Waterford-based telecoms experts developing security solutions for trucks to avoid their use as terrorist weapons
Telecommunications, Software & Systems Group (TSSG) at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) secure major role in €3 million secure truck navigation project – TransSec
Irish tech experts based in Waterford have teamed up with their European counterparts, industry and business to develop a new and secure truck navigation system which prevents such large vehicles from ever being used in a terror attack.
The TransSec project includes leaders in the fields of telecoms and other wireless, high speed communications protocols at the Telecommunications, Software and Systems Group (TSSG) at Waterford Institute of Technology.
The carefully-selected, expert teams from across Europe are working together with a leading global truck manufacturer on the development of a new type of truck that is fitted with impregnable road transport and dangerous goods protection systems.
The system will include precise vehicle positioning and navigation for on road use, including lane positioning, as well as off road use safeguards. It also includes vehicle movement monitoring for dangerous goods, with a critical area alarm and integration into the European-wide emergency eCall system.
TransSec will also provide vehicle communication security for critical information exchange as well as on-board, pre-crash environment detection of vulnerable objects, both on and off road.
TransSec will also feature protected, autonomous emergency manoeuvring for crash prevention on and off road, TSSG Research Unit Manager, Frances Cleary, explained.
Frances Cleary says, “As a consequence of such terrorist-related incidents, road transport safety has to be supplemented by road transport security. The TSSG project team will help to produce an early prototype which can be implemented by truck companies during manufacture or retrofitted to existing fleets.
“We will demonstrate the effectiveness of the system with a truck both on and off the road after 12, 24 and 36 months of the project lifetime. Testing and pilots on public roads and public areas will provide a higher level of security,” she revealed.
