Last week, Terra Visus enjoyed attending Highways UK in Birmingham, UK. This insightful event was filled with several interesting talks and an exhibition hall full of companies, council authorities, academics and industry professionals who's mission it is to make the UK's road network run as smoothly and efficiently as possible, while ensuring the future of our networks is better.
After two busy days at the event, we returned to Edinburgh feeling inspired, motivated, and excited to continue conversations with the connections we made.
The Future Of Our Roads
To kickstart the event, I listened to keynote speaker Nick Harris, Chief Executive of National Highways, who discussed the future of UK roads and networks, stating he was 'extremely optimistic for the future.' Harris noted that the strength of the industry and the innovative solutions available, many of which were being exhibited at the event, was the source of this optimism and that it takes the combined efforts of everyone in the transport sector to keep pushing forward.
I then listened to Hugh Gillies, also a keynote speaker and Director of Roads at Transport Scotland, present 'The Challenges and Opportunities for the Scottish Roads Sector.'
Gillies spoke of the heightened focus surrounding road safety in Perthshire and the Highlands since the increase in popularity of NC500 in recent years, as both tourists and locals embark on a journey of just over 500 miles to the North of Scotland, where travellers can take in the breath taking views of the country. However, the issue is narrow, often single-lane, winding country roads not built for the thousands of vehicles descending on the route each year. Gillies detailed the problems associated with driving on the left and the size of some of the campervans (which was ironic given the National Motorhome and Caravan Show was on in the next hall!).
Gillies also spoke of the sheer enormity of significant events in Scotland, such as COP26 in Glasgow in 2021 and, more recently, Taylor Swift playing at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. He explained that it's essential for Scotland to continue to be considered for major events and in order to be, Scotland must ensure the transport needs are being met. Gillies said Transport Scotland focuses on ensuring that members of the public are 'talking about the event and not the transport!.'
I went on to listen to Lillian Greenwood MP, Minister for the Future of Roads, Department for Transport who launched the Highways Sector Councils 'Way's of Life' campaign, which highlights 'the positive role highways play in our lives' and the types of careers offered through the transport sector.
Greenwood explained that 432 billion miles are cycled, walked, and driven along UK highways yearly and that 'the UK has some of the safest roads in Europe.' She stated that while there is ambition 'to do more and do it faster,' but she emphasised that 'safety is a duty.'
She went on to say that the Government and local councils are 'expediting every effort not only to understand the condition of every road but how to fix them' (even mentioning the UK broad issue of potholes, which got a few shakes of the head from members of the audience) as if "roads are better, the community is safer.'
Data-Driven Insights
There was a lot of chatter around 'data' at the event - the sort of chatter we love (we license street-level imagery and LiDAR data, in case you don't know!).
I sat in on a discussion called 'Optimising the Road User Experience with Data-Driven Insights,' where the panel discussed the use of intelligent data within vehicle manufacturing. One of the panellists stated that digital alerting is likely to be standard in new vehicles. However, the potential problem differs from the data itself; the challenge is how the user receives this information.
Gareth Evans, Director of Strategy and Business Development at HAAS Alert, explained that the issue is ensuring the user doesn't get constant notifications whilst driving but receives the necessary information to make their journey safer and more efficient. Evans explained that if a user gets annoyed or frustrated during the user experience, they may choose not to use the solution and/or they may not trust the information being shared with them. He said with 'one mistake, users don't believe in the data' anymore.
I also attended 'Maximising Infrastructure Lifespan: Strategies for Asset Renewal and Resilience' presented by Alex Gilbert, Managing Director at Amey.
Gilbert spoke of the state of UK bridge infrastructure, detailing how understanding an asset's lifespan and the effects of climate change is crucial for managing and maintaining assets in the future, particularly with ageing infrastructure. He gave the example of the Forth Road Bridge in Scotland, in which its closure in 2015/ 2016, due to fractures in the steelwork, resulted in a £1m loss per day to the Scottish economy, highlighting the knock-on economic effect when an asset is not operating as it should.
Together with Transport Scotland and using Amey's bridge management system (Pearl, a cloud based asset management solution, and Mercury, a data analytics platform developed in-house by Amey), the bridge was up and running after twenty-one days.
Gilbert spoke about 'asset sustainability', stating that renewing an asset should be prioritised over replacing it. This should be done by taking a 'data-rich approach' in managing and protecting assets and providing 'network reliance through technology-led asset management.'
At Terra Visus, we know only too well the importance of our roads and networks, both for the present and for the future, and the numerous advantages that data-driven insights can provide for asset detection, management and maintenance.
This is because the street-level imagery and LiDAR data we license to our customers offers a wide range of benefits.
Here are some examples of key applications:
Asset Management: Street-level imagery and LiDAR data can provide accurate insights that can assist with managing and maintaining assets. This can help with making key and informed decisions quickly, which in turn can help reduce time, cost and improve safety. This data can also support predictive models for smart cities, enabling more proactive management.
Environmental Impact: High-quality geospatial data is essential for assessing environmental conditions. Street-level imagery can help monitor changes in urban spaces and support sustainable urban planning initiatives by identifying improvement areas.
Disaster Response: In emergencies such as floods, landslides, or other natural disasters, LiDAR's ability to capture detailed 3D models of terrain can help evaluate affected areas and plan recovery efforts more effectively.
Summary
There was a lot of discussion at Highways UK surrounding data and its benefits, and various speakers listed the numerous ways in which data is being used in the transport sector.
It was amazing to see all of the exhibitors and attendees come together, and it was yet another reminder of all the 'behind the scenes' work that goes on to provide everyone with everyday necessities. From our roads that get us from A to B, to utilities that run under and above our towns and cities to provide us with everything we need.
Highways UK was a fantastic event that highlighted the importance of technology in shaping future infrastructure. It was great to be in attendance, making many new connections and we look forward to attending again next year.
Thank you to the organisers for putting together such a smooth event.
About Terra Visus
Terra Visus is a leading provider of street-level imagery and LiDAR data supplying some of the world's largest technology companies and organisations.
The Terra Visus street-level data platform, TerraView, is a conduit for global street level image data, facilitating a professional marketplace for data collectors and buyers looking for specific data sets.
Founded in 2021, Terra Visus is headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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