Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Thinking Highways North America November 2006
Thinking Highways North America November 2006
HIG HW AYS
NORTH AMERICAN EDITION
Volume 1 • Issue 1 • Nov/Dec 2006
DARPA IMAGE
Automated vehicles
head for the city
AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL
Yuka Gomi, Rick Weiland and Valerie
Shuman on making telematics work
ASSISTANCE REQUIRED
Richard Bishop on the
future for ADAS
JOINED-UP THINKING
The systematic thoughts
of Phil Tarnoff
Vehicle Enforcement
Security Camera Trigger
AutoSense is a product line of OSI LaserScan focused on the development and deployment
of sensor and system solutions for the toll and traffic management markets worldwide. www.osi-laserscan.com
Foreword Thinking
Kevin Borras
Kevin Borras is
publishing director
of H3B Media and
In one era...
Technology without policy is a bit of equipment in a
editor-in-chief of
Thinking Highways.
box. Policy without technology is a piece of paper
To contact him email
kevin@h3bmedia.com I’m not particularly well- last eight years in the With this jigsaw, looking at the
known for my learned, advanced transportation picture on the box is just not
philosophical sayings or industry listening to people. enough. So, although we may
deeply insightful teachings. As a journalist and editor I’m not be new to the market,
I did, however, utter the in the privileged position of Thinking Highways is. The
phrase that is in bold text being on both the inside and ‘thinking’ doesn’t just refer to
above (the bit about the outside of the ITS the capabilities of the
technology being a bit of metal community. highways themselves or the
in a box without the policy to I can look in from outside vehicles that drive on them.
implement it) while discussing and look out from the inside. This ‘thinking’ also refers to the
the very reasons for setting up Whichever way I look (I’m thought processes of the
a brand new advanced people and organisations that
transportation management
magazine.
“We have spent are charged with turning
fantastic ideas into life-saving,
It’s amazing what you come the last eight time-saving, money-saving
up with when you’re under
pressure to perform, not that
years listening to realities.
Many people have
I’m suggesting that Einstein people” supported us greatly in the
suddenly stumbled upon his creation of our company and
theory of relativity while he about to mix my senses here, our new magazines and we
was in a meeting with his but bear with me) I hear thank them very much indeed.
prospective new bank people saying that they want to They know who they are. They
manager. The pressures of read more articles that focus can now read this first issue of
setting up and running a new on policy and strategy and the North American edition
multimedia company and finance and politics and safe in the knowledge that it
launching three magazines in innovation and integration and would not exist without them.
the space of three months have implementation and Please visit our website
made Luis and I think like interoperability as much as where you’ll find online
we’ve never thought before. they do on the technology. All versions of all three of our
There have been times when of these aspects are integral titles and the promise of a lot
we’ve been forced to think like pieces in the industry jigsaw. more to come in the very near
we never thought possible. You can see some of the future.
It may be hard to imagine if picture with some of the pieces If you’d like to contribute to
you’ve ever had more than a missing, but the only way to Issue 2, out at the beginning of
few fleeting minutes in our see the whole picture is to March 2007, why not start
company but we've spent the have all the pieces in place. thinking now... TH
Editor-in-Chief Modjeska, Valerie Shuman, Dylan Thinking Highways is published by H3B Media Ltd.
Kevin Borras Stanley-Borras, Peter Sweatman,
Sales and Marketing Phil Tarnoff, Rick Weiland Thinking Highways is published four times a year by H3B Media Ltd in the United
Luis Hill Web Design Kingdom on the first day of the week, every three months. US subscriptions cost US$50.
Leigh Millard Distributed in the USA by SPP, PO Box 437, Emigsville, PA 17318. Periodicals postage paid at
Design and Layout Emigsville, PA. POSTMASTER: send address changes to H3B Media, c/o PO Box 437, Emigsville,
Phoebe Bentley, Kevin Borras Printing PA 17318 USA.
Sub-Editor and Proofreader Stones the Printers, Banbury, UK
Simon Whitmore Distribution Managing Director Although due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this publication is accurate
Senior Editorial Advisor Pharos International, Westerham, UK and up-to-date, the publisher can accept no liability for errors and omissions. Unless otherwise
Phil Tarnoff Subscriptions and Circulation
Luis Hill stated, this publication has not tested products or services that are described herein, and
Publishing Director their inclusion does not imply any form of endorsement. By accepting advertisements in this
Columnists Pilarin Harvey-Granell publication, the publisher does not warrant their accuracy, nor accept responsibility for their
Mark Johnson and Robert Kelly, Financial Director Kevin Borras contents. The publisher welcomes unsolicited manuscripts and illustrations but can accept no
Paul Najarian, Harold Worrall Martin Brookstein Visualisation Director liability for their safe return.
Contributors to this issue Tom Waldschmidt
© 2006 H3B Media Ltd. All rights reserved.
Bruce Abernethy, Kevin Aguigui, Editorial and Advertising Conference and Events Director
The views and opinions of the authors are not necessarily those of H3B Media Ltd.
Charlie Armiger, Richard Bishop, H3B Media Ltd, 15 Onslow Gardens, Odile Pignier
Ron Coello, Yuka Gomi, Tom Wallington, Surrey SM6 9QL, UK odile.pignier@air-de-paris.fr
Reproduction (in whole or in part) of any text, photograph or illustration contained in this
Good, James Joseph, John Kasik, Tel +44 (0)870 919 3770 publication without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.
