Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
SAFETY on BUSES * USA: Conmuters' facial recognition software
* Texas - DART addresses ‘Big Brother’ fears over facial recognition software
-- North Texas’ largest transit agency is about to appease safety advocates who have long called for security cameras on its light-rail trains. And it’s going one step further: using facial-recognition software on cameras throughout its system... Dallas Area Rapid Transit trains will start getting cameras this summer. That’s roughly when the agency will pilot software that could be used for everything from monitoring train capacity to alerting law enforcement when a wanted person is on a DART bus... The technology could also alert the agency when frequent fare evaders who have been banned from a bus route or train line try to ride the system. It still hasn’t been decided if the software will be used that way, though... DART has been eyeing security cameras on trains for about a decade. Calls for train cameras have often followed violent incidents or high-profile crimes on the light-rail cars. That includes an incident last year during which a man shot two fellow passengers on DART’s Red Line... The agency is spending $4.8 million to outfit 48 of its 163 train cars this year. All trains should have cameras by 2018...
(Photo: Dart Police) -- Dallas, TXS, USA - The Dallas News, by Brandon Formby - February 17, 2016Labels: buses' safety, technonews
TECHNO NEWS * Japan - Toyota's
* Aichi - Toyota to open patents on hydrogen fuel cell technology to rival automakers
(Video published on Nov 14, 2014 - Thanks to its hybrid knowledge, Toyota created the first fuel cell production car. It is a vehicle driven by an electric motor powered by the electricity generated by the chemical reaction between onboard hydrogen and airborne oxygen)
Toyota,Aichi,Japan -LA Times/Shibada, by Shalina dela Paz -January 6, 2015: -- Toyota announced at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas that it will open patents on hydrogen fuel cell technology. The announcement was made right after they have showcased their Mirai hydrogen-driven car... Toyota will be making 5,680 patents available to car makers for them to build and sell their own fuel cell automobiles. Energy companies, bus makers, and spare parts suppliers are also free to use the patents which will be royalty free up until the year 2020... The company's 70 patents are related to hydrogen fuelling stations which could make a swift implementation of the hydrogen electric vehicles... Other car makers like Honda and General Motors have also partnered together on the new fuel-cell applications. Honda is to release its own hydrogen fuel car next year, 2016...Labels: technonews
AUTOMATED BUSES * Europe: They 're the real future
Wrong With Driverless Cars
(Video from Rivium/2getthere, by Sustainable Mobility Solutions: Unmanned buses are tested in Italy)
-Business Insider by JOSHUA BARRIE -Dec. 1, 2014: -- Sorry, Google. Some public transport experts think that driverless buses — not robotic cars — are the real future... The advantages of unmanned buses over the car equivalents is discussed based on a letter from Luca Guala, of transport thinktank Mobility Thinklab... In his note, Guala concedes that driverless vehicles have a "bright future" but are not as practical as driverless buses, which are particularly beneficial on highly-congested roads... Driverless buses, Guala argues, are more efficient because they can carry more people than cars and eventually may be cheaper than the regular bus system because you don't have to pay a driver. The driverless buses are kind of like an updated tram system, such as London's TramLink, but it doesn't need tracks. And since everything is automated, it also means fewer delays... Another advantage of driverless buses over cars is that they follow set routes, so they are much easier to implement and run. The routes can be changed if needed... Navigation is less of an issue when compared to cars because buses use travel specific lines — they aren't roaming all over the place. Alongside legal technicalities, this has traditionally been the biggest challenge to overcome if automated technology becomes synonymous on roads...Labels: automated buses, technonews
TECHNO-NEWS * UK: Supercapacitors
* England - IDTechEx: Jostling for leadership
(Photo: Highest energy and power density ultracapacitors)
Cambridge,EN,UK -BUSINESS WIRE -December 01, 2014: -- Supercapacitor market leader Maxwell Technologies has faltered temporarily due to phasing of demand for supercapacitors on Chinese hybrid buses. One of the most formidable innovators it now sells large stacks for grid management and for energy harvesting in large construction vehicles. The recent IDTechEx Supercapacitors event in Santa Clara California taught us more... Many car manufacturers are now assessing supercapacitors for their next hybrids, following the practice of Chinese bus manufacturers, MAN buses in Germany, the Toyota Formula One racer, the Yaris concept car and other hybrid electric vehicles in adopting supercapacitors in place of lithium-ion batteries. Add the trend to an increasing minority of stop-start and energy harvesting alternator systems on conventional cars adopting supercapacitors so they operate at low temperature and with the toughest duty cycles. Professor Burke felt that there will one day be another jump in adoption of supercapacitors in electric vehicles but, for him, “It has been a long wait”... Compared to a thin film lithium battery, its energy per volume is an order of magnitude lower, but its power is over 10,000 times higher...Labels: technonews
TECHNO-BUSES * UK: Proton's triple fuel cell
