Sep 9 2014
Southwest Research Institute®, a world leader in connected automation and intelligent transportation systems, will showcase that expertise through multiple demonstrations during the 21st World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, Sept. 7-11, in Detroit.
SwRI will employ connected vehicle and automated vehicle technologies in demonstrations of automated vehicle platoons, gesture (hand-signal) interaction with an automated vehicle, variable spacing and offsets, and automated vehicle navigation and localization. SwRI’s demonstration vehicles at the World Congress include an SUV, Class VIII truck, a military Humvee and a military ATV.
Over the past 10 years, SwRI has conducted research and development projects related to connected vehicle and automated vehicle technologies for commercial, military, as well as state and federal agency clients worth more than $40 million. SwRI has deployed advanced traffic management technologies in Florida, Michigan, New York and Texas, and has automated eight vehicle platform types, along with assorted enabling technologies for commercial vehicle manufacturers, the U.S. military and several European defense ministries.
“SwRI is a pioneer in intelligent transportation, creating advanced traffic management systems to help reduce secondary collisions, mitigate congestion and, most importantly, save lives,” said Dr. Steven W. Dellenback, PMP, executive director in SwRI’s Automation and Data Systems Division. “About 10 years ago, we expanded our program to include intelligent and automated vehicle technologies, with a focus on unmanned military ground vehicles. As specialists in connected vehicle technology and automated vehicles we are uniquely qualified in the area of connected automation.”
SwRI will showcase its connected automation technologies with demonstrations running nearly continuously at the Technology Showcase on Belle Isle. Among these demonstrations is one that combines connected vehicle and advanced transportation management technology with vehicle automation advancements to show how connected automation applications could help reduce injuries and fatalities in road work zones. SwRI is using automated vehicles to assume the most dangerous roles in stationary and rolling work zones while employing connected vehicle technology to allow road maintenance vehicles to communicate with each other, other vehicles, the work crew and the roadside infrastructure.
“Connected automation is a technology solution that can be used today to protect vulnerable maintenance crews from injury,” said Ryan Lamm, director of the Communications and Embedded Systems Department in the Automation and Data Systems Division. “Our technology enables an automated vehicle to cooperate with a maintenance crew via simple gestures, and with a traffic management system via connected vehicle technology.”
Additional demonstrations include vehicle platoons for passenger, freight and military logistics movement; advanced traffic management systems that control variable vehicle spacing and offsets; and high-precision localization for use in precision bus/truck docking, automated valet parking in GPS-degraded environments and active safety systems.
SwRI also is sponsoring the 2014 World Congress Student Essay Competition, designed to encourage student interest and further participation in, and development of, ITS technologies and solutions. The winning students will win cash prizes and have the opportunity to present his or her paper at the dedicated Interactive Session area on Sept. 8.
Source: http://www.swri.org/