Telematics - WikiHQ

thumb|A vehicle telematics device, with its internal electronics visible through a transparent case.

Telematics is an interdisciplinary field encompassing telecommunications, vehicular technologies (road transport, road safety, etc., as part of Intelligent transportation systems), electrical engineering (sensors, instrumentation, wireless communications, etc.), and computer science (multimedia, Internet, etc.). Telematics can involve any of the following:

The technology of sending, receiving, and storing information using telecommunication devices, such as a Telematic control unit, to control remote objects
The integrated use of telecommunications and informatics for application in vehicles and to control vehicles on the move
Global navigation satellite system technology (most commonly GPS) integrated with computers and mobile communications technology in automotive navigation systems, often using a GPS tracking unit
(Most narrowly) The use of such systems within road vehicles (also called vehicle telematics)

Origins and usage

The term telematics is a translation of the French word télématique, which was first coined by Simon Nora and Alain Minc in a 1978 report to the French government on the computerization of society. It referred to the transfer of information over telecommunications and was a portmanteau blending the French words télécommunications ("telecommunications") and informatique ("computing science").

The original broad meaning of telematics continues to be used in academic fields, but in commerce it now generally means vehicle telematics. Telematics is closely related to, and largely built upon, the concept of telemetry. While telemetry refers specifically to the remote measurement and transmission of data (widely used in fields such as aerospace, meteorology, medicine, and defense), telematics incorporates telemetry but extends it with telecommunications, informatics, and integration into digital platforms. In modern usage, the term telematics is applied mainly in commercial contexts, with dominant applications in the vehicular, personal, and asset domains (see Key applications).

Key applications

While the term telematics is broad, its modern usage is dominated by a number of key applications in the vehicular context, as well as for personal and asset tracking.

Fleet management

The largest commercial application of telematics is in fleet management, often utilizing a comprehensive Fleet telematics system. Telematics devices are used as the primary data collection tool for fleet digitalization, enabling businesses to manage their fleets of cars, trucks, and other assets. In volatile economic climates, telematics is a key tool for reducing high operational costs, especially for fuel. Key functions include:

Vehicle and asset tracking: Monitoring the live location of vehicles, trailers, and containers to optimize routes, shorten vehicle journeys, and improve dispatching using Track and trace capabilities. These devices provide location data for:
Vulnerable persons: Monitoring the location of children, the elderly, or individuals with medical conditions. Many devices include an SOS button for emergencies.
Lone worker safety: Protecting employees in remote or hazardous environments by providing location tracking and panic alerts.
Pet tracking: Attaching a device to a pet's collar to locate them if they go missing.
High-value asset tracking: Monitoring valuable personal items like luggage, sports equipment, or camera bags, as well as commercial assets like tools and small equipment.

Usage-based insurance (UBI)

Usage-based insurance is a model where auto insurance premiums are directly correlated with real-time driving behavior. A telematics device in the vehicle monitors metrics such as distance driven, speed, and braking force. Safer drivers are often rewarded with lower premiums.

Telematics technology is integral to modern carsharing and ride-hailing services like Uber, Lyft, and Zipcar. The onboard device allows the company to track the vehicle's location, monitor its usage, and manage remote locking and unlocking for users, who typically access the service via a smartphone app.

Public transport

thumb|A control room in [[Lebanon where operators use a video wall to monitor the public transport network in real-time.]]

Telematics is used in modernizing public transport. It enables real-time vehicle tracking, which provides passengers with accurate arrival and departure times through mobile apps and station displays. It also helps transport authorities with route optimization, schedule adherence monitoring, and efficient dispatching.

Emergency and safety services

Telematics systems facilitate safety communications.

eCall: In the European Union, eCall is a mandated in-vehicle system that automatically contacts emergency services in the event of a serious accident, transmitting the vehicle's location.
Stolen vehicle recovery (SVR): Telematics devices are used to track and recover stolen vehicles. Systems like LoJack are a well-known example of this application.
Vehicle-to-everything (V2X): An emerging technology where vehicles communicate with each other and with road infrastructure (e.g., traffic lights) to improve safety and prevent collisions.

