The Intelligent Travel Assistant

The ultimate goal of the Intelligent Travel Assistant (ITA) is the fusion and development of a number of technologies into a device that will increase the efficiency of our transportation network through increased use of mass transit and ride sharing. The ITA will include: a) dynamic ridesharing, b) spatio-temporal database management, c) wireless communications, and d) a management framework. The ITA itself is envisioned to be a compact portable device with the capability to plan multi-modal routes for its user. The traveler will enter a desired destination into the ITA and it will formulate several plans to got the user to this destination. The ITA will make use of wireless Internet technology to send and receive traffic information, transit schedules, and arrange for payment of fares. The Global Positioning System (GPS) will be used to track the user's current position for use in route planning and also its it means of assessing traffic conditions while en-route. A spatio-temporal database management system will be used to efficiently track ITA positions in real-time.