Networking Simulation for Intelligent Transportation Systems

2Near-field Wireless Communications and their Role in Next Generation Transport Infrastructures: an Overview of Modelling Techniques

The development of the smart city (SC) paradigm relies on the need for more interconnected public Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSs). In fact, nowadays, smart cyber physical systems in the transportation domain are expected to play an important role in the ambition to develop passenger-centric services. Like other utilities, transport infrastructures are slowly moving forward to more intelligent, connected, user-centric and collaborative systems. This movement is partly supported by the increasing availability of low-cost smart objects with wireless interconnection capabilities and wireless indoor positioning systems. A significant revolution has been envisaged in the transportation domain by the introduction of these low-cost elements with their wireless interconnection capabilities mostly in the near-field environment. In fact, cars, trains, buses, bicycles and road infrastructures are becoming increasingly equipped with sensors, RFID tags and NFC devices, sending critical information to the traffic control centers to better route traffic and to provide users with real-time relevant transportation information.

New research, engineering methods, tools and simulation studies for this cyber-physical—and near-field—scenario in the transportation domain have to be developed. This chapter is outlined in the context of modeling techniques to ...