Greg Larson, David LeBlanc, Ben Fax +44 (0)870 919 3771
McKeever, Antony Melihen, Michael Email info@h3bmedia.com www.h3bmedia.com Printed in the UK
www.applanix.com
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CONTENTS
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04 Welcome to Thinking Highways
is reg dia
su is .
es te co
COLUMNS
06 Bob Kelly and Mark Johnson
e
10 Paul Najarian ‘s Connected World
r m
12 Harold Worrall’s Bright Ideas
NEWS
16 Thinking Highways signs its first strategic
media partnership deal
COVER STORY
22 As the DARPA Challenges moves from the
desert into the city, Anthony Melihen charts the
rebirth of autonomous vehicles
THE THINKER
28 ITS guru Phil Tarnoff’s thoughts on global
transport thinking
ADAS
32 According to Richard Bishop, the advanced
driver assistance market has come a long way.
But has it come far enough? p44
VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE
INTEGRATION PROGAM TELEMATICS
40 Greg Larson and Ben McKeever report with the 58 Yuka Gomi, Richard Weiland and Valerie
latest VII developments from California... Shuman with a telematics business model that
works
44 ...while Peter Sweatman and Dave LeBlanc
present the activities from Michigan ALTERNATIVE FUEL
64 James Joseph on the viability of ethanol,
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Brazil’s secret weapon in the oil replacement
48 ITS has a vital role to play in how emergency battle
medical centers deal with the victims of
terrorist attacks, says Bruce Abernethy T-FOCUS
Emergency Management Data Management
70 SpeedInfo’s Charlie Armiger espouses the
Intelligent Transportations Systems’ (ITS) architec- use of emergency services from other jurisdictions, the
ture typically includes Emergency Management EOC may be activated.
Centers (EMCs). These are responsible for assign-
ing emergency resources to emergency requests Levels of responsibility
received via a Public Safety Access Point (PSAP) also There are multiple jurisdictional levels for an EOC
known as a 911 Call Center. including City, County, regional association of govern-
thinking
gency medical services, then dispatchers are arranged ronment ready for immediate activation.
by police and fire/emergency medical. A supervisory The major function of the EOC is to provide critical
and a training position are usually implemented with information to senior decision makers to allow them to
A call and
911 rollover to the supervisory position, should this be make significant decisions related to saving lives of citi
required. The EMC dispatcher and the “first respond- zens and minimizing loss of property. Senior service
ers” are a team that work together to take care of the directors related to the jurisdictional area are key
emergency. participants. The EMC(s) implements management
There is also an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) decisions of the EOC. Public Works may be a support
that is a critical part of emergency management archi- element in clearing debris from corridors in support of
response
tecture. During a major emergency that requires evacu- evacuation.
ation and/or quarantining, use of service resources over Public Works is equally responsible for advising sen-
and above those under the management of the EMC, or ior decision makers related to the condition of the water
RFID
HOMELAND SECURITY 76 Michael Modjeska on a brand new, bespoke
54 Kevin Aguigui wonders if the advances in solution for the ITS market
digital video for surveillance and HS purposes
are as advanced as they should be 80 Advertisers Index
What we did while
we were away
Policy, technology, strategy, of us but an insightful column this,” came one enthusiastic
finance, innovation, inter- from a world-renowned ITS response. “One that doesn’t
operability, implementation expert, you’ll no doubt be see the technology as the be
and integration. relieved to discover. all and end all – because it's
These, ladies and gentlemen, It feels like we’re going back not.” Before you ask, this came
are the basic ingredients of the to school after a very long from someone who is CEO of a
Thinking Highways constit- summer holiday, but it’s not large technology supplier.
ution. Presumably your really a launch into the
interests lie in some or all of unknown. After all, we know Sneak preview
these areas of the advanced the industry and the industry Those of you who attended
transportation management knows us rather well by now, what is being hailed as the
‘game’ and so, we feel, you will but it’s daunting and not a little best ITS World Congress to
find Thinking Highways exciting to be presenting the date, held in London in
fascinating, educational, fruits of our concerted labours October, may have already
thought-provoking, possibly a to you after the best part of five seen a copy of our Europe/
little bit controversial, months in self-imposed exile. Rest of the World issue. If you
entertaining and above all We have spoken to literally have, then you will already
highly readible. hundreds of people about our have a good idea of what we
Thinking Highways will be new venture and by and large are aiming to do and where we
published quarterly from 2007, we asked them the same are aiming to go with this
in February, May, August and questions: are we doing the magazine. The chance to
November in two regionally right thing and is this the right launch a new magazine at a
focused editions, North time to be doing it? Unequiv- World Congress is not one that
America and Europe/Rest of ocably, the answer to both any company worth its salt
the World. From Issue 2 parts of the question was ‘yes’. would turn down.
onwards this page won’t “There’s a yawning gap in The remarkably positive
feature almost life-size photos the market for a magazine like reaction we received both
Thinking Highways
This past August the consumer interest groups The decision by NHTSA to
National Highway Traffic contend that EDR data can be prescribe national standards
Safety Administration used to track the location and for EDR data is based on
(NHTSA) released its final movement of individuals, several factors. First, the
rule for the deployment of unnecessarily store personally agency noted that the
event data recorders (EDRs, identifiable information and penetration of EDRs in new
or otherwise commonly be used by insurance vehicles has reached 64 per
called “black boxes”) in companies to raise rates or cent without any mandate for
vehicles sold in the United deny coverage. These groups installation.
