentation of a range of connected vehicle solutions designed to make roads safer by using existing, widely available, cost-effective technology.
(Picture – KL Systems)
