T3 Webinar Question and Answer Transcript

Valerie Briggs: We have done a lot of work on that question. The security system work is intended to make sure that that doesn't happen. I'd also note that we're starting with warning applications, so not driver control applications. The current research that we're doing is focused on giving drivers warnings, so it's not a lethal consequence if a message does get hacked initially because the vehicle is not taking control initially; it's still up to the driver to act on any kind of warning. But that's a critical piece of our research is making sure that that's not possible.

Valerie Briggs: We do not anticipate law enforcement applications being used through the connected vehicle environment. One of the things that we are looking at in our research is how to make sure that vehicles whose credentialing systems have gone awry for one reason or another are not allowed to continue to operate on the system. Those vehicles would still, of course, be able to drive; they just may not be transmitting a signal from their vehicle. So that's another part of the research that we're doing into security systems, to make sure that all of those systems are functioning properly if they're going to be sending vehicle information.

Brian Cronin: From the analysis that we've done working with CAMP, which is the Collision Avoidance Metrics Partnership, was a pretty competitive partnership with the auto industry. We've come to the analysis that the 10 times per second is generally adequate enough for even the panic braking. Most of these accident scenarios that we were describing were that exact situation. And so the testing they've done in Ann Arbor, as well as the testing they've done on their own, has indicated that the 10 times per second is adequate enough for the scenarios in which we need to provide the advanced warning.

Valerie Briggs: Actually, that was a permanent designation, so the designation stands.

Brian Cronin: Yes, GPS is a critical part. Knowing the position is a critical part of the technology and applications working. There's a tremendous amount of research going into whether or not the positioning provided by equipment that can be purchased and affordable for vehicles will be effective enough. V2V relies on actually the relative position between the vehicles that are around each other. So if there's an error or a problem with the GPS signal that one vehicle is getting, though the vehicles right around it are likely to be getting the same thing. So the main point to specifically answer your question, if GPS is upgraded, the systems would be as well. Generally speaking, that's probably a software solution, so it should not be a huge issue. But GPS is a critical part of these applications working effectively.

Brian Cronin: We use GPS, and that is the main thing for understanding where it is. The other thing that's a critical part of the intersection, which is where it's most important to know which specific lane you're in and the distances—geographical information display, which is the map and geometry surrounding the intersections and infrastructure.

Brian Cronin: The applications worked on forward collision warning, which provides an application looking at whether or not you are about to drive into the back of another vehicle. I think this seems to be more of a modification of that. There is not, at this point, a specific warning you too often that you're too close. But with the forward collision warning, if you got too close, you'd get a warning.

Valerie Briggs: Bruce, V2V does not require data to be stored. The concept with vehicle-to-vehicle communications is that data is sent out from vehicles, but it doesn't have to be stored. It's acted upon in real-time. So there is no data storage associated with vehicle-to-vehicle communications. When it comes to vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, you have to look on an application by application basis as to what data is needed and what time period is needed for that data. So for vehicle to infrastructure, it would be based on an application-specific analysis what data is needed and how does that data need to be collected and stored.

Brian Cronin: Not certain we're understanding what attached vehicle is, but right now we're just completing—we have completed a one-year test in Ann Arbor in which we had 60 vehicles that were fully integrated with advanced safety systems and we had nearly 2800 other vehicles that were providing the basic safety message and some of them with after-market safety systems. And so we completed a one-year test, which was very effective, and the data from that was used into NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) deciding that they would like to pursue a regulatory process. And so we have that, and then we talked a lot about the pilots, and that's where we intend to take all the other applications that we've been working on and test them in an operational setting. And we aim to do that over the next couple years.

Brian Cronin: All those—the standards and specifications that we're currently using are on our website, www.its.dot.gov. On the homepage on the right there's a link to the affiliated test beds and the test beds in general, and that has all our information about the current specifications.

Brian Cronin: There currently are standards for transit signal priority, NTCIP 12-11 or 12-12—one of the National Traffic Communication Interface Profile standards. Building off of that and using connected vehicle technology to do that would be a modification of that.

Mac Lister: Let me also add that there might be some more information available on that in the webinar on May 14, where we're talking about transit connected vehicle applications. So if transit and those specifications are your interests, that might be something that you would like to attend also.

Valerie Briggs: All of the resources that we discussed are available on the ITS JPO website. That's www.its.dot.gov/. And you can find links to lots of information there. When you ask for planning guidance, I assume that refers to the FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) guidance that's going to be produced in 2015. FHWA hasn't provided a full list of what that might include, so stay tuned.