States. urged NHTSA to answer such Given this high market
EDRs collect information penetration, NHTSA concluded
about the status and change in
that status of a vehicle before,
“NHTSA that standardizing the format
of collected data would
during and after a crash. concluded that enhance the quality of EDR
Recorded information may
include vehicle speed,
standardiszing data and encourage the further
installation of EDRs in vehicles.
braking, change in direction, the format of Required data elements
use of seat belts and so on,
when an accident occurs.
collected data include, for example, vehicle
speed, braking status, seat belt
EDRs function by continuing would enhance status, air bag warning and
recording – and then
overwriting – the record
the quality of deployment and, most
important, changes in velocity
information until a triggering EDR data” and direction (known as
event occurs (such as a crash “delta-v”).
of a certain severity), and then questions as whether the Recording intervals for each
the EDR retains the crash- vehicle owner owns the EDR data element are also
related data from a few data, how EDR can be prescribed. Using a standard
seconds before and after the discovered and used for data set, according to NHTSA,
crash. criminal and civil litigation, will also be more useful for
EDRs are not a new and whether EDR data may be Automatic Crash Notification
technology. According to obtained by the police. and telematics systems.
NHTSA, the agency has been While not mandating the The final rule also requires
considering EDRs for at least installation of EDRs, the NHTSA that light vehicles (i.e.,
the past decade, although it is rules does provide for the passenger vehicles and
only recently that there have standardization of data smaller trucks) equipped with
Mark Johnson is an
been significant improvements collected by EDRs. The final an EDR must include a notice attorney at law with
in the technology and rule also prescribes statement in the owner’s the Washington, DC
widespread deployment. requirements for the manual. (Vehicle based law firm
NHTSA estimates that survivability (i.e., after a crash) manufacturers may provide Squire, Sanders,
Dempsey
approximately 64 per cent of of collected data for additional information, such as
new vehicles are now retrievable by “intended” or about an installed Automatic
equipped with EDRs. “authorized” users. However, Crash Notification or
EDRs can provide important two major policy issues are left telematics systems.)
benefits for emergency unresolved by the NHTSA rule: NHTSA’s prescribed notice
responders, accident privacy and data access and statement describes the
investigation, medical ownership. New light vehicles purposes and benefits of EDRs,
research and transportation manufactured on or after what type of data are recorded
safety research. While September 1, 2010 that are and for how long, that no data
recognizing these benefits, equipped with an EDR must is recorded during normal
privacy watchdog and follow the final rule. driving conditions, and that no
The Autoscope®
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© 2006 Image Sensing Systems, Inc. imagesensing.com
Robert
RobertKelly
Kellyand
andMark
MarkJohnson
Johnson
Deep impact
What effect could the World
Radiocommunication Conference
have on the ITS industry?
The International Telecom- applications, such as RDS- Paul Najarian was
director of telecoms
munication Union (ITU) is an TMC. The WRC establishes
at ITS America from
inter-governmental agency global and/or regional rules 1996-2006. He can be
of the United Nations that for the operation of radio contacted via email:
specializes in the field of equipment, including pnajarianits@aol.com
telecommunications. equipment that provides
It is a Treaty-based Telematics services and 2007 Agenda Item (which was
organization. The Radio- Multimedia applications. The approved based on a
communication sector of the WRC allows for the physical Resolution adopted at WRC-
ITU (ITU-R) focuses primarily movement of radio equipment, 2003), the ITU-R conducts a
on the regulatory aspects of such as a wireless phones, number of complex technical
telecommunications. While across member countries. The and regulatory studies during
this sector issues Recommend- WRC establishes criteria for the 2003-2007 period. The
ations on technical character- conclusions of these studies
istics or specifications, it is not “Most member dictate the outcome of the
primarily a standards organ- nations are Agenda Item at WRC-2007.
ization. The ITU-R views its A WRC is preceded by a
role as a regulator and co- relectuctant to Conference Preparatory
ordinator of global telecom- make frequent Meeting (CPM), usually 6 to 9
munications networks, months prior to the WRC. The
services, and technologies. changes to the CPM consolidates the output of
Every three to four years, Radio the technical and regulatory
the ITU convenes a World studies that were conducted
Radiocommunication Regulations” during the past several years,
Conference (WRC), formerly and produces a baseline
known as the World Admin- coordination and band sharing document or text for each
istrative Radio Conference among radio services. In the Agenda Item to be presented
(WARC). The WRC focuses past, WARCs focused on the at the WRC. Member countries
solely on the global aspects of allotments of the geostationary are then invited to submit
Radio Regulations, in terms of satellite orbit and the contributions or dissenting
allowing new allocations or associated assignment of radio views directly to the WRC.
modifying the existing table of frequency spectrum.
allocations and/or its Complex issues
footnotes. Resolution items Although the timelines appear
As the WRC is the Treaty Procedurally, a WRC lengthy, this allows for serious
component of the ITU, the conference resolves regulat- negotiations on bilateral or
Radio Regulations that result ory issues and responds to multilateral levels in order to
from the WRC have far specific Agenda Items and resolve diverging positions
reaching implications on all associated Resolutions among countries or regions.
the Administrations that are adopted at previous WRCs. Overall, WRC Agenda Items
signatory members of the ITU, For example, the Agenda for are extremely complex. Most
as well as radio manufacturers WRC-2007 and a baseline member nations are reluctant
and users in Treaty countries. Agenda for WRC-2010 were to make frequent changes to
For example, the WRC promulgated at WRC-2003. the Radio Regulations.
allocates radio frequency An Agenda Item emerges The stability of the Radio
spectrum to radio services, from a Resolution which spells Regulations provides long
including ITS. The Land out the necessary technical term confidence to telecom-
Mobile radio service covers studies or reports that are munication manufacturers and
ITS applications that depend required to resolve a specific network operators, and
on terrestrial and wireless technical or regulatory encourages them to produce
transmission. The Broad- problem. equipment or deliver services
casting service covers ITS In order to address a WRC- within its guidelines.
