Delegates heading to the two-day LCRIG Innovation Festival in Nottinghamshire are getting the chance to take part in an industry first, and receive messages direct to their vehicles as they head to the event.
Those with an Android device can download an app delivered through the Transport Technology Forum which will allow them to receive a first-of-its-kind in-vehicle signage demonstration while driving to the Newark Showground for the Festival on Tuesday and Wednesday this week (4 and 5 July).
While in-vehicle signage has been shown before, including at this TTF event at the UTAC Proving Ground at Millbrook last year, for the first time delegates to an event can receive updates in their own car.
Before travelling to the Showground just off the A1, delegates are invited to download a special app delivered by KL Systems with the support of the TTF’s Connected Vehicle Working Group Chair, Andy Graham of White Willow Consulting. Delegates can
click here to find the link to the app before leaving for Newark.
The app shows and speaks VMS messages from National Highways, plus bespoke Innovation Festival virtual messages within a user’s vehicle, and gives directions to the parking at the Showground. There will also be special messaging when leaving the site.
The app has been designed with in-car safety in mind, in line with features on smartphone sat navs. The TTF and LCRIG remind all delegates not to touch, or interact with, phones whilst driving.
While at Newark, Innovation Festival delegates can also see other important work showcased by the TTF covering the in-car repeating of fixed and variable message signs, alerts when entering a dummy Clean Air Zone, a road safety solution which warns of vulnerable road users in real-time, eCall messaging and height and weight alerts, plus stopped vehicle detection and virtual parking bays.
The Innovation Festival brings together local authorities, central government, the supply chain, associations and academia to see the latest ideas in highways maintenance and transport technology. This year’s overarching theme is “Showcasing emerging technology and maintenance solutions”.
More than 175 local authority delegates from 70 authorities are attending, meaning around than two-thirds of all the English highway authorities outside London are represented. This is along with nearly 90 exhibitors. As well as the TTF demonstrations, there are 14 demonstrations in the road maintenance innovations area.
The TTF demonstrations are supported by White Willow Consulting, KL Systems, SRL, Crystal Driver, Navtech Radar, Portsmouth City Council and Grid Smarter Cities.
(Picture – KL Systems)
