Connected vehicle pilot program in Michigan extended

The Department of Transportation's pilot program to test vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) crash avoidance technology has been extended for another six months.

The Connected Vehicle Research Program, initiated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and spearheaded by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), has been conducting a pilot study in Ann Arbor, Mich., involving nearly 3,000 vehicles from eight OEMs. Using a wireless communication method called dedicated short range communications (DSRC), the vehicles are communicating with each other and with special roadway infrastructure equipment that helps alert vehicles to potential crash conditions. The data from the pilot will be used to develop new regulations for crash avoidance systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said in the past that this type of V2V and V2I communication could address nearly 80 percent of crash scenarios involving non-impaired drivers.

According to the organizations involved in the pilot, the extension will continue previous activities and provide an opportunity to collect additional data, particularly for motorcycles.

During the first year of the study, the Department of Transportation reports that the researchers collected 1.4 billion data points and more than 40,000 hours of video. According to a written statement sent to Aftermarket Business World from the DOT, "We want to leverage the investment that we have already made in this project to learn more.  We are currently analyzing the substantial amount of data and video collected to determine the safety effectiveness of this technology."

The pilot program involves testing vehicles in two "corridors" with 12 intersections between them. The intersections include traffic signals that can communicate with equipped vehicles. The roadside equipment sends and receives data along 73 lane-miles of roadway in the northeast Ann Arbor area, and the primary routes covered include a mix of freeways and city streets that were selected to capture the majority of test participant drivers during their daily commutes.

"The roadside equipment consists of DSRC devices that recognize the signals transmitted by the equipped vehicles," says Dr. James Sayer, research scientist at UMTRI. "The roadside equipment is connected to the City of Ann Arbor's fiber optic backbone, and there are two locations where variable Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) have been enabled, but not activated. Once activated, SPaT would allow for a variety of applications, including dynamic signal phasing based on traffic volume, and the creation of 'green waves' where signals could be progressively controlled in sequence to maximize traffic flow."

Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen jointly developed the in-vehicle technology used in the pilot via their Crash Avoidance Metrics Partnership. Drivers are alerted of danger through various alarms, including lights, sirens, and vibrating seats. The in-vehicle systems can alert drivers to speeding cars approaching an intersection, sudden braking several cars ahead in traffic, merging trucks, etc. Infrastructure alerts can include impending light changes or nearby school zones. Ultimately, these systems could potentially alert drivers to traffic congestion and other conditions.

Savari and Delphi Automotive are among the vendors who have provided hardware and installation services for the pilot.

FCC proposal may complicate wireless communications

One possible snag to the development of these solutions is the FCC's recent proposal to allow unlicensed wireless devices to operate in the same frequency band (5.9GHz) that has been designated for these V2V systems. Some stakeholders have expressed concern that opening up that spectrum could lead to latency or interference issues for DSRC equipment.

"We've stated that it's essential for there to be a careful evaluation, and lots of testing, to ensure that opening up the spectrum does not threaten the safety-critical systems that will form the essential backbone of V2V and V2I communications," says Wade Newton, spokesperson for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. That organization and the Association of Global Automakers filed joint comments with the FCC on the proposed measure. "These systems require reliable and dependable channels that support precision and split-second communications."

"While we don't know what the impact would be, UMTRI strongly believes that there should be no sharing of 5.9 GHz safety spectrum," Sayer says. "The impact must be fully explored before a decision can be made."

The DOT also expressed reservations. "The Department is concerned about how this action would affect the potential safety gains that could be realized with vehicle-to-vehicle technology," according to the agency's statement. "We look forward to working with our federal partners, including the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the FCC, to evaluate thoroughly and carefully the impacts of potential spectrum sharing on vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure safety communications."

Decision expected this year

The DOT plans to issue a decision on how the V2V/V2I technology could be rolled out to light duty vehicles by the end of this year. Heavy-duty vehicle recommendations will follow in 2014. Estimates as to how much rolling out this kind of infrastructure would cost is to be included in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Footprint Analysis, due out later this year.

"We have gained a much greater understanding of issues associated with establishing a real-world connected vehicle environment," the DOT said of its efforts so far. "We continue to develop lessons learned from this rich experience."

DSRC is just one of several technologies being used to enable connected vehicle applications. While the crash avoidance solution would require a more robust connection than is possible through telematics systems such as GM's OnStar, Sayer believes there will be opportunities to potentially integrate these systems.

"Ultimately, a variety of wireless technologies are likely to play roles," Sayer says. "For most safety applications it is critical that the technology be very reliable and low in latency. However, there are a number of mobility and sustainability applications that can be effective even with the occasional drop out or delay. Even for safety applications, there are other supporting roles that wireless technologies play, and may very well be necessary."

Subscribe to Aftermarket Business World and receive articles like this every month….absolutely free. Click here.