While the ITS industry has without prior consultation, In the US, the recently signed
been moderately successful many nations were reluctant to “Security and Accountability
within the ITU-R, it has not support it. As a result, Canada for Every (SAFE) Port” Act of
made any marks on the WRC. withdrew the proposal. 2006, also known as the Port
Recommendations on In the absence of any Security Act, has elevated the
Dedicated Short Range Agenda Items relating to ITS, visibility of technologies
Communications (DSRC) and the ITS industry should review (including scanning
short-range collision the entire list of Agenda Items technologies and
avoidance radar, previously and identify specific items that telecommunications) for Port
adopted by the ITU-R, are still may impact the deployment of Security and the transportation
in force. The ITU-R is also in ITS services. It may also wish of dangerous goods.
the process of publishing an to contribute to specific As a result, a number of
ITS Handbook for the benefit Agenda Items in order to Administrations are
of developing countries. Work assert the size and viability of considering introducing a
on a draft new Recommend- the industry. In other words, WRC-2010 Agenda Item that
ation on millimeter wave ITS the ITS industry should piggy- would seek to harmonize
radiocommunications is also back on existing Agenda frequencies for Port Security,
on-going. This work is co- Items. Hazmat transportation and
ordinated with the standard- Border Crossing. If such an
ization effort on the Communi- Future impact Agenda Item is added to WRC-
cations Air interface Long and The agenda for WRC-2007 2010, the ITS industry should
Medium range (CALM) includes several Agenda Items immediately jump on this
millimeter wave within ISO/ that will impact future deploy- opportunity, especially for
TC204 Working Group 16. ments of ITS. Some of these freight mobility, commercial
The implementation of these Agenda Items deal with the vehicle and intermodal
Recommendations is not GPS network (essential for car applications.
binding on ITU member navigation systems or Both a short-range
nations. communications solution, as
“Although the well as a wide-area wireless,
Harmonious relations Canadian may be proposed as a viable
During WRC-2003, Canada solution.
attempted to introduce a proposal had
Resolution for a WRC-2007
merit it was not Looking forward
Agenda Item on ITS. The Another anticipated topic at
intent of the Resolution was to previously WRC-2010 is the proliferation
study the harmonization of
frequency spectrum for ITS
coordinated with of radio frequency
identification (RFID). RFID
applications, particularly for other regions” devices have been operating,
DSRC. As the allocation of as unlicensed low-power
spectrum for DSRC differs location-based services) or devices and on a secondary
among Japan, the Asia-Pacific with the future of Third basis, across every possible
region, Europe and North Generation (3G) wireless frequency band, as long as the
America, the intent of the systems. Agenda Item 1.4 of cost and complexity of the
Resolution was to conduct the WRC-2007 will identify RFID device is kept low.
necessary studies that would spectrum for 4th Generation A potential WRC-2010
have identified a harmonized wireless systems, known as Agenda Item on RFID would
frequency band. IMT-Advanced. ITS attempt to harmonize the wide
The studies could have also applications, especially those range of frequencies used for
identified additional spectrum that are multimedia-driven, such devices, which in turn
for DSRC, particularly for could easily influence the might provide a solution to the
Europe, if the existing amount of bandwidth interoperability problem
bandwidth was deemed necessary to deliver such across RFID devices.
inadequate. services. The ITU will hold the CPM
Although the Canadian Other Agenda Items dealing from February 19-March 2,
proposal was thought to have with GPS or the radio 2007. WRC-2007 will be held
merit, it was not previously broadcasting service could from October 22-November
coordinated with other also impact ITS (and vice 16. An ITS-related Agenda
countries or regions, nor was it versa). For WRC-2010 (or Item at WRC-2010 will clearly
available as part of the CPM 2011), a number of topics are elevate the visibility of the ITS
text. As the proposal was being proposed and circulated industry in the telecom-
directly submitted to the WRC for consideration. munications arena. TH
Fields of view
Toll concessions are commonplace in South
America. Now they are heading North... Dr Harold Worrall is
president of
Concessions are going to The Chicago Skyway, Indiana access to transportation, Transportation
become a reality in the US Toll Road and Virginia’s transparent procurements Innovations and is
past chair of ITS
marketplace and the Pocahontas Parkway have held processes and an opportunity
Florida, ITS America
ultimate form they take will the attention of the media and for public input on the and the International
be affected by the contextual several other agenices are management of public Bridge, Tunnel
framework that exists. considering similar facilities must be balanced and Turnpike
Technology is a key arrangements. The value in with the profit motive. While it Association (IBTTA).
