Engineering Inc. - July/August 2007 - 30

MULTI-PROJECT FEATURE I n the brave new world envisioned by the nation’s transportation experts, commuters will be able to avoid traffic jams, be warned prior to a collision, and emergency vehicles could respond faster to their destinations. Traffic authorities say all of this and more is possible under a U.S. Department of Transportation-backed effort to develop new vehicle and road technologies intended to make the nation’s roadways safer and less congested. The federal government already is testing a prototype of the new technology—Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII)—in Michigan. Dubbed the “VII Test Bed,” the project is a joint effort between the Michigan Department of Transportation and lead engineering firm HNTB of Chicago. Situated on Interstate 696 and 12 Mile Road on the outskirts of Detroit, the VII Test Bed aims to provide a way for next-generation automobiles to communicate wirelessly with the roads on which they travel. The idea, according to developers, is to station electronic intelligence, or sensors, at stop signs, traffic lights and roadsides. The devices then could beam real-time information about delays, accidents or other potential hazards to approaching cars and trucks equipped with similar sensors, providing motorists with real-time traffic updates. Many cars and trucks already utilize similar technologies. Electronic Stability Control systems, which typically combine yaw sensors and antilock brakes to stop a skid, are one example. To date, officials estimate as many as 15 percent of all new automobiles roll off of assembly lines with some type of electronic intelligence device. At the Michigan test site, HNTB currently is installing an intricate network of radios that will cast continuous “hot zones” over the freeway and arterials in the surrounding region. The network will be connected to a dozen signalized intersections so that various vehicle-to-roadside sensors and vehicle-to-vehicle devices can interact. But getting cars and roadside signs to speak the same language might be tougher than anticipated, said HNTB Associate Vice President Brian Burkhard, especially given the proliferation of modern wireless devices such as cellular phones, personal digital assistants and those stylish Bluetooth-enabled earpieces. “We will be challenged with the use of 802.11 a/g technology as a prototype for VII com- munication,” noted Burkhard. “802.11a/g was not made for mobile applications and it is also in wide public use.” The VII Test Bed reportedly will enable equipped vehicles to communicate with each other and with roadside devices at relative speeds approaching 120 mph. The prototype will provide Internet access to vehicles, or allow live streaming video to be broadcast from vehicles to others on the network. Ultimately, engineers say the project will help designers evaluate areas that need improvement, identify limitations in the technology and aid national transportation experts as they undertake similar projects across the country. Brian Burkhard ‘Test Bed’ Has Cars, Road Signs Speaking Same Language HNTB Corp. ENGINEERING INC. Motorists whiz through an underpass at the Michigan VII test Bed, where sensors affixed to roadside signs enable cars and trucks to communicate wirelessly with the roads on which they travel (left). officials monitor traffic at the test bed site (above). 30 JULy/AUGUsT 2007

Engineering Inc. - July/August 2007

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