* England - Revolutionary new product developed by Proton Power Systems
(Photo: Fuel Cell Triple Hybrid Bus by Proton Motor)
Newcastle,EN,UK -The Journal, by Coreena Ford -Aug 11, 2014: -- Fuel cell maker Proton Power Sytems has finished work on a revolutionary system for electric vehicles... A fuel cell triple hybrid bus by Proton Motor, based in Germany... The Newcastle-registered company has developed the HyRange 25 system, a product that produces 25kW of net power to support bus, light and heavy duty vehicle applications... The system, the firm said, can allow bus manufacturers to downsize on board batteries, increase passenger load and reduce operating costs... Fuel cells made by Proton Power have been used in the Czech Republic for the last four years and in Germany for the last two years... In Germany the HyRange 8 System with 8kW of net power has been used on a 7.5 tonne logistics vehicle, which has been running in a full time service without interruption “with extremely pleasing results”... The firm said it has been continuously testing and running the HyRange 25 system over the last nine months and that it can be used as a range extender for electric vehicles, generating 50kW or 75kW in multi system applications...Labels: techno buses, technonews
TECHNOLOGIES for BUSES * WORLDWIDE
* Northern Ireland - Wrishtbus ploughs £15M into low carbon R and D
(Picture: Wrightbus Hybrid city bus)
Galgorm,Ballymena,NI -Busworld (Belgium) -8 May 2013: -- Wrightbus is investing £15m in low carbon R and D with £3.9m of support from Invest N.I.... The company will undertake two research and development and one training project: The first involves the development of a range of low carbon and lightweight vehicles, while the second aims to develop an electric zero emissions vehicle... The manufacturer will also invest in a staff training project, focusing on management and leadership development as well as the implementation of a new operator training programme and lean manufacturing programme... Wright Group managing director, Mark Nodder, said the company aimed through the investment to establish Wrightbus as a leading global provider of mass passenger transport with green credentials...
* USA - IONOVA Technologies says ZIP-CAP ultracapacitors can offer 5X increase in energy dessity
Frederick,MD,USA -Busworld (Belgium) -28 March 2013: -- Ionova Technologies, Inc. reports that its zinc-ion-based ZIP-Cap asymmetric ultracapacitor is expected to provide a 25-fold reduction in build cost and a 5-fold increase in energy density (up to 35Wh/L) without the ultra-pure materials or expensive “dry-room” facilities that are necessary to build today’s ultracapacitors... Asymmetric ultracapacitors achieve greater energy density versus today’s Electric Double Layer Capacitors (EDLCs) by combining one activated carbon EDLC ion-adsorption electrode with one ion-insertion (battery-like) electrode. ZIP-Cap is based on Ionova’s metal/ion pseudo-capacitor (MIP-Cap) architecture and 3-D Nanofilm technology developed under research programs with the US Department of Energy, NASA and the Naval Research Lab... Ionova sees the ZIP-Cap as enabling to traction uses in 12V start-stop hybrid (in versions above 35Wh/L) and high-power 400V HEV applications, in power distribution for automotive, aerospace and computing applications, and in a number of roles in renewable/grid applications...
* Brazil - Marcopolo selects Ixonos IVI Connect infotainment solution for its coaches
(Picture:
Ixonos', ‘IVI Connect’ ~ MirrorLink capable cloud connected platform)
Caxias do Sul,RGdS,Brazil -Busworld (Belgium) -7 April 2013: -- Ixonos of Finland has signed a contract to deliver the user experience design and software for Marcopolo’s next generation infotainment solution for its future luxury coaches. The infotainment system utilizes Ixonos IVI Connect solution, which integrates in-vehicle infotainment systems with mobile devices and cloud. Ixonos also designs the human-machine-interface (HMI) and user experience for both driver and the passengers. The system will be implemented in mass production by Marcopolo in due time... Marcopolo is a Brazilian bus and coach body manufacturer and is positioned among the biggest manufacturers in the world. It has an active presence in more than a hundred countries in five continents, with more than 18.000 employees globally...Labels: technonews
BUSES 'TECHNOLOGIES * Worldwide
* UK - Torotrak acquires twenty percent of Flybrid
UK -Busworld -3 April 2013: -- UK-based toroidal drive company Torotrak has acquired a 20% stake in flywheel hybrid innovator Flybrid Automotive with an option to acquire the remaining shares before the end of the calendar year... Torotrak says that the transaction strengthens its ability to provide turnkey development and manufacture of complete flywheel hybrid systems for buses, trucks, passenger cars, commercial and off-highway vehicles... The company expects the deal will accelerate the adoption of its technology, which it says will be in fleet trials with bus operators later this year through an agreement with bus constructor Wrightbus... Flybrid Automotive already has a successful long-term relationship with Torotrak, which uses Flybrid’s flywheel module in its Mechanical Kinetic Energy Recovery System (M-KERS). M-KERS captures and stores energy that is otherwise lost during vehicle deceleration events... M-KERS can recover up to 70% of braking energy for around a third the cost of battery electric hybrids, the company says... Flybrid’s carbon fibre flywheel spins at up to 60,000 rpm in a near vacuum. Drive can be provided by the company’s CFT (clutched flywheel transmission) clutch-based transmission system or by Torotrak’s CVT (continuously variable transmission)...