From 1992 until 2004
contextual issue for these projects is driven by the may be some time before the
he was executive
concessions, but to date the ability to raise toll rates on a public sector realizes the director of the
concessionaires and public prescribed formula, to bring difference between long term Orlando-Orange
agencies are more enamored about efficiency improve- leases and the more County Expressway
with the financial potential of ments, and the ability to meaningful public/private Authority
concessions. The ability of depreciate the asset. partnerships of shorter term
technology to radically alter This last feature is unique to concessions, technology
the financial viability of a the U.S. market and allows the awaits the opportunity to have
concession is not understood. leaseholder to depreciate the its contribution to the mix. The
Concessions are nothing asset on an accelerated next era of electronic toll
new in Europe or the world schedule, so long as the lease collection could impact the
outside of the US, especially in period exceeds approximately course of privatization in
South America, but the form 50 years. Most of the leases are America.
that concessions might take driven by the desperation of The introduction of
here is just developing. The public officials who are trying Electronic Toll Collection
predominant form thus far has to generate funding for (ETC) nearly 20 years ago was
been long-term leases of transportation. hailed as the means by which
existing toll facilities The balance between public operating costs could be
(brownfields) rather than the policy and private sector profit significantly reduced. While
construction of new ones motivations is evolving slowly. ETC was a huge success in
(greenfields). Public concerns for equitable many areas, reducing
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News
The world is
connected
TOM GOOD reports from the ITS World Congress in London with
news of an exciting collaboration involving this very magazine
and a brand new on-line networking platform
Launched during the 13th World Congress on ITS website, sign in, wait for the green light and navigate
held last month in London, the World ITS Directory your way around the Directory,” says Pignier. “Enjoy the
project provides an on-line networking platform ride and stay in the loop!”
helping ITS professionals contact each other. “We are delighted to be working with Odile, not just
Being worldwide, it is expected to grow very rapidly on the Directory but also on many other innovative
over the next few years, aiming at reaching 10,000 users projects that will be to the benefit of the ITS industry,”
by the end of 2009. Thinking Highways has been says H3B Media managing director Luis Hill, publisher
appointed the Directory’s strategic media partner for of Thinking Highways. “We have already formulated
North America and Europe, while Vial magazine will be several new, creative formats that will bring our organi-
performing that role in Latin America . sations closer together.We very much enjoy collaborat-
Based on an ITS Spain initiave, this project is being ing with like-minded people.”
directed by Jaime Huerta, who in turn gas has desig- Says Pignier: “The Directory is a fantastic tool but
nated Odile Pignier, Air de Paris director and former could not grow without being promoted on a large scale.
ERTICO contractor, to manage the Directory. “Visit the Thanks to a close collaboration between the Directory
project management and Thinking Highways magazine,
our dream will soon turn into reality. It’s something that I
am looking forward to very much.”
The website is up and running now and can be found
at www.worlditsdirectory.com.
Data protection
From the legal viewpoint, this project complies with
high-level security standards, notably the stringent
Spanish personal data protection law called LOPD ( Ley
Orgánica de Protección de Datos, 15/1999 dated 13
December 1999). Throughout the data collection proc-
ess, all necessary steps will be taken to ensure that all
contacts have ITS-related activities and that only author-
ised users have access to the information in order to
avoid unwanted correspondence.
All users are clearly informed about their rights (con-
sent required) and duties (commitment to respecting
the networking purposes of the directory). Individual
information collected mainly consists in contact infor-
mation, biography, area(s) of expertise and ITS topics.
Regarding organisations, the Directory collects data on
London, October 2006: H3B Media managing director Luis Hill,
their legal status, headquarters address, know-how and World ITS Directory manager Odile Pignier and director Jaime
so on. All passwords are encrypted. Huerta somehow all manage to shake hands at the same time on
the deal that sees Thinking Highways confirmed as the Directory’s
Free access strategic media partner for North America and Europe
From the financial viewpoint, inclusion and access to the
directory are free for individuals and organisations, as ward suggestions for new services, funding, give guid-
long as they work in the ITS sector. This is a very valua- ance and recommend individuals and organisations for
ble promotional tool for small companies unable to inclusion in the directory. These may include partners,
dedicate much funding to advertising. Large organisa- clients or staff.
tions and companies will also see an efficient way of In order to keep contributions affordable, 20 organi-
directing their potential customers sations are being sought in the private
and partners to their ITS department. “There is a strong and public sectors, each of them con-
Nevertheless, in order to ensure that tributing €2,500 (US$4,000) if the con-
the Directory remains a specialised demand for some tract is signed before 31 December
reference, the administrator together form of network 2006 and €3,000 (US$4,750) as of
with the Steering Committee reserve 1 January 2007. A comparable budget
the right not to validate any applica- that is available at is being considered for the following
tion form deemed inappropriate. all times” years.
Organisations such as the UK
Sponsorship opportunities Department for Transport, ITS Canada and the ITS
In order to cover expenses, sponsorship opportunities Nationals network are already sponsoring the project.
are offered to all ITS-related organisations wishing to Other companies and organisations were approached
support and contribute financially to this project. recently and many of them have expressed their interest
Sponsors will benefit from the following: in supporting this project. Confirmations are still pend-
• Logo visibility on the website, on all publications ing. Opportunities will be given on a first-come first-
including press and on promotional tools made availa- served basis. TH
ble at ITS events.
• Advertising space in the “Sponsor News” section will If would like to become a sponsor of the World ITS
enable sponsors to highlight upcoming events, new Directory, please contact either Odile Pignier at either
projects or products. odile.pignier@air-de-paris.fr
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Bernie
Wagenblast
The New Jersey-based editor of the Transportation
Communications Newsletter tells KEVIN BORRAS of his life
in information dissemination
The Transportation Communications Newsletter I was at Shadow for a little over five years, but that
combines the two fields I’ve worked in throughout was enough to whet my appetite for doing more work
my career. When I was attending Seton Hall University in transportation. After Shadow I joined the New York
in the 1970s, and majoring in communications, my inten- City Department of Transportation. They were setting
tion was to work in broadcast journalism. In fact, my first up a communications center which was designed to
jobs while I was in school, as well as immediately after gather traffic information from around the five boroughs
graduating, were in radio. and coordinate it with other city agencies and share it
with the public. At that time about the only way an agency
About a year after I finished school I learned of a new could get real-time information to the public was via the
company called Shadow Traffic. Shadow, which had radio stations. The creation of the NYCDOT Communi-
its start in Philadelphia, was coming to New York City. At cations Center was one of the first examples in the met-
the time two stations in the city had helicopters and most ropolitan area of a traffic operations center whose
other stations listened to those reports to provide their purpose included responsibility of getting traffic infor-
own updates. The idea behind Shadow was that it would mation to the public. In the mid-80s, traffic cameras were
serve most of the stations in the market and because it just being introduced to NYCDOT. Most of the views we
was providing information to so many stations, they could watch were of the nearby Queensboro Bridge. If
could afford the resources to cover a wider area in something was happening elsewhere in the city we had
greater depth than any one station could on its own. I to rely on the NYPD or NYCDOT field personnel to let us
was fortunate to be selected as one of the original on-air know what was happening.