Valerie Briggs: I think that's really a policy question that's outside of the USDOT's purview. It's certainly outside of the research program's purview.

Brian Cronin: We're working with the state and local agencies to look at how to best provide information on the status of the traffic signal. And so the current standards have information about that and how we could currently use it.

Brian Cronin: All the applications are developed by—especially these safety ones that are being described—are developed by the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) on their own. There are standards for the data sharing and information, and there's been significant research on a pretty competitive basis with the OEMs about what to do this. But ultimately it comes down to an individual car maker or truck maker or bus maker's decision on how best to provide the warning. There's information that NHTSA has related to—guidance related to human-machine interface that they encourage the OEMs to look at and follow.

Valerie Briggs: NHTSA has simply indicated that they will put forward a proposal. They have to go through legal processes to decide what the outcome of that is. So at this point, they have simply said they will put forward a proposal for V2V technologies, and we will see what the process yields.

Valerie Briggs: That's a very good question and one that we are looking at here. And I think that certainly that's something that FHWA will be thinking about as it goes forward. We don't have any specific guidance for you right now, but certainly that's an important question.

Brian Cronin: What I would add to that is there's tremendous opportunity at low cost to get involved and understand how the technology works. So I would think any city interested in this as a solution could get involved either through the test bed, borrowing the test bed, purchasing some equipment to look at it and do some research on your own. But as Valerie indicated, more specific guidance about what to put in your long-range plan or how to time major investments, we're working with Federal Highway to get something out as soon as we can.

Mac Lister: The AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) footprint analysis also should give some suggestions as to what would be considered in a regional footprint. So that one would be a good one, Eileen, to get involved with when the final document's out. But then we're doing the webinar on May 22 that will give some interim results.

Valerie Briggs: That information is all available on our website. So you can find information about that on the website. It's the NHTSA Decision and Press Release.

Valerie Briggs: NHTSA has not established a decision point for V2I or a timeline associated with V2I.

Brian Cronin: The ITS program pushes out many of our procurements and opportunities and announce them through either grants.gov or—and usually put out pushes through our ITS listserv about them. Right now many of the application development efforts are currently underway. But the biggest procurement opportunity is related to the implementation and testing of applications that we've been prototyping through the connected vehicle pilot program. So I'd look at that. But otherwise, the many universities and UTCs (University Technical Colleges) have looked at getting some of the equipment and doing some research on their own, and so we strongly encourage people to consider that. You can also borrow some equipment from the test bed in some ways to help you learn and better understand the technology.

Brian Cronin: The concept right now is all of the traveler information and services you can get right now from data through your smartphone, etc., are great, and they're providing great value to the industry in helping us think and do different things. With V2V, we anticipate having access to different types of data and more robust data suites that can provide the services you have today even more effective. And so there's not a direct comparison at the moment, but things like whether your windshield wiper is on would indicate a rainy—or would indicate snow, which would enable people to have better traveler information about slick roads or provide information to a winter maintenance facility about which roads need to be treated, more than just the whole region at a time. And so the main point we've been working through—and there is information about the potential opportunity related to these different mobility and AERIS and weather applications—on our website we have information about some of the benefits.

Brian Cronin: Yes. Specifically, there's some initial amount of work using cellular, and it depends on whether or not it's an active safety application that's happening right at the moment at the intersection, or whether it's information of a queue ahead, or traveler information services that might need to be used.

Valerie Briggs: Well, certainly there's going to be a timeframe when there is vast differences in where there is connected vehicle infrastructure installed and where there isn't, and that's just going to have to be something that's managed, just like ITS across the country was managed. Some places had very robust systems and other places had more basic systems. So we do anticipate that there will be some differences as the systems are the phased in.

Brian Cronin: Right now, in the prototype, with the amount of vehicles involved and so forth, interference wasn't a huge issue. We did some testing on a test track with over 200 vehicles all operating at the same time, sending signals back and forth, and there was—they were all able to operate effectively. We're also doing some event simulation, which I don't know that we have the results yet, looking at even more dense populations. So right now we think there—it's going to operate fine. There's also looking at technical solutions to alter the 10 times a second, or change the power of the radios to enable information to go forward without causing interference.

Brian Cronin: We are not doing that at this time. We are looking at the interface with the rail grade crossing.

