Ford Engineer Joe Stinnett Shows Smart Technology, at Ford Test Plant (Photo: Andrea Bernstein)
Dashboard consoles that warn of accident-prone intersections and suggest alternate routes. Cars that could wirelessly order and pay for a cup of coffee as you approach a drive through cafe. Vehicles that trade pollution credits so high-polluters cost more.
Those are some of the winners chosen by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) for their Connected Vehicle Challenge The DOT called on academics, scientists, transit geeks and tinkerers of all types to apply Dedicated Short-Range Communications technology to transportation. It is like Wi-Fi but more secure and works with moving objects even at highway speeds.
For more on the competition see our original post from January. At the time the DOT cited research that explains why the DOT is confident that DSRC has the potential to dramatically increase safety, particularly in avoiding accidents of non-intoxicated drivers.
Out of 76 entries, RITA chose 6 winners:
From entry: Emergency Response Application of DSRC Technology
Matthew Henchey and Tejswaroop Geetla of the University of Buffalo applied DSRC to first responders. Their entry, Emergency Response Application of DSRC Technology envisions a real-time accident awareness system that accelerates emergency response and assists with traffic management. Vehicles in a six-car pileup automatically inform emergency responders and traffic management centers, for instance, letting dispatchers know before the first 911 call and hinting at the scope of an accident.
From entry: Connected Vehicle Proactive Driving
Sakura Associates, submitted a Connected Vehicle Proactive Driving entry that collects locations and types of accidents to help drivers choose safer routes. A driver is alerted to an upcoming intersection with frequent rear-end accidents, and, could presumably chose an alternate route.
From Entry: Using DSRC Signals for Improving Vehicle Position Estimates
U.C. Riverside’s Using DSRC Signals for Improving Vehicle Position Estimates combines GPS and DSRC located in places like traffic lights to make location measurements on your dashboard GPS accurate to within one meter.
This is similar to U.C. Berkeley’s entry:
From entry: R-GPS: Enhancing GPS Accuracy and Security using DSRC
R-GPS: Enhancing Accuracy and Security using DSRC uses nearby cars to correct GPS locations. This is useful “correct illegally jammed” GPS signals, the researchers say. Increasing the accuracy of GPS is vital to achieve several long term Federal Highway Authority ITS goals.
Another finalist, from the Univ. of Illinois proposes to use the technology to stem pollution. Pollution Credit Trading in Vehicle Ad Hoc Networks. Doug Lundquist suggests an automated system for trading pollution credits among vehicles in which the level of pollution allowed per vehicle is capped and credits are given to less-polluting vehicles. A low emissions vehicle can accumulate credits that it automatically sells to a higher emissions vehicle.
The most sweeping entry, Clemson’s Integrated Intelligent Transportation Platorm, envisions a complete travel experience guided by DSRC features, from reserving and planning electric vehicle charging stops for longer trips, to buying and paying for a cup of coffee by speaking to your dashboard while driving. They made this 11 minute video showing off all the features.
One person from each winning team will get to be an honored speaker at the 18th World Congress on Intelligent Transportation Systems in Orlando this fall.