reporters.
At about the same time NYCDOT’s Communications
My time at Shadow was my first exposure to what Center was being established, the Port Authority of
would later be known as ITS and traveler informa- New York & New Jersey had the idea for a group
tion. Technology at the time was pretty straight forward. called the Transportation Operations Coordinating
Much of our information came from spotters in the air, in Committee, better known as TRANSCOM. Anyone
cars, and atop the Empire State Building and World familiar with transportation in the New York City area
Trade Center. Information flowed from the operations knows there are multiple agencies responsible for many
desk to the studios over a Radio Shack computer which different pieces of the transportation network. Not only
used a cassette tape as its hard drive. do you have three states (New York, New Jersey and Con-
necticut) but there are also various toll agencies, police
Technology has advanced quite a bit since then. Per- departments and mass transit operators. When some-
sonal relationships are still the most important, and often thing went wrong on one part of the network, the affects
the most overlooked, aspect of transportation were quickly felt by many other agencies. Traffic prob-
operations. lems didn’t respect jurisdictional lines.
management”
The Thought Process
Formally coordinating information among agen- A lesson I learned while serving as the operations
cies in the NYC area was a revolutionary idea, and manager at TRANSCOM is that its important to
one which certainly wasn’t immediately embraced remove as many barriers to cooperation as possible.
by all of the agencies. While sharing information might Since TRANSCOM was a new concept, and many people
seem like a pretty benign activity, most agencies were at the agencies seemed to feel they were doing just fine
very turf conscious and one of the points we had to before TRANSCOM came along, it was sometimes tough
emphasize again and again was that TRANSCOM had no convincing hardened operations people of the value of
power over any of the agencies. In fact, TRANSCOM picking up the phone to report an incident. It’s some-
could make no policy decisions without the unanimous times surprising how bureaucracy can throw up hurdles.
consent of all its member agencies. As I learned at For instance, the phones at the operations desks of many
Shadow, the importance of building personal relation- agencies couldn’t dial another area code so calling
ships was something which could not be overlooked. TRANSCOM became impossible. We overcame that
hurdle by establishing a toll-free number which could
New and improved technology made it easier to do be called from any number in the region and to make it
our jobs, and sometimes provided a foot in the door simple, it was a number that was easy to remember.
to an agency. An early example at TRANSCOM was
something we called the Velcro truck. This was a truck While I was working at TRANSCOM the idea of the
which could be driven to the site of a traffic problem. It I-95 Corridor Coalition was created. The I-95 Coali-
had a retractable board upon which Velcro-backed tion initially stretched from Maine to Virginia, and in
words could be attached to alert drivers. It was a far cry some ways resembled TRANSCOM on a larger scale.
from the electronic changeable message signs found Here again the idea was to share information among
along highways today, but this simple piece of equip- agencies that weren’t in the habit of working together on
ment was a big help to agencies who didn’t have the a daily basis. For example, over the years technology
resources to communicate with drivers. had developed so that many agencies now had variable
message signs on their roadways. These signs were
While at TRANSCOM I had the chance to witness the usually used only for problems on that agency’s prop-
early stages of two technologies in widespread use erty.There were instances though, when major incidents
today. The first was a video camera attached to a cellu- caused the closure of a major highway for many hours
lar phone to transmit pictures back to our operations and it was important to reach long-distance travelers
centre. The cell phones at that time were as big as bricks with that information many miles, and states, away from
and coverage was pretty spotty, but the ability to send a the location of the incident.
picture back from the field was something that had not
been seen by most of the transportation agencies. I served as one of the original co-chairs of the High-
way Operations Group, the operations arm of the
TRANSCOM also had an early version of a naviga- coalition. At its start the Coalition had no money and no
tion system in the early 1980s. A van was equipped staff, but by bringing people together at meetings, rela-
with a CRT screen and a tape deck which plotted the tionships developed and low-cost communications
location of the vehicle as it moved about the area. Maps techniques were used to share information throughout
were stored on a cassette tape and since GPS was not yet the northeastern US. TH
available to the public, it depended upon dead reckon- For more on the Transportation Communications
ing to track the van’s movements. Newsletter, send an email to i95berniew@aol.com
In association with
THIN KING
HIG HW AYS
Strategic Media Partner
for North America & Europe
Cover Story
Dream, then do
The DARPA Challenge and the rebirth and
vision of automated driver assistance
by ANTHONY MELIHEN
processing algorithms based largely on constant and justify. For example, whether discussing taxis or tractor
accurate position and orientation information. Even trailers, a savings per unit on delivery costs may easily
though terrain evaluation sensors such as LIDAR scan- be calculated from not having a trained driver constantly
ners, radar, and other active measurement technologies on salary during all hours of vehicle operation. There is
are vital for real-time situational adjustments along a also an implicit economic ideal that an autonomous
given path, they would arguably be deemed secondary vehicle may be safer and capable of running non-stop.