* USA - Allison invest in Torotrak Technology
USA -Busworld -4 April 2013: -- Torotrak concluded negotiations, under a Licence and Exclusivity Agreement dated March 2009, with its licensee Allison Transmission, Inc., under which Allison will pay £6.0 million (US$9 million) for continued exclusivity to manufacture and sell Torotrak main drive transmissions in commercial vehicle market segments; this exclusivity excludes Torotrak’s other commercial vehicle licensees, Tata Motors and the European Truck and Bus manufacturer (ETBM)... Allison has also subscribed for an additional 8,248,434 new ordinary shares in Torotrak at a price of 30.255p per share, raising approximately £2.5 million (US$3.8 million)... The next step in Allison’s programme is to focus on a final design to optimize performance, size and weight. Torotrak is taking responsibility for core component testing and to establish a fully conformed supply into the Allison program, helping to reduce lead times. Torotrak will also assist Allison with product design and validation process support in Europe...Labels: technonews
TECHNOLOGIES * USA
* North Carolina - AC Kinectics can eliminate 26 million Tons of CO2, reducing 104B KWH of electricity usage
Raleigh,NC,USA -Busworld (Belgium) -6 Feb 2013: -- A new green technology developed by startup company AC Kinetics, Inc. will help eliminate as much as 26 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually from the air, while also reducing electricity usage by about 104 billion KwH. This next generation motor control is compatible with existing AC induction motor drive hardware and is now available for licensing... The advanced AC Kinetics software, supported by real-time adaptive algorithms, runs on standard drive hardware for motorized equipment in the consumer, industrial, and transportation markets. The drive software controls the motor to optimally generate torque on demand in a maximally efficient manner. The software automatically configures itself to achieve a level of motor performance and energy efficiency unreachable even by hand tuning present day drives with costly instrumentation...Labels: technonews
TECHNO BUSES * WORLDWIDE
* Michigan / USA - ANTI-CRASH TECHNOLOGY pilot launches in
(Photo: Road test of connected vehicle crash avoidance technology)
Ann Arbor,MICH,USA -Busworld (Belgium) -22 Aug 2012: -- Nearly 3,000 cars, trucks and buses equipped with “connected” Wi-Fi technology to enable vehicles and infrastructure to “talk” to each other in real time to help avoid crashes and improve traffic flow will begin traversing Ann Arbor, Mich. streets as part of a year-long safety pilot project by the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT)... U.S. Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, recently joined elected officials and industry and community leaders on the University of Michigan campus to launch the second phase of the Safety Pilot, the largest road test to date of connected vehicle crash avoidance technology... According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), V2V safety technology could help drivers avoid or reduce the severity of four out of five unimpaired vehicle crashes. To accomplish this, the model deployment vehicles will send electronic data messages, receive messages from other equipped vehicles and translate the data into a warning to the driver during specific hazardous traffic scenarios. Such hazards include an impending collision at a blind intersection, a vehicle changing lanes in another vehicle’s blind spot or a rear collision with a vehicle stopped ahead, among others... The information collected from both phases of the Safety Pilot and other key research projects will be used by NHTSA to determine by 2013 whether to proceed with additional activities involving connected vehicle technology, including possible rulemaking...
* Massachussets - Semiautonomous driving system takes over when drivers make mistakes
Cambridge,MASS,USA -Busworld (Belgium) -29 Aug 2012: -- MIT researchers have developed a semiautonomous safety system which allows a human driver full control of a vehicle until it detects that the vehicle is heading toward a hazard or obstacle, at which point it takes control and steers to safety. When such a hazard is detected, the system will bring it back within a calculated safe zone, and then hand control back over to the driver. The so-called intelligent co-pilot system is the work of Sterling Anderson (PhD student at MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering) and Karl Iagnemma (principal research scientist at the Institute's Robotic Mobility Group). Instead of using a path-based control, such as self-parking systems where a driver allows the vehicle to take over control of the vehicle to safely park, the system uses selective enforcement of constraints.
