Connected and Automated Vehicles:

Challenges and Opportunities of New

Vehicle Technologies on our Transportation

Infrastructure

Kevin Balke, Ph.D., P.E., PMPSrinivasa Sunkari, P.E.Texas A&M Transportation Institute

Texas A&M Transportation Conference 2017College Station, TexasMay 4, 2017

Connected Vehicle

Development Testing

Automated Vehicle

Development Testing

The Path Forward:

Revolutionary or Evolutionary?

USDOT, through State and Local Agencies

OEMs and Auto Industry SuppliersTechnology Companies

“Connected Automation”

Traffic Operations Challenges :

Preservation of Roadway

Infrastructure

3

Traffic Operations Challenges :

Traffic Signal Maintenance

4

Traffic Operations Challenges:

Confusing/Inconsistent Applications

5

Traffic Operations Challenges:

Guarantee of Operations in All

Conditions

6

Traffic Operations Challenges :

Advanced Intersection Concepts

Divergent Diamond Continuous Flow Intersection

7

Traffic Operations Challenges :

Fixed vs Flexible Roadway Use

8

Traffic Operations Challenges :

Active Traffic Management

9

Connectivity to Infrastructure

• Anything you can do unconnected (autonomously) you can do better connected

• Providing better information about vehicle movements to infrastructure operators (V2I)

• Providing better information and guidance about traffic, road and weather conditions to drivers and vehicle systems (I2V)

• Providing better information about vehicle movements to other vehicles and drivers (V2V)

10

Traffic Management Challenges

• Management objectives: safety vs. efficiency

• Traffic management complexity

• Architecture: vehicle-based vs. central vs. hybrid

• Roles and responsibilities of agencies

• Technology compatibility

– Vehicles

– Traffic management systems

• Methodology & innovation

• Transition & market penetration

11

Infrastructure Implications - CV

• Funding for implementation, operation, maintenance

• Communications– Fiber backhaul?

– Wireless: DSRC or other?

• Data safeguards

• Technical skill sets

• Scale of implementation unknown

• Timeframe: market penetration of equipped vehicles?

• Part of the Connected Vehicle/Automated driving environment

• Part of SAE DSRC Message set

• Provides status and time remaining in signal indications

• Applications– Red light running/collision avoidance

– Dilemma zone protection

– Ecodriving

– Dynamic mobility

• Developed and tested prototype for FHWA

New Infrastructure Requirements:

Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT)

13

• Single platform for multiple I2V applications onto a single platform– DSRC/LTE

Communications– Message Generation– SPaT/MAP Information– Positioning Correction

• Include processing power to field level decision making

New Components: Integrated

I2V Prototype

14

Vehicle and

Nomadic Device

App Platform(s)

High Latency/

Quasi-Static

Message

Storage

Dynamic

Roadside

Message System

Traffic Signal

Controller

Basic Safety

Message

Generator

Simulator

Road Weather

Veh App Simulator

Security

Certificate

Manager

INFLO Veh App

Simulator

Onboard

Positioning

Service Simulator

Lo

w L

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nc

y W

ire

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s

Me

ss

ag

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erv

ice

(e.g

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SR

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Hig

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e.g

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ellu

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IP)

Low Latency

Radio

Communications

(e.g. DSRC)

Traffic Management Entity Simulator

Road Weather

TME Appl

Simulator

IVP Local/Back

Office User

Interface

Local/BO IVP

Message Handler

User Interfaces

Local/BO IVP

Quasi-static Data

File Upload

(incl Map)

Local/BO IVP

Platform Install,

Configure,

Management

Integrated V2I Prototype Platform

Map Message

Handler

Positioning Corr

Message Handler

Traffic & Rail

Signal Message

Handler

Local Weather &

Road Surface

Message Handler

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Ro

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Infr

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In

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)

Tra

ffic

Sig

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Inte

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Traffic Management Entity

Interface (IP)

Local/Back Office User

Systems Interface (IP) Hig

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Co

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Pe

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to-P

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Infrastructure Sensor Systems

Local Weather

Infra Sensor

Systems

Simulator

Position

Correction Infra

Data Systems

INFLO Message

Handler Simulator

INFLO TME App

Simulator

V2I Safety

Application Infra

Platform Simulator

GPS Positioning

Road Weather

Message Handler

Simulator

Onboard Map

Service Simulator

Driver/User Message Arbitrator

Vehicle Detection/

BSM Data

Aggregator

V2I Safety

Veh App Simulator

New Equipment Functionality: Traffic

Signal Controller Logic Enhancements

to Support V2I Safety

15

New Testbeds: Smart

Intersection Initiative

• Concept: create controlled environment (RELLIS) and real-world environment (West campus) to develop, test, and implement advanced connected vehicle traffic signal strategies.

Research signal operation, technologies, and pedestrian, bicycle, and transit interactions

Partners: Texas A&M University, TTI, and Private Sector

New Collaborations:

AERIS Eco-Signal Operation

• Part of FHWA initiative for Applications for the Environment: Real-Time Information Synthesis (AERIS)

• Evolutionary approach

• Exploring implications of sharing Eco-signal relevant transportation data

• Sharing of data between public agency infrastructure and privately owned vehicles

• Sponsor: CAMP under a cooperative agreement with FHWA

New Approaches for Testing

Connected Highway and Vehicle

Systems

New Deployment Approaches

What’s next? – New Challenges

and Opportunities

• Research – technological, socioeconomic, behavioral, institutional and policy

• Local proof-of-concept deployments solving local problems

• New public-private collaborations

Questions