Valerie Briggs: With DSRC, it's 300 meters, approximately. It is line of sight, so it is affected by hilly terrain and around dense buildings. But that is an argument where you might want to have infrastructure in place—DSRC at traffic signals, for instance.

Valerie Briggs: We've been working with car manufacturers all along. We have a partnership with the car manufacturers in conducting all of this research, and it includes all of the major manufacturers in the U.S. Or, I should say, nine major manufacturers in the U.S. They have been our partners lockstep through all of this research, and they're investing resources in the research as well. So we feel like we have a very good partnership with the auto companies in the research.

Brian Cronin: The easy part is we think that TSP could be a part of the pilot, and we would encourage anyone thinking about it to consider that: if that's a problem in your region that TSP would solve. Taqi, I'd have to get back to you, or we'd have to bring in Steve Mortensen from FTA (Federal Transit Administration). I can't remember whether or not TSP has been in any of the testing. I know it's been on the horizon, but I'd have to get back to you.

Valerie Briggs: TSP we believe stands for Transit Signal Priority.

Mac Lister: And again, if you're interested in the transit stuff, please join the webinar on May 14. You could ask that question directly of Steve.

Brian Cronin: There's a whole bunch of mobility, weather, environmental applications that use a variety of different technical solutions. The premise here is that they're using wireless communication and they're sharing data, and then they're doing different sorts of things. And so some of them are providing information into a vehicle to provide traveler information or warnings. Some of them are providing information to a pedestrian via handheld to look at safety. Some of them are providing information to motorcyclists. Some of them are providing information to a back office, such as a traffic management or transportation management center so they can improve the operations. So there is not a connected vehicle iPhone or Android app coming at you developed from USDOT in the immediate future, but it could be on the horizon.

Valerie Briggs: Human factors has been an important part of all of the research. There is a major element of human factors research in the safety pilot model deployment that was conducted in Ann Arbor. And prior to the Ann Arbor safety pilot model deployment, there were a number of driver clinics that were conducted around the country with over 100 participants in each clinic, specifically to test the human factors reactions to various warnings and applications. So that has been an important part of the research to date.

Brian Cronin: Yes. I mean, I think they are looking at how the infrastructure and the location of that impacts the safety applications.

Brian Cronin: The Ann Arbor tests—there was never—the 2800 vehicles that we had weren't all together in the same block at any one time. But we did do testing, I believe, up to 200 vehicles all at once without having interference issues, and they're continuing to do more simulation to see how far that can go.

Valerie Briggs: It doesn't—not every application requires all cars to be equipped. So, a number of mobility applications are based on probe data, and they only require a small percentage of vehicles to be equipped. For the safety capabilities, there are various levels of safety that one can get. If you have a fully equipped vehicle where the technology is built into the vehicle, you're able to get the best benefits, because your vehicle can actually make calculations based on the input it receives. We also tested after-market devices, after-market safety devices, in the Ann Arbor model deployment, to look at the capabilities for after-market devices being put on vehicles to provide safety equipment. And then there is actually also a benefit if you do not have an integrated after-market device but simply have some kind of device that provides a beacon, that provides the location of your vehicle, so that other vehicles know where you are. So while your vehicle may not have the full capabilities to detect other vehicles, you would at least be sending out a signal to show where you are. And this is the basis of our research on pedestrians and motorcycles as well.

Valerie Briggs: That's not a question that we can answer. It's just not information that we have, and it's information that certainly would be proprietary. So we don't have that information.

Valerie Briggs: Certainly there needs to be some kind of failsafe mechanisms so that when the technology is not functioning as it normally would be, the driver would be alerted to that fact. That of course depends on how the specific system is designed.

Brian Cronin: I think we talked about this already—that development is definitely based on standards. The applications themselves, how they implement the warnings and so forth, is up to them. And then based on NHTSA's moving forward, there will be an implementation schedule.

Valerie Briggs: I don't have an exact level required to begin reducing vehicle collisions, but what we do know is it doesn't have to be every vehicle, and we do anticipate that there will be a phase-in period over multiple years because it does take time for the vehicle fleet to transition. But certainly those initial vehicles will receive benefits as they interact with other vehicles that are equipped, and with infrastructure that's equipped.

Valerie Briggs: Well, certainly that's always a consideration, and we here at the DOT are very, very cautious about anything that might increase distracted driving. So that's an issue that NHTSA has looked at and is part of their research. But we also believe that giving drivers more information about when they're about to get in a crash is important, and the safety pilot model deployment has also given us some research behind drivers' reactions.