Anderson and Iagnemma have put the system through more than 1,200 trials in Michigan since September 2011... In its current configuration and on a challenging obstacle course, the system reduces the occurrence of accidents by over 75 percent, while allowing the driver to decrease his/her course completion time by 30 percent. The researchers believe they can reduce the collision rate to zero with the integration of a tactical-grade IMU...
* USA - Report: Hybrids capture 40% of transit bus market
(Photo: Metro Transit’s hybrid-electric buses in the Twin Cities, USA)
Boulder,COL,USA -Busworld (Belgium) -27 Aug 2012: -- In North America, hybrid buses have captured as much as 40% of new transit bus purchases in recent years. Electric drivetrains — whether for hybrid systems, battery-electric, or fuel cell — hold appeal for the bus market for many of the same reasons they do for light-duty vehicles: the promise of moving away from oil, efficiency gains, limiting greenhouse gas emissions, and, in many cases, lower operating costs... According to the Pike Research report, “Electric Drive Buses,” the global market for electric-drive buses is expected to grow steadily over the next six years, with a compound annual growth rate of 26% from 2012 to 2018. By 2018, more than 75,000 electric drivetrain buses will be in service around the world, the report concludes... While growth in the e-bus market will accelerate strongly in certain regions, including Eastern Europe and Latin America, by far the largest sales volumes will come in Asia Pacific, the study finds. More than 15,000 electric buses will be sold in Asia Pacific in 2018 — 75% of the world total. North American sales are expected to reach just fewer than 2,500 in the same year...
* South Korea - Scientists develop lithioum-ion battery that charges 120 times faster than normal
Ulsan,SK-Busworld (Belgium) -23 Aug 2012: -- A group of Korean scientists, working at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), have developed a fast-charge lithium-ion battery that can be recharged 30 to 120 times faster than conventional li-ion batteries. The team believes it can build a battery pack for electric vehicles that can be fully charged in less than a minute. The Korean method takes the cathode material — standard lithium manganese oxide (LMO) in this case — and soaks it in a solution containing graphite. Then, by carbonizing the graphite-soaked LMO, the graphite turns into a dense network of conductive traces that run throughout the cathode. This new cathode is then packaged normally, with an electrolyte and graphite anode, to create the fast-charging li-ion battery. Other factors, such as the battery’s energy density and cycle life seem to remain unchanged. These networks of carbonized graphite effectively act like blood vessels, allowing every part of the battery to recharge at the same time — thus speeding up recharge by 30 to 120 times. The network of conductive traces does increase the overall size of the battery, so it’s probably better suited for use in electric vehicles (EVs). Obviously, an EV that can be recharged in under a minute is pretty fast. However, li-ion battery packs are quite expensive — and the Korean carbonized LMO process certainly will not be lowering their price...
* Michigan / USA - EATON upgrading and downsizing hybrid power system
(Image: Eaton Corp. is developing a power control system for hybrid-electric vehicles)
Southfield,MICH,USA -Busworld (Belgium) -4 Sept 2012: -- Eaton is working on upgrading its hybrid electric vehicle power control system by reducing the size of the battery 50 percent and improving the total performance of the system and its charge rate while maintaining battery life, fuel economy and overall vehicle performance. The RD project will be funded jointly between Eaton and a grant from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E)... It’s intended to optimize operations of hybrids, from passenger cars to commercials vehicles... Labels: techno buses, technonews
BUS TECHNOLOGY * Brazil
* Sao Paulo - Smartphone app tells blind people when the bus is coming
(Photo: With the Busalert software, visually impaired commuters can find out how far the bus is and how long it will take to arrive at the stop)
Sao Carlos,SP,Brazil -Gizmag, by Antonio Pasolini -July 17, 2012: -- Blind people in São Carlos, a city in the state of São Paulo in Brazil, have had their lives made easier when they are out and about their city. The municipality has hooked up with Grupo Criar, a company specialized in traffic systems, to design the Busalert app to make it easier and more efficient to use the city’s bus network... The passenger sends out a text message and receives a link to the application, which is then installed on their smartphone. At the bus stop, or even before leaving home, the passenger keys in the number of the bus route as well as the stop where they will wait for it from. A recorded voice provides information on the distance, length of wait and how many bus stops the vehicle needs to cover. Once on the bus, they enter the number of the stop where they will alight. The software will feed back information on the distance and time left to reach the destination... Labels: technonews
Techno-News * Germany - Organic Traffic Lights