Consumer connected services

Vehicle manufacturers increasingly use embedded telematics to offer connected services to consumers, often through a smartphone app. These services include automotive navigation systems, sometimes called a Journey planner, remote vehicle control (e.g., remote start or locking doors), vehicle health reports, and concierge services.

Telematics standards

The Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP) developed the industry's first telematics standard.

In 2008, AEMP brought together the major construction equipment manufacturers and telematics providers in the heavy equipment industry to discuss the development of the industry's first telematics standard. Following agreement from Caterpillar, Volvo CE, Komatsu, and John Deere Construction & Forestry to support such a standard, the AEMP formed a standards development subcommittee chaired by Pat Crail CEM to develop the standard. This committee consisted of developers provided by the Caterpillar/Trimble joint venture known as Virtual Site Solutions, Volvo CE, and John Deere. This group worked from February 2009 through September 2010 to develop the industry's first standard for the delivery of telematics data.

The result, the AEMP Telematics Data Standard V1.1,

A second option was for the end user to develop an API (Application Programming Interface), or program, to integrate the data from each telematics provider into their database. This option was quite costly as each telematics provider had different procedures for accessing and retrieving the data and the data format varied from provider to provider. This option automated the process, but because each provider required a unique, custom API to retrieve and parse the data, it was an expensive option. In addition, another API had to be developed any time another brand of machine or telematics device was added to the fleet.

Federico Santa María Technical University (UTFSM) in Chile has a Telematics Engineering program which is a six-year full-time program of study (12 academic semesters). The final degree in Telematics Engineering has the title of Ingeniería Civil Telemática (with the suffix of Civil).
Pontifical Catholic University Mother and Teacher (PUCMM) in the Dominican Republic has a Telematics Engineering program which is a four-year full-time program of study (12 academic four-month periods). The final degree in Telematics Engineering has the title of Ingeniería Telemática.

University bachelor programs

Harokopio University of Athens has a four-year full-time program of study. The department goal is the development and advancement of computer science, primarily in the field of network information systems and relative e-services. For this purpose, attention is focused in the fields of telematics (teleinformatics) which are relative to network and internet technologies, e-business, e-government, e-health, advanced transport telematics, etc.
TH Wildau in Wildau, Germany has provided a three-year full-time telematics Bachelor study program since 1999.
TU Graz in Graz, Austria offers a three-year Bachelor in telematics (now called "Information and Computer Engineering").
Singapore Institute of Technology offers a three-year Bachelor in Telematics.
National Open and Distance Learning University of Mexico* (UNADM) offers a four-year degree in Telematics delivered online.

University masters programs

Several universities provide two-year Telematics Master of Science programs:

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway
University of Twente (UT), The Netherlands
University Carlos III of Madrid (UC3M), Spain
Harokopio University Athens
TH Wildau in Wildau, Germany
TU Graz in Graz, Austria (now called "Information and Computer Engineering")

European Automotive Digital Innovation Studio (EADIS)

In 2007, a project entitled the European Automotive Digital Innovation Studio (EADIS) was awarded 400,000 Euros from the European Commission under its Leonardo da Vinci program. EADIS used a virtual work environment called the Digital Innovation Studio to train and develop professional designers in the automotive industry in the impact and application of vehicle telematics so they could integrate new technologies into future products within the automotive industry. Funding ended in 2013.

Notes

References

Matthew Wright, Editor, UK Telematics Online [http://www.uktelematicsonline.co.uk]
IEEE Communications Magazine, April 2005, "Ad Hoc Peer-to-Peer Network Architecture for Vehicle Safety Communications"
IEEE Communications Magazine, April 2005, "The Application-Based Clustering Concept and Requirements for Intervehicle Networks"
Jerzy Mikulski, Editor, "Advances in Transport Systems Telematics". Monograph. Publisher Jacek Skalmierski Computer Studio. Katowice 2006.
Jerzy Mikulski, Editor, "Advances in Transport Systems Telematics 2". Monograph. Publisher Chair of Automatic Control in Transport, Faculty of Transport, Silesian University of Technology. Katowice 2007.
World report on road traffic injury prevention. World Health Organization.