Coexistence of Energy Harvesting Roads and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

Intelligent systems, the Internet of Things, smart factory, and artificial intelligence are just some of the pillars for the 4th industrial revolution. Engineering is the driving force behind this new industrial renaissance and transportation plays a leading role for the new challenges in mobility needs. In this scenario, intelligent transportation systems (ITS) represent an innovative solution for various transport issues, such as traffic congestion, air pollution, long travel time, and accidents. In parallel, transportation is going through a novel way of thinking for road pavements: a multi-functional infrastructure able to harvest energy and exploiting the solar radiation or the traffic load. As the main hurdle in ITS is to find reliable energy sources, the energy harvesting roads could be a great step in installing and managing ITS as an electricity supplier. The aim of this paper is to review the key elements of ITS and energy harvesting pavements, and investigate their coexistence. This paper describes different harvesting techniques that could be used to power various ITS solutions. A case study evaluates the power output of a road section equipped with a solar road, piezoelectric material, and thermoelectric generators. Finally, the coexistence between ITS and energy harvesting pavements is critically evaluated, taking into account the advantages and disadvantages.