Karlsruhe,Germany -Inderscience Publishers -26 June 2009: -- Researchers in Germany believe organic computing has the potential to solve the problems of urban traffic systems, which rely on sensors and controllers. Using an organic approach, Holger Prothmann of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and colleagues have developed a decentralized traffic control system... The researchers developed an observer/controller architecture, which enables the traffic light to respond to traffic flow and to forward information to traffic lights on nearby roads. Current systems use fixed timers that are unable to respond directly to traffic, and centralized systems are unable to respond optimally to changes in traffic on the roads... Working with colleagues at Karlsruhe and at Leibniz Universitat Hannover, Prothmann tested the decentralized traffic control system on roads in Hamburg, and found that it can reduce vehicle stops, delays, and the time needed to reach destinations. "The environmental and economic importance of traffic control systems combined with the distributed nature of traffic nodes and their constantly changing traffic demands make traffic light control an ideal test case for organic computing approaches," Prothmann says... (Photo from betweenyellowandblue: Traffic lights)Labels: technonews
TECHNO-NEWS * USA - Texas Bus Fleet Gets Connected with Icomera
Executive Coach Inc. chooses the Moovbox M200 for on-board passenger Wi-Fi and GPS tracking
San Francisco,CAL,USA -PRWEB -June 23, 2009: -- Icomera AB, the world's leading provider of cellular broadband gateways, has announced that Irving, TX-based charter provider Executive Coach Inc. has selected Icomera's award-winning Moovbox M200 Mobile Broadband Gateway to provide Wi-Fi connectivity to passengers on its fleet of charter bus vehicles. Established in 1985 Executive Coach is the largest privately owned charter company in Texas, and one of the fastest growing bus companies in the United States. With a fleet of over 120 vehicles, the company provides luxury motor coach charter services nationwide, including entertainer coaches with sleeping quarters and lounge areas. Executive Coach has operations in Houston, Dallas and Austin, and its charter bus fleet comprises vehicles that can accommodate between forty-five and sixty passengers. Executive Coach has already commenced the installation of Moovbox technology and expects the service to be available to passengers this summer... (Picture: Executive Coach Wi-Fi Vehicle)Labels: technonews
TECHNONEWS * Japan - New super-battery to charge buses and street cars in 10 seconds
Kawasaki,Japan -CrunchGear, by Serkan Toto -June 10, 2009: ... In cooperation with Nippon’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Kawasaki Heavy Industries has developed a battery suitable for those vehicles that recharges in less than 10 seconds... The two organizations already developed a similar nickel-hydrogen battery, but the current version takes about 600 seconds for a charge. While the car industry uses lithium-ion batteries, the nickel-hydrogen models don’t contain flammables and are cheaper to use (they are also bigger but are easier to use in larger vehicles). The vehicles are supposed to get quickly charged during stops and don’t need any other power sources than the battery itself... The prototype batters is said to deliver power even after 1,000 charges and is planned to be commercialized by 2013. Next to buses and streetcars, Kawasaki Heavy hopes for interest from makers of industrial vehicles such as forklifts or cranes... (Picture, shows the Swimo, a metal-hydride battery-powered light rail vehicle made by Kawasaki Heavy)Labels: technonews
TECHNONEWS * UK - New way to get bus just the ticket
Bus passengers in Manchester are the first in the country to be able to pay to travel at new parking meter-style machines
Manchester,England,UK -The Manchester Evening News, by Don Frame -10 Oct 2008: -- The solar-powered devices are being installed along the busy A6 corridor between Piccadilly railway station and Hazel Grove, in Stockport... They are being tested as part of an £82,000, year-long trial. Tickets from the machines enable passengers to travel throughout Greater Manchester. Transport chiefs hope the machines will make it quicker and easier for passengers to get their tickets before boarding buses. Passengers can use only debit or credit cards in the machines, but can still pay with cash on the bus... (Picture: Solar powered bus ticket machine on London Road, Piccadilly)* USA - ACS Signs $12 Million Transportation Contract With City of Brampton
Dallas,TX,USA -MarketWatch -Oct 09, 2008: -- Affiliated Computer Services, Inc., today announced a $12 (CDN) million contract with the City of Brampton (Canada) to enable the transit authority to improve the effectiveness of its bus services as well as its future AcceleRide Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services that are scheduled to be operational in 2010... ACS will supply Brampton Transit with an integrated suite of real-time analytical tools that will assist in overall operations management of its 250-vehicle fixed route fleet as well as its nine supervisory vehicles. Brampton Transit will utilize ACS' latest Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system called OrbCAD XP...Labels: technonews
TECHNONEWS * Israel - Catch the bus - precisely
New service technology start-up Transpot has developed an interactive screen that tells passengers on buses when they need to get off - and onTel Aviv,Israel -Globes, by Gali Weinreb -11 Sep 2008: -- Using public transport in Israel is enough to make anyone think wistfully of the services they have overseas. At best, you may find yourself sitting on the bench at a bus stop, under the relentless glare of the blazing sun through what was once a roof. At worst, you can find yourself waiting anxiously next to the bus stop itself for fear that the bus will go straight past you without stopping. There may be map on the side of the shelter that is out of date, or perhaps just a crumbling sign, and after standing for half an hour with no bus in sight, your patience wears thin... Readers of "Globes", some of whom may have long since forgotten what it's like to find oneself in such a predicament, will undoubtedly be familiar with public transport overseas, especially the underground train services where there are announcements giving the exact time of arrival of the next train. How reassuring it is to know exactly when the train or bus you're waiting for is due to arrive; what a pleasure it is to know that it will definitely stop at the station you’re waiting at, that both the station and the bus or train have air conditioning, and that the public announcement system will let you what the next stop is and how far you are from your destination... Labels: technonews
