| 2.Functions and Requirements of Smartway (Functions of Smartway and Conditions It Must Satisfy) |
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| (1) |
Functions of Smartway |
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<1> |
Smartway has two functions as a national infrastructure. First, together with smart cars and smart gateways, it forms an integrated part of the ITS infrastructure, providing safe, smooth road traffic and a pleasant environment for drivers. |
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<2> |
Second, it functions as a common platform on which a wealth of new value for society can be built. Smartway is part of an open platform that supports the free exchange of a wide variety of information required by the new social landscape created by a versatile and powerful ITS. It enables the development of imaginative, efficient and expandable systems and the creation of exciting new services. |
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| (2) |
Conditions Required for Smartway |
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| 1) |
Developing a People-Focused System : Responding to Users Needs and the Community |
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<1> |
Smartway is being developed with a focus not on technology but on creating a system that provides services that satisfy the needs of its users and the broader community. Even as the Smartway project proceeds with its mission of developing more comfortable lifestyles and creating new values, we must make every effort to take into account other potential needs in the widest possible variety of fields. |
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<2> |
Smartway will be a radically new transportation system, ready to take on the challenges of a graying society in the 21st century. As such, we need to ensure that Smartway is enthusiastically embraced by the public and to root it in the community. To all who use it, including the elderly and those who have difficulty driving, Smartway must be people- and user-friendly and people-focused. For this reason much research in system development will be needed on the development of human interfaces, with careful consideration of its implications in terms of public acceptance. |
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| 2) |
Establishing Levels from Simple, Stand - Alone Units to Full-Specification Systems |
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<1> |
As Smartway is installed, every possible type of road condition throughout the country must be taken into account. The job must be done quickly and efficiently. |
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<2> |
In studying the design conditions required to achieve this in Smartway, a wide variety of levels must be set. Devices will range from simple, stand-alone units to powerful, versatile full-specification machines. Similarly, every kind of road traffic and regional characteristic must be accommodated. |
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<3> |
At each level, investigation must be undertaken at an early date regarding the degree of realization possible for nine development fields and related services, which are indicated in the overall concept for ITS published in July 1996. Such an investigation must give due consideration to the effects of the implementation of each of these fields and related services. |
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| 3) |
Ensuring a Flexible Response to Future Needs and Maintaining Expandability |
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<1> |
We expect that Smartway will serve as a valuable infrastructure for a long time to come. Of course, users' needs and expectations for Smartway will increase and diversify over time. This means that the future needs of the Smartway system must be forecast as far into the future as possible and reflected in the design, so that it will continue to function as a comprehensive ITS infrastructure throughout its term of use. |
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<2> |
At the same time, advances in IT are extremely rapid, making the task of predicting the long-term shape of this technology prohibitively difficult. The system must therefore be expandable, designed to allow flexible response with minimal upgrading as the technology changes and society's requirements grow more demanding. With such built-in flexibility, substantial undoing of previous work and loss and inconvenience to users can be avoided when new advanced technology is installed. For example, when the overall system is designed, standardization should be carried out using a common system platform, enabling general application of constituent parts. |
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| 4) |
Planning for System Risk Management |
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<1> |
Part of the risk management of Smartway will involve the provision for failsafe-alternate mechanisms which can preserve the integrity of the system, so that when a blockage or interruption occurs in one part of the system the entire structure is not rendered inoperative. For example, dedicated lines and public communication lines must be configured in a mutually complementary fashion, so that if one part of the network is damaged the system as a whole can continue to function. |
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<2> |
Thorough risk management also requires that, in the unlikely event of complete system failure, an emergency plan be in place so that appropriate measures can be taken if the need arises. |
