A fifty billion won baby was found on the ITC 2009 floor. This gold medal winner, DSRC MCU from Hyundai Digitech, sat its poster high at the Incheon Information Technology Award Zone. This little semiconductor chip is one in a million that is going to help Chinese drivers to pass toll gates without stopping. The Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) revolution is just around the corner for China.
The Ministry of Transportation in China and Hyundai Digitech of Korea have been working together on this project for nearly half a decade. One of the major projects was establishing a standard transportation system in China. “China, as we all know, is a very large country, where comes the urgent need of an One-for-All highway pass. Since October this year, a driver from Shanghai will be able to use the same highway pass in Beijing,” said CEO Lim Dong-chun of Hyundai Digitech ITS Co., Ltd.
Korea, too, will expand the highway pass (hi-pass) service areas this year. The government has recently announced the installation of 1,600,000 hi-pass devices this year to support developing an environmentally-friendly society and the flow of traffic. “The number of cars on the highway will likely be reduced in time. That causes an increase in carbon emissions while the cars sit in line to pass through the toll gate,” added Mr. Lim. As of August 26, a hi-pass device can be purchased at any of the 90 local branches in the country. With a hundred dollar investment, a driver can ease out the toll gate without stopping a car, reaching into his pocket for cash, or handing them over.
The City of Incheon and Incheon Information Technology Industry Promotion Agency (IITPA) has awarded a gold medal in the BI division to Hyundai Digitech’s Intelligent Transport System, expecting it to sell W50 billion (US$40.6 million) worth of its products to China in next five years.
Hyundai Digitech ITS is a leading manufacturer of Electronic Toll Collection Systems (ETCS) and on-board units (OBS) in Korea. Hyundai Digitech envisions to further spread its wings to produce environmentally-friendly products. Its other product, Oil Keeper, is also found in the market to aid the drivers to save 20% of their gasoline fees. “When the vehicle is stopped, the engine shuts off in 3-5 seconds without turning off the other electronic systems in the car. As soon as the driver picks up the accelerator, the engine runs immediately,” explained Lim. The product is composed of a main control unit and monitoring unit, which can be installed in most vehicles, regardless of the type of transmission.
If Korea fails to submit data to prove its low carbon emission rate by 2012, the Global Environment Forum will charge fine to the country. Equipping a hi-pass device or an oil keeper to a car will thus become a responsibility each driver should take as a courtesy.
