The world’s transport technology leaders gathered in Austin, Texas in late September at the MOVE America event for two days of discussion, creating new solutions and re-imagining mobility. The Wejo team was on-site engaging with other thought leaders and exploring the powerful role smart mobility data has in shaping the future of our transportation ecosystem.

Wejo Assistant Vice President, Carl Novelli, moderated an expert roundtable discussion at the event titled, “Turning Data into Actionable Insights.” It included Wejo customers and partners Garrett Smith of Toyota, Michael Martin of Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), and Ben Hammel of Microsoft. The group examined how transportation data is used in the public sector and automotive industry to better understand what’s happening on the roads and how their organizations use data to prepare for the future.

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Here are the key takeaways from the discussion:  

1.      Smart mobility data is a valuable source for transportation leaders.

Experts at the roundtable agreed smart mobility data is a huge value add. Michael noted its unique ability to help his team at TTI turn data into information for decision-makers; in his case, those decision-makers are Texas DOT engineers. He highlighted that while traditional data is the broad-brush strokes, smart mobility data adds color with its ability to bring things like speed, hard braking, and turning movements to light. He later added, “Connected Vehicle Data is like a grocery store in many ways. It’s the ingredients researchers want to get their hands on.”

2.      The key to maximizing the value of smart mobility data is quickly processing its vast size.

Ben pointed out that the focus should not only be on the data itself but the problem the data is trying to solve. Data generated in real-time from connected vehicles can be massive in size. As a result, it's essential to determine which data points will be most useful. Transportation leaders can leverage cloud-based services like Microsoft Azure to help process the trillions of data points from smart mobility data quickly so it can be best applied to solve that problem.

3.      Data generated from cars themselves will help enable safe and seamless autonomous driving.

Reliable and accurate data sources are a fundamental part of autonomous driving. Garrett discussed how smart mobility data can help OEMs not only predict things like maintenance needs, but also monitor for real-time collision detection. If a driver is not present, an autonomous vehicle with the right data sources can operate itself in an emergency in ways such as calling 911, communicating with a roadside assistant, and getting the right service to the scene. Garrett went on to note the role transportation data has in keeping autonomous vehicles safe – from monitoring speed and dangerous road conditions to helping ensure passengers are wearing seatbelts in the cabin.

4.      The future of our mobility ecosystem relies on the richness of our data today.

As we move toward an autonomous future, the first step is understanding what’s happening on the roads today. Michael shared that while we have a lot of the data, we need to turn it into something that autonomous systems can build upon. Garrett added that today’s fleet management is highly manual, but we can start incorporating data into everyday practices to make a gradual shift towards autonomy. Ben concluded that when smart mobility data is operationalized the right way it can improve the overall ecosystem. He also provided an example that mobility data can provide insight into the behaviors of cars in a city - such as curbside management - which can be used to drive safety, resiliency, and sustainability.

We learned a lot at MOVE this year and were grateful for the opportunity to engage with our customers, partners, and other leaders in the space throughout the event. Learn how innovative organizations use Wejo Smart Mobility and Connected Vehicle Data to redefine mobility here.