Research and Ideas * USA - Magnets, Not Drivers, Guide Campus Researchers' Bus Project
A new project by UC Berkeley researchers looks like a bus, runs like a trolley car and steers itself using magnets
Berkeley,CAL,USA -The Daily Californian, by Rachel Gross -September 9, 2008: -- What sounds like an oddity could be the future of mass transportation-an automated bus guided completely by magnets in the ground... After nearly 20 years of research, the bus was unveiled on Friday at a demonstration in San Leandro. Onlookers said they were impressed as the 60-foot vehicle rumbled down 14th Street, manned by a driver but requiring no human steering... The bus is guided by magnets much as a trolley car is guided by cables, said Wei-Bin Zhang, the research engineer who leads the university's transit research program, which is part of California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways... There are two sensors on the bus for detecting the magnets, Zhang said. The sensors receive directional signals based on the magnets' alternating polarities and the magnetic fields they generate... Information from the sensors is processed by a computer, which controls a motor attached to the steering wheel, he said. The motor steers the wheel, but can be overridden by the driver if necessary... The earliest a commercial automated bus would run is 2010, Zhang said... (Illustration by Cassandra Zwart)Labels: technonews
TECHNONEWS * Europe & USA - Buses as mobile sensing platforms?
According to European researchers, modern buses could be used as mobile sensing platforms, sending out live information to be used to control traffic and detect road hazardsJackson, TN,USA -Smart Mobs, by Roland Piquepaille -June 6, 2008: -- ... The 3.83 million euro EU-funded MORYNE project was completed in March 2008 with a test in Berlin, Germany. During this test, the researchers ‘equipped city buses with environmental sensors and cameras, allowing the vehicles to become transmitters of measurements, warnings and live or recorded videos to anyone allowed to access the data.’ … (See BBC Video: Buses 'could be road sensor hubs' )* USA - "BUS"TING TERROR - Coach Lines install Anti-Hijacker tech
New York,NY,USA -The New York Post, by SUSAN EDELMAN & REUVEN BLAU -June 8, 2008 -- Authorities can now put the brakes on terrorists who hijack New York buses... Like something out of the movie "Speed," a new GPS device enables authorities to remotely control a bus - slowing it down to 5 mph and preventing it from restarting once it has stopped. The device has been installed on thousands of local commuter and tourist buses... The technology is designed to prevent a terrorist from ramming a bus filled with people and explosives into buildings or tunnels... Private bus companies have received millions of dollars from the Department of Homeland Security for the security systems. It costs $1,500 to equip each bus, with $50-per-bus monthly maintenance costs... (Photo: Several metro-area bus lines have gotten millions of dollars from the Department of Homeland Security for a new security system that can remotely stop hijacked city tourist and commuter buses in their tracks) Labels: technonews
TECHNONEWS * UK - Capital bus link rolls out free internet access
Passengers on bus services between Fife and the Capital are to be given free internet accessEdinburgh,Scotland,UK -The Edinburgh Evening News -20 March 2008: -- ... Transport giant Stagecoach is hoping to tempt motorists on to its buses with the offer of free e-mail and web access on its cross-Forth express coach services through the introduction of Wi-Fi technology on the buses... A total of 29 vehicles in Stagecoach's express coach fleet operating between Fife and Edinburgh are being equipped with the technology...Labels: technonews
TECHNONEWS * Australia - Sydney Commuters Get In-Bus Wi-Fi
Over 3G HSDPA From Hillsbus and Moovera
Sydney,Australia -PRWEB -March 11, 2008 -- Moovera Networks, a leading developer of fixed and mobile wireless access systems, today announced that Hillsbus Co Pty Ltd has chosen technology from Moovera to provide in-vehicle broadband Internet connectivity and GPS-based tracking on bus routes in Sydney, Australia.... Hillsbus -- a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro Cabcharge -- has equipped buses running between Sydney's Hills District and the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) with the Moovbox M100 mobile broadband gateway from Moovera, which provides free Wi-Fi Internet access to passengers at broadband speeds up to 2.6Mbps, and real-time GPS-based tracking for vehicle location and schedule adherence monitoring...Labels: technonews
TECHNONEWS * USA - Enova Drive System used to Power Traction Technologies Plc Buses in Liverpool, UK
Torrance,CAL,USA -StreetInsider.com (subscription - Birmingham,MI,USA) -February 4, 2008: -- Enova Systems, announce that its 120kW System has been chosen to power four Optare Solo Buses, integrated by UK-based Traction Technology Plc. The Buses will incorporate Enova's 120kW Series Hybrid drive system... 