given a clear highway and networked vehicles continu- These benefits, along with many others, measurably
ously sharing their POS data to avoid collision. outweigh those of having a driver on hand to address
Accurate POS data, however, must constantly be avail- unforeseen circumstances.
able hundreds of times each second to process in robust Above all (at least through these relatively early devel-
fashion not only where the vehicle is located and where opmental steps),the most vocal proponents of unmanned
it is heading but also to relay the exact orientation of all vehicle technology have come from the ranks of the mil-
onboard sensors. Although still in the pioneering days itary. A U.S. Congressional mandate authorizing that a
of research, and driven in large part by unexpected fleet of military ground vehicles possessing autono-
forms of competition, progress in GPS-aided inertial mous capabilities be in active service before 2015 offers
measurement technology is gaining acceptance as one powerful encouragement that this technology is cer-
of the most reliable sensor inputs needed for any auton- tainly on the way. Spurred on by experiences of war
omous vehicle design. fighters, progresses made in drone technology, and
support from the public treasury, there is increasing
Catalysts for change confidence that such ambitious efforts are now achiev-
Beyond our instincts to improve, two main reasons to able or will soon become very possible.
support the advancement of automated vehicle technol-
ogy stand out: saving lives and realizing greater effi- The dirt road to DARPA
ciencies in transportation. Each traffic fatality represents In October, 2005, the DARPA (Defense Advanced
an immeasurable tragedy. In 2004, there were 42,636 Research Projects Agency) Grand Challenge was held.
such tragedies in the United States alone; roughly 14.5 The goal: to create and successfully race a driverless
deaths per 100,000 people and 1.46 fatalities per 100 vehicle across a desert environment with natural and
Million Vehicle Miles Traveled (the “VMT rate”) . Sur- man made obstacles in place designed to interrupt or
prisingly, these figures are not exceptional; however, distort GPS signals, break wheel struts, and humble
with each loss, an associated cost is introduced beyond institutional sized egos… all in under 10 hours.The 131.6
the incomparable measure of grief. mile (211.8 km) course was kept secret until just prior to
Losses in productivity, payout and compensations, race time. 195 teams entered, 43 would be chosen to
damages and repairs are only part of the equation qualify, 23 raced as finalists, and 5 successful prototype
beyond the death or injury of a vehicle occupant. Fur- concepts were produced, varying from a hybrid SUVs to
thermore, there is a staggering lost opportunity cost a full sized 16 ton tactical cargo hauler.
hidden within each individual that make up the sum total Over a decade before race day, the latest concept of
of fatalities. robotic vehicle assistance at the time was demonstrated
Freight and commercial benefits expected from vehi- to the world. Prototype “auto-control” (quasi-robotic)
cle automation are much simpler to envision and fiscally cars traveled bumper-to-bumper in platoons along spe-
cial highway lanes while drivers read newspapers. From units (IMU) and distance measurement instruments
this achievement, technical and economic limitations seemed essential for success. All five vehicles that fin-
were better understood, and yet research stalled in the ished the race included an IMU of various forms, from
face of a practical solution. Attentions shifted more somewhat improvised systems to high end commercial
towards new infrastructure designs, driver/roadway off the shelf POS solutions. Both Carnegie Mellon Uni-
information management systems, and command and versity vehicle entries, longtime race favorites, sat on
control centers. the winner’s podium carrying Applanix POS LV GPS
The driver remained the sole relied upon all-in-one supported IMU systems onboard, and all top three com-
vehicle navigation component, flaws and all. It would petitors finished within mere minutes of each other. In
take the abolishing selective availability on GPS signals comparison with the older, inflexible “follow the mag-
and losses on battlefield supply lines, as well as the netic breadcrumb” auto-control concepts from a dec-
acknowledgement of critical human driving weak- ade earlier, this combined sensor approach
nesses before automated vehicle technology would be demonstrated vastly superior potential.
actively pursued again. Meanwhile communications There were problems scheduled into the challenge
and network data sharing improved. GPS aided inertial that only an IMU could solve. For example, the 1Hz
navigation systems were engineered as cooperating refresh rates of even a strong GPS system would not
partners instead of stand-alone technologies, deliver- prove to be reliable enough for robotic vehicles, espe-
ing the first seemingly perpetual sub-meter positional cially through tunnels. Even at a leisurely pace with an
accuracies needed for automated vehicles. accurate clock, a significant distance can be covered
Better driver information systems were becoming within only one second.
more and more of a familiar utility. A basic foundation Without additional guidance, a vehicle can suddenly
for the automated road/vehicle data sharing model that become “lost” at a critical moment when other relied
visionaries had long expected to become essential in upon vehicle sensors are fooled, confused, or blocked.
our lives was beginning to take firm root. GPS signals, for example, experience inherent prob-
And so what has past has become prologue. The suc- lems such as multipath effects (reflection of GPS signals
cesses at the DARPA Grand Challenge demonstrated off nearby surfaces, causing incorrect ranges to be com-
how automated vehicle research had leapfrogged over puted) that only become amplified in an urban road
numerous technical hurdles and a decade of relative environment. And in such settings, where pedestrians
stagnation in driverless vehicle development. Now that are often interacting with traffic, the room for error drops
the once fictionalized method of travel suddenly seems from feet to inches and from seconds to milliseconds.
more achievable, greater attention, and of course rapid A sensor “jury” approach to navigation produces the
investment, is being placed on the vehicle side of this most accurate and robust position estimate possible,
broad transit equation. and provides a critical advantage that is now being
appreciated. Given the results from the early prototypes
Secret of success seen and raced, and given the projected relative cost
As much as or possibly more than the various forward effectiveness as solution anticipated in the not-so-dis-
looking scanners (radar, laser, or a variety of choices) tant future, this approach and technology will one day
showcased at the DARPA Grand Challenge, the inclu- play a central role in automated vehicle development
sion of a GPS tightly coupled with inertial measurement and continue to do so for decades.
