IEEE 802.11p Vehicular Networking System in WiSafeCar Project

For the vehicular networking purposes the main standard approach in global scale is called IEEE 802.11p. In the WiSafeCar project the IEEE 802.11p (with supporting 3G) was the main element as the authors built an intelligent hybrid wireless traffic safety network between cars and infrastructure, with possibility to exploit vehicle based sensor and observation data in order to generate intelligent real-time services and service platform for vehicles. The main goal was to improve traffic safety with accident and weather condition related accurate services, but also to offer a platform for true bi-directional Internet-like networking experience tailored to vehicular environment. This paper presents the underlying IEEE 802.11p vehicular networking field measurement results conducted in the vicinity area of Finnish Meteorological Institute facilities in Sodankyla (with supporting simulations), and the results achieved in developed networking system (with special services) pilot testing in the city of Tampere. The authors are also comparing the results to the congruent measurements conducted with IEEE 802.11g standard based system, as the authors have reference measurements results available from earlier research work. Based on these underlying experiences, the authors will draw an estimate of the WiSafeCar system efficiency in operative large-scale use.