Abstract
Keywords - Probe data, Highway safety, Vehicle safety, ITS standards, Sensors
Abstract - Probe data is vehicle sensor data transmitted to a central point for processing. Sensor data provides the vehicles own picture of its immediate driving environment. Probe processing fuses sensor data from multiple vehicles, along with data from multiple other sources to create a broader, deeper, and more precise picture of the overall driving environment.
There are multiple potential targets for the results of probe processing, including people at home and at work who are planning car trips and road agencies who are responsible for maintaining the condition of the roads, keeping traffic flowing smoothly, and responding to on-road incidents.
However, the primary intended targets for processed probe data are systems onboard vehicles. In particular, processed probe data can enhance the performance of driver assistance products and preventive safety products by giving these products a clearer and more comprehensive picture of the vehicles driving environment than can be gotten solely from the vehicles own sensors. In addition, driver productivity and roadway safety can be enhanced by having better and more comprehensive traffic data that helps road agencies level loads and helps drivers avoid areas of congestion.
Probe processing has been and continues to be a subject of active experimentation around the world, and initial standards to promote probe data consistency are being developed at the International Standards Organization.
This paper provides a review of the current state of progress in developing probe processing capabilities and a forecast for the medium term future. This will include status reports on probe processing research efforts, international standards for probe processing, and progress on eliminating institutional and economic obstacles to probe processing.