Getting Lost Becomes A Thing of the Past

Getting lost in strange towns and cities or trying to find the right way to a particular destination is no longer a problem due to new navigation software that provides on the move information for drivers and pedestrians within seconds.

Developed with the help of almost £1.3 million from the Information Society Technology (IST) Programme of the European Union's Framework Programme, PEPTRAN gives drivers and mobile users information on the best possible routes within seconds, using their smartphones or a navigation system installed in their cars.
"This will provide major benefits - particularly for tourists, professional drivers and possibly for car-sharing and rental services that are looking to improve their services for clients", says project Manager Rory Doyle from UK partner British Maritime Technology. "Users simply enter basic information about their journey and our innovative route navigation software tells them the easiest way to get there either by car, public transport or on foot - or by using a combination of them."
Peter Walters, UK National Contact Point for IST within the EU's Sixth Framework Programme, added "This project has made the best possible use of Framework funding - the EU's main method of providing funding for collaborative research and innovation - to develop something that will be useful to us all. Not everyone is comfortable reading a map and even those who can will have first hand experience of how difficult and often time-consuming it can be trying to use paper maps and timetables on the move. I am also hopeful that PEPTRAN will help reduce congestion, as people trying the system for the first time admitted that they were more inclined use local public transport instead of using their own cars."
By inputting the date and time of the journey and start and end locations (street names or coordinates, if known) into their mobile or car navigation devices PEPTRAN uses the information gathered from existing street navigation systems, cars and public transport servers to supply the route-plan. This information takes account of public transport timetables, the real-time progress of public transport vehicles or guidelines to a particular route and how to get there. It also tells the user how and where to change buses to minimise the total journey time.
Car drivers are directed to the nearest parking space before using public transport in an attempt to avoid city traffic. In both car navigation and mobile options, information is presented to the user by means of maps or simple text directions.
As time becomes more constrained and transport needs are increasing, the new technology will in the future give Europeans a seriously convincing reason for opting for their local bus or train.The EU's Framework Programmes are the worlds largest, publicly funded, research and technological development programmes. The Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) covers the period 2002-2006 and is the European Unions main instrument for the funding of collaborative research and innovation. It is open to public and private entities of all sizes in the EU and a number of non-EU countries. It has an overall budget of 19 billion.
Most of the budget for FP6 is devoted to work in seven priority thematic areas:,? Life sciences, Genetics and Biotechnology for Health;,? Information Society Technologies;,? Nanotechnologies and Nanosciences, Knowledgebased Multifunctional Materials and New Production Processes and Devices;,? Aeronautics and Space;,? Food Quality and Safety;,? Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems; and,? Citizens and Governance in a Knowledge-based Society.
There is also a focus on the research activities of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) across all seven thematic areas.
The services of FP6UK are provided by the Office of Science & Technology (OST) / Department of Trade & Industry (DTI).
More information can be found on http://fp6uk.ost.gov.uk or call central telephone support on [phone]
IST Programme:,The IST Priority Thematic Area (PTA) of the 6th Framework Programme(FP6) is the largest of the seven PTAs with a budget of 3.6bn over the lifetime of FP6. The first Call for proposals with a budget of 1070m - closed in April 2003. The second Call closed on 15 October 2003 and had a budget of 525m.

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