This is the first time that Traction has been part of a head-to-head evaluation of its hybrid system and their success in this trial is seen by Enova as a critical indicator in Traction's plans for the adoption of its offering in the UK market and beyond...Labels: technonews
(Picture: Wrightbus Hybrid city bus) 
Ulsan,SK-Busworld (Belgium) -23 Aug 2012: -- A group of Korean scientists, working at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), have developed a fast-charge lithium-ion battery that can be recharged 30 to 120 times faster than conventional li-ion batteries. The team believes it can build a battery pack for electric vehicles that can be fully charged in less than a minute. The Korean method takes the cathode material — standard lithium manganese oxide (LMO) in this case — and soaks it in a solution containing graphite. Then, by carbonizing the graphite-soaked LMO, the graphite turns into a dense network of conductive traces that run throughout the cathode. This new cathode is then packaged normally, with an electrolyte and graphite anode, to create the fast-charging li-ion battery. Other factors, such as the battery’s energy density and cycle life seem to remain unchanged. These networks of carbonized graphite effectively act like blood vessels, allowing every part of the battery to recharge at the same time — thus speeding up recharge by 30 to 120 times. The network of conductive traces does increase the overall size of the battery, so it’s probably better suited for use in electric vehicles (EVs). Obviously, an EV that can be recharged in under a minute is pretty fast. However, li-ion battery packs are quite expensive — and the Korean carbonized LMO process certainly will not be lowering their price...
Karlsruhe,Germany -Inderscience Publishers -26 June 2009: -- Researchers in Germany believe organic computing has the potential to solve the problems of urban traffic systems, which rely on sensors and controllers. Using an organic approach, Holger Prothmann of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and colleagues have developed a decentralized traffic control system... The researchers developed an observer/controller architecture, which enables the traffic light to respond to traffic flow and to forward information to traffic lights on nearby roads. Current systems use fixed timers that are unable to respond directly to traffic, and centralized systems are unable to respond optimally to changes in traffic on the roads... Working with colleagues at Karlsruhe and at Leibniz Universitat Hannover, Prothmann tested the decentralized traffic control system on roads in Hamburg, and found that it can reduce vehicle stops, delays, and the time needed to reach destinations. "The environmental and economic importance of traffic control systems combined with the distributed nature of traffic nodes and their constantly changing traffic demands make traffic light control an ideal test case for organic computing approaches," Prothmann says... (Photo from betweenyellowandblue: Traffic lights)
San Francisco,CAL,USA -PRWEB -June 23, 2009: -- Icomera AB, the world's leading provider of cellular broadband gateways, has announced that Irving, TX-based charter provider Executive Coach Inc. has selected Icomera's award-winning Moovbox M200 Mobile Broadband Gateway to provide Wi-Fi connectivity to passengers on its fleet of charter bus vehicles. Established in 1985 Executive Coach is the largest privately owned charter company in Texas, and one of the fastest growing bus companies in the United States. With a fleet of over 120 vehicles, the company provides luxury motor coach charter services nationwide, including entertainer coaches with sleeping quarters and lounge areas. Executive Coach has operations in Houston, Dallas and Austin, and its charter bus fleet comprises vehicles that can accommodate between forty-five and sixty passengers. Executive Coach has already commenced the installation of Moovbox technology and expects the service to be available to passengers this summer... (Picture: Executive Coach Wi-Fi Vehicle)
Kawasaki,Japan -CrunchGear, by Serkan Toto -June 10, 2009: ... In cooperation with Nippon’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Kawasaki Heavy Industries has developed a battery suitable for those vehicles that recharges in less than 10 seconds... The two organizations already developed a similar nickel-hydrogen battery, but the current version takes about 600 seconds for a charge. While the car industry uses lithium-ion batteries, the nickel-hydrogen models don’t contain flammables and are cheaper to use (they are also bigger but are easier to use in larger vehicles). The vehicles are supposed to get quickly charged during stops and don’t need any other power sources than the battery itself... The prototype batters is said to deliver power even after 1,000 charges and is planned to be commercialized by 2013. Next to buses and streetcars, Kawasaki Heavy hopes for interest from makers of industrial vehicles such as forklifts or cranes... (Picture, shows the Swimo, a metal-hydride battery-powered light rail vehicle made by Kawasaki Heavy)
