The Transport Technology Forum has lifted the lid on the technology, partnerships and lessons learned behind this year’s successful TTF Live! event, while outlining ambitions to build on the concept at the ITS World Congress in Birmingham in 2027.
In a webinar reviewing the landmark event, held at the Hinckley Island Hotel in Leicestershire earlier this year, technical expert George Brown of KL Systems, TTF Connected Services Working Group Chair Andy Graham and the National Parking Platform’s Graham Hanson explained how the demonstration was created, what feedback was received and where the initiative could go next.
TTF Live!, which was hailed as an overwhelming success when it took place in March, gave more than 300 delegates the chance to experience connected vehicle services in real-world conditions, travelling on public roads around the conference venue rather than watching demonstrations on a test track.
During the webinar, Mr Brown described the challenge of moving from previous small-scale demonstrations involving a handful of vehicles to creating a live connected transport experience for hundreds of attendees.
The solution centred around a fleet of coaches equipped with screens showing both a forward-facing camera view and a live connected services interface delivered through Android Auto. Each coach carried a micro-PC running an Android Auto head unit emulator, linked to phones, cameras and connected vehicle equipment so that every passenger could see alerts and information exactly as a driver would.
At the heart of the system, he explained, was a cloud-based digital twin, fed by multiple connected services and data feeds. These included roadworks information, traffic signals, flood warnings, pedestrian crossing alerts, low bridge warnings, emergency vehicle notifications, variable message signs, temporary traffic restrictions and wrong-way driver alerts.
The webinar explained how the architecture relied on a central data model hosted in the cloud, receiving information via technologies including MQTT, SignalR and web-based data feeds. Once data entered the model it became available to connected vehicles almost instantly, allowing navigation systems to generate warnings and advice in real time.
The trio explained that one of the most popular demonstrations was Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory (GLOSA), delivered through a collaboration between Leicestershire County Council and Portsmouth City Council. Traffic signal states were updated second-by-second in the cloud model, enabling the navigation application to calculate the optimum speed for vehicles approaching a junction.
The presenters also highlighted demonstrations involving emergency vehicle warnings, virtual variable message signs, low bridge alerts and digital roadworks notifications. Many of these relied on virtual infrastructure objects within the digital twin, allowing warnings to be generated without requiring extensive roadside equipment.
Kapsch also supported a Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) demonstration using ITS-G5 technology, while some services were separately delivered through Waze by HAAS Alert, including emergency vehicle alerts, eCall notifications and hazard warnings. There was also discussion about the National Parking Platform.
Reviewing feedback from delegates, Andy Graham said reactions were overwhelmingly positive, particularly from fire and rescue services and commercial vehicle operators who saw clear value in connected warnings and GLOSA functionality. Some attendees felt there were too many messages being presented to drivers, but Mr Graham suggested this demonstrated the breadth of available information and highlighted the importance of filtering alerts to suit individual users.
Suppliers involved in the showcase reported strong engagement from senior decision-makers and praised the collaborative approach that brought together public authorities, technology companies and transport operators.
One of the webinar’s recurring themes was the importance of explaining benefits rather than focusing on technology. Mr Graham argued that delegates responded best when shown what services could do rather than how the underlying systems worked, although the event’s popular “engine room” area also gave technology specialists the opportunity to explore the technical architecture behind the demonstrations.
The webinar also highlighted several unexpected outcomes from the event. Integrating roadworks data through Causeway and Street Manager into Waze illustrated how existing datasets could be combined to create wider benefits, while the success of the GLOSA demonstration reinforced the value of improving traffic signal infrastructure and data quality.
Looking ahead, Graham Hanson described plans for the 2027 ITS World Congress in Birmingham, which will be run alongside the annual Highways UK show, and is expected to attract more than 15,000 delegates.
He explained that organisers are already considering a large-scale connected ecosystem feature that would build on the lessons learned from TTF Live!! The concept would bring together services from multiple suppliers in a single connected environment operating around the NEC and potentially on surrounding public roads.
Mr Hanson described TTF Live! as a “dry run” for the larger showcase, with discussions already underway about demonstration routes, connected parking facilities and dedicated areas where delegates could experience connected transport technologies working together as part of a wider ecosystem.
The webinar concluded with a message of thanks to the many organisations and individuals involved in delivering TTF Live!, underlining the collaborative effort required to turn complex connected vehicle technologies into a practical demonstration that could be experienced by hundreds of delegates in real-world conditions.
For the TTF team, the message was clear: connected services are no longer simply technical concepts. The challenge now is scaling them, integrating them and demonstrating their value to road operators, fleet managers and drivers alike.
You can watch a video report about the demonstrations here:
(Picture – connected vehicle information displayed at TTF Live!, courtesy TTF)