Data mining, data fusion and information management

The potential impact of advances in data mining, data fusion and information management on the efficient exploitation of the transport infrastructure are addressed. It is argued that the energy currently consumed in transport is poorly exploited for a number of reasons that the application of intelligent infrastructure analysis can significantly address: traffic congestion implies reduced fuel efficiency; the average number of people travelling per car is very low; and public/private transport combination options are difficult to plan. Relevant advances in intelligent information systems are reviewed, and a number of scenarios illustrating how these weaknesses might be addressed are presented. For each, the feasibility of the required technology and the timescales for deployment are discussed.