Manchester,England,UK -The Manchester Evening News, by Don Frame -10 Oct 2008: -- The solar-powered devices are being installed along the busy A6 corridor between Piccadilly railway station and Hazel Grove, in Stockport... They are being tested as part of an £82,000, year-long trial. Tickets from the machines enable passengers to travel throughout Greater Manchester. Transport chiefs hope the machines will make it quicker and easier for passengers to get their tickets before boarding buses. Passengers can use only debit or credit cards in the machines, but can still pay with cash on the bus... (Picture: Solar powered bus ticket machine on London Road, Piccadilly)
Berkeley,CAL,USA -The Daily Californian, by Rachel Gross -September 9, 2008: -- What sounds like an oddity could be the future of mass transportation-an automated bus guided completely by magnets in the ground... After nearly 20 years of research, the bus was unveiled on Friday at a demonstration in San Leandro. Onlookers said they were impressed as the 60-foot vehicle rumbled down 14th Street, manned by a driver but requiring no human steering... The bus is guided by magnets much as a trolley car is guided by cables, said Wei-Bin Zhang, the research engineer who leads the university's transit research program, which is part of California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways... There are two sensors on the bus for detecting the magnets, Zhang said. The sensors receive directional signals based on the magnets' alternating polarities and the magnetic fields they generate... Information from the sensors is processed by a computer, which controls a motor attached to the steering wheel, he said. The motor steers the wheel, but can be overridden by the driver if necessary... The earliest a commercial automated bus would run is 2010, Zhang said... (Illustration by Cassandra Zwart)
New York,NY,USA -The New York Post, by SUSAN EDELMAN & REUVEN BLAU -June 8, 2008 -- Authorities can now put the brakes on terrorists who hijack New York buses... Like something out of the movie "Speed," a new GPS device enables authorities to remotely control a bus - slowing it down to 5 mph and preventing it from restarting once it has stopped. The device has been installed on thousands of local commuter and tourist buses... The technology is designed to prevent a terrorist from ramming a bus filled with people and explosives into buildings or tunnels... Private bus companies have received millions of dollars from the Department of Homeland Security for the security systems. It costs $1,500 to equip each bus, with $50-per-bus monthly maintenance costs... (Photo: Several metro-area bus lines have gotten millions of dollars from the Department of Homeland Security for a new security system that can remotely stop hijacked city tourist and commuter buses in their tracks) 
Sydney,Australia -PRWEB -March 11, 2008 -- Moovera Networks, a leading developer of fixed and mobile wireless access systems, today announced that Hillsbus Co Pty Ltd has chosen technology from Moovera to provide in-vehicle broadband Internet connectivity and GPS-based tracking on bus routes in Sydney, Australia.... Hillsbus -- a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro Cabcharge -- has equipped buses running between Sydney's Hills District and the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) with the Moovbox M100 mobile broadband gateway from Moovera, which provides free Wi-Fi Internet access to passengers at broadband speeds up to 2.6Mbps, and real-time GPS-based tracking for vehicle location and schedule adherence monitoring...
Torrance,CAL,USA -StreetInsider.com (subscription - Birmingham,MI,USA) -February 4, 2008: -- Enova Systems, announce that its 120kW System has been chosen to power four Optare Solo Buses, integrated by UK-based Traction Technology Plc. The Buses will incorporate Enova's 120kW Series Hybrid drive system... 
This is the first time that Traction has been part of a head-to-head evaluation of its hybrid system and their success in this trial is seen by Enova as a critical indicator in Traction's plans for the adoption of its offering in the UK market and beyond...
