Analysis and Visualization of ITS Weather Data
Abstract
Transportation in the modern-day society has become increasingly complex, and the volume of transport is growing. As a result, we are encountering severe challenges when it comes to the safety of human lives, and how the transportation industry impacts the global environment. Ideally, we want to eliminate accidents and injuries as a result of traffic, minimize emission, and maximize efficiency. Intelligent Transportation Systems are regarded as the primary solution to increase safety and efficiency.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) is working to improve traffic safety, reduce environmental impact, and promote navigability. Over a period, the NPRA have been collecting weather and road friction data in Norway, by installing a mobile sensor on a selection of their vehicles. Information gathered by these sensors can potentially improve decision support applications and thus contribute to achieving their goals.
Before the mobile sensor data can be utilized, it is necessary to assess the quality of the sensor; hence, this study was focused on evaluating the sensor. The objective of this thesis was to determine the accuracy of the mobile sensor data, with a focus on air temperature.
The Norwegian Meteorological Institute gather weather data throughout Norway that is considered accurate, and historical weather data is made accessible online. Therefore, measurements from mobile sensors were compared with data from weather stations, and the differences in the measurements were studied in more detail.
The analysis showed that most of the temperatures measured by mobile sensors were within a few degrees from the temperatures measured by the weather stations. However, a significant portion of the measurements deviates greatly from the weather station measurements. Further, the analysis showed that the cause of the disparities did not originate from the distance between the measurements, or the differences in altitudes.