State of the Art¶

Introduction¶

This section provides an overview of the current landscape of data formats and standards used in the field of telematics and mobility data exchange. Understanding the strengths and limitations of existing formats is essential to position Telemachus effectively and highlight its unique contributions.

Comparative Overview of Existing Formats¶

Feature / Format	GTFS	DATEX II	NGSI-LD	Flespi	Otonomo / High Mobility	Smartcar	MQTT (lightweight IoT protocol)	NDS.Live (navigation data standard)	SensorThings API (OGC standard)	ISO 15118 (EV charging communication)
Primary Use Case	Public transit schedules	Traffic and travel data	Context information model	IoT data platform	Automotive data exchange	Automotive API platform	IoT messaging protocol	Navigation and map data	IoT sensor data integration	EV charging communication
Data Model	Static and real-time transit data	Traffic management data	Linked data, semantic web	Telemetry and sensor data	Vehicle and mobility data	Vehicle telematics and status	Lightweight publish/subscribe messages	Navigation database schema	Sensor and observation data	EV charging session and status
Standardization	Open standard by Google	European standard (ISO TC204)	OMA SpecWorks standard	Proprietary	Proprietary	Proprietary	OASIS standard	NDS Association standard	OGC standard	ISO international standard
Data Format	CSV / JSON	XML	JSON-LD	JSON	JSON	JSON, REST APIs	Binary/text (MQTT protocol)	Binary/JSON	JSON	XML/JSON
Real-time Support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Limited	Yes	Yes
Semantic Interoperability	Limited	Moderate	High	Limited	Moderate	Limited	Limited	Moderate	High	Moderate
Use in Industry	Widely adopted in transit	Used by traffic agencies	Used in smart cities	IoT and telematics	Automotive OEMs and platforms	Automotive app developers and partners	IoT device communication	Automotive and navigation providers	Smart city and IoT applications	EV manufacturers and charging stations

Telemachus: Open and Extensible by Design¶

While many existing solutions are either proprietary (e.g., Flespi, Otonomo, Smartcar) or focused on specific domains (e.g., GTFS for transit, DATEX II for traffic), Telemachus is distinguished by its open specification and extensibility. It is designed to be adaptable across domains, enabling innovation and broad interoperability. This openness allows for community-driven evolution and integration with both legacy and emerging mobility systems, setting Telemachus apart from domain-limited or closed solutions.

Additional Observations¶

The landscape of telematics and mobility data is characterized by a diversity of ecosystems, including public transit, smart cities, automotive, IoT, and energy sectors. This diversity has led to a proliferation of specialized standards and protocols, each optimized for particular use cases and industries. However, this specialization has also resulted in fragmentation and a lack of unified schemas across providers, which complicates data integration and interoperability. Telemachus offers a promising approach as a bridging layer that can harmonize these disparate data sources, providing a flexible and extensible framework that supports cross-domain interoperability and innovation.

Conclusion¶

Telemachus aims to build upon the strengths of existing standards by providing a flexible, interoperable, and extensible framework tailored to the needs of modern telematics applications. By integrating semantic richness with real-time capabilities and broad industry applicability, Telemachus positions itself as a versatile solution bridging gaps left by current formats.