Route recognition and automated modeling for the German truck toll

Why we like showing this case

Tolling is an important component of intelligent traffic management and smart mobility - for us, it is truly a technology of the future, as it allows us to shape our future sustainably. The introduction of the truck toll attracted a great deal of public interest at the time and was the subject of much controversy. Germany introduced the world's first GNSS-based system across the board and became the technology leader! The fact that it is seldom a topic of discussion today is largely due to the fact that it now works silently and reliably. We have contributed to this with our know-how and passion.

Task and solution

The German truck toll, which is collected by an automated system based on the distance traveled, was uncharted territory in toll technology. As the productive core of the system, a procedure was required that precisely determines the toll route driven by matching position data from the vehicles' on-board units with a digital model of the road network. The challenge here is to deliver reliable results despite the existing vagueness of the position and road model, while at the same time avoiding incorrect tolls.

The switch to centralized data processing poses enormous challenges, particularly in terms of data security, which is guaranteed by anonymous processing. But also by transferring the chain from position to toll determination to a central, secure center. Ambrosys delivered a prototype that was already mature enough to work productively with real data and could be integrated into the production environment with a minimum of refactoring.

Smart tolling – enabler of sustainable mobility!

"Toll" has a bad rap. We would like to set the record straight!

In order to align mobility with the needs of people and our planet in the future, we need intelligent technologies. Traffic space is a scarce resource, especially in cities. If we put a price on this resource, we can ensure fair distribution. An intelligent, socially balanced toll may even be the only way to maintain individual mobility and avoid strict bans. The more intelligent a toll is, the better politicians can organize our mobility in a socially just, economically sensible and environmentally friendly way. It should be route-based, transparent and easy to use and be able to be dynamically adapted to the situation using advanced algorithms.

In the near future, more and more cities will take the step towards a city toll. Ambrosys advises them holistically on the possible options and provides both mobility expertise and a network of partner companies to develop complete solutions tailored to local needs.

What is the value of automated modeling?

Modeling means here: A digital image of reality is created (in this case, the road network). But every data operation based on the model can only be as good as the model itself. Generating high-performance models based on large amounts of data by hand, even if only partially, ties up extremely large capacities. Intelligent automated modeling frees up this capacity and shortens projects to a fraction of the time otherwise required.

Efficient and reliable modeling requires superior know-how in both data science and software development, as well as in-depth industry expertise: assets that Ambrosys has acquired over many years and projects.

→ Questions or thoughts about smart mobility, intelligent tolling or automated modeling? Dr. Markus Abel is looking forward to your message.