One constant is change easy to envision and extend far beyond daily commut-
If we believe technology will solve many of today’s ing. Imagine a truck depot in the future, where “drivers”
transportation problems while providing greater road never leave their families for days at a time. A robotic
utility, we may be only half right and thirty years too late. cargo truck arrives after traveling cross-country in pla-
Consider the following: toons with similar rigs. It detaches its trailer in exchange
• Even modest projections estimate a population for new freight and a new destination. Meanwhile, a
increase in North America of over 20% between the transport specialist then takes responsibility for local
years 2000 and 2030. Asian growth projections for the deliveries with their (driver assisted) vehicle, handling
same interval are expected to exceed 30% with grow- loading, unloading, and other duties.
ing demand for mobility. European data suggest little There can be no mistaking that the regional urban and
change. Overall, more people will be using the roads. inter-urban travel will change as our transport needs
• Automated vehicles may potentially change and methods change, and a price will be paid for the
how we license drivers. Age restrictions may no longer upgrading of the urban infrastructure environment that
apply. A parent could conceivably program a vehicle to will change along with it. It is simply one of the prices we
deliver a child to school and return. Senior citizens will pay as a society for progress that we deem beneficial
maintain their mobility longer. The roads may therefore and advantageous.
become busier with each family member traveling
more and more independently. Going from here
Non-transit technology will hopefully help reduce We are on the verge of exploring real gains in how we
stress on our roads. Fundamental shifts in how we work use our transportation networks thanks in part to robotic
are already taking place, allowing some lucky people to development and automated driver assistance technol-
avoid commuting at least some of the time. But every- ogy. Next generation IMUs and GPS devices and active
thing we invent now, including work hour policies and sensors will offer even greater possibilities for freer
the development of automated vehicles, may seem roadway navigation at an affordable price. First as driver
reactionary. Furthermore, given a sober sample of driv- assistance systems, which we are seeing now, then soon
ers, freeway traffic (moving in physically segregated as driver behavior override systems, and finally one
directions where relative vehicle velocity variances are day with complete driver reliance upon the vehicle, our
minor) is still relatively safe. Yet these will be the first transport destiny seems well plotted and finally achiev-
roadways used to test or apply the newest technology. able. What fiction authors could only dream of, our chil-
The first real challenge will be adopting automated dren will see as unimpressive and granted.
vehicles to city streets. Considering how our roadway environments will
Military agencies will continue to be the earliest adop- change to reflect this technology is almost its own exer-
ters and most vocal proponents of this technology, even- cise in fiction, for there will constantly be change in
tually followed by commercial cargo carriers. human transport methods and it will not stop with vehi-
Throughout these early user experiences, a great deal cle automation. But we have a better idea now of how it
of feedback will be shared with the research community can be and it is still our fascinating task to build it and
and vehicle manufacturers.Wider private civilian adop- then pass it on to the future.
tion still remains a big price drop away. The efforts we dedicate to this proposed progress –
The extent that autonomous vehicle development will our next step forward in improving how we live and
impact regional urban dynamics through evolving tran- move – will be… and can only be… validated by creat-
sit networks and applications shall remain a mystery for ing new efficiencies within our cities, our suburbs, and
many years to come. Practical examples are remarkably in our lives. TH
are we
nearly
there yet?
“There is more
energy available
than Iceland can
possibly use”
Supply-demand applications
Within the transportation community, much effort is
devoted to the project level impact assessment of vari-
ous transportation measures. Little attention is paid to
the interactions that may occur among multiple meas-
ures, nor the regional impact of these measures. The
need for this more strategic impact assessment is criti-
cal, since interactions among measures might have con-
sequences that are more significant than the impact of
any one individual measure.
One particularly striking example of this relationship
occurred many years ago, when a state decided to elim-
inate the mainline toll booths on a major congested
interstate. The motivation was to increase the capacity
Photo by Dylan Stanley Borras
The change in the equilibrium point can be used to regional transportation officials when a facility of this
represent improvements in mobility, fuel consumption nature is being constructed.
and emissions, depending on its direction of change. Criticism of new facilities is often based on the very
When the point of equilibrium moves downward, mobil- possibility that the new facility will result in increased
ity has been improved. When the change in the equilib- VMT. To counter this argument, a combination of actions
rium point is downward and the right (both disutility must be taken that produce results such as those shown
and demand are being reduced), energy and emissions for Class D actions, which produce improved levels of
benefits are being reduced. service without increasing demand.
This is accomplished through the use of complemen-
An interesting example tary Class A measures such as transit improvements,
It is important to thoroughly understand these concepts increased cost of parking, encouraging telecommuting,
prior to their application. One potentially confusing etc. that will reduce total VMT without reductions in
example is the construction of a new toll road. It would capacity. The combined impact of these actions can be
be tempting to consider this facility a Class A action, analyzed as described earlier, using data available for
since pricing has been listed within this category. How- individual projects that make up the combined package