Agilent Labs measurement system provides real-time traffic conditions, minimizes frustration and gasoline costs

Sitting in an idling car these days is not only frustrating but, given rising gasoline prices, a drain on the bank accounts of most drivers, as well. Frequent acceleration and deceleration, the hallmarks of stop-and-go traffic, can significantly reduce a car's mile-per-gallon (MPG) rate, resulting in more trips to the gas pump. To help drivers find the most direct and non-congested routes more effectively, researchers from Agilent Labs have developed a measurement system that uses mobile phones to gather traffic data from a community of commuters to generate information about local road conditions. This new system provides drivers with a greater understanding of real-time changing traffic conditions so they can plan their route accordingly.

Current methods of collecting traffic data -- such as road sensors, cameras, helicopters and police accident reports -- can be expensive, time-delayed and typically cover only the major arteries. The OurTraffic system developed by Agilent Labs monitors road conditions through a distributed network of collaborating mobile devices, making it inexpensive to deploy and easy to operate as the data collection is spread across and entire commuter community.

OurTraffic is based on Java Distributed Data Acquisition and Control (JDDAC), an open-source platform for building sensor networks and data-acquisition systems, and uses a Java program that runs on commuters' GPS-enabled mobile phones or PDAs to record data on their position and velocity as they travel. The data is then sent, in real time, to a server that integrates data from the community of devices to provide comprehensive real-time traffic maps on the Web. The data can also provide historical traffic flow information.

OurTraffic, introduced at Sun Microsystems' annual JavaOne conference in San Francisco, was presented with the 2006 Duke's Choice Award by Sun Vice President and Fellow James Gosling. Agilent was the recipient of the 2005 award, as well, in recognition of the company's collaboration with San Francisco State University and Sun Microsystems on a research project, also based on the JDDAC technology, to better understand the complex environmental conditions of the San Francisco Bay.

"Hopefully, with Agilent's OurTraffic and other applications like it, gridlock and traffic congestion will soon be eliminated, " said Mark Herring, senior director of Java Brand Marketing, Sun Microsystems. "We are proud of Agilent's continued innovation and are happy to award them another Duke's Choice Award. Two awards in two years is an amazing achievement."

Use the survey below to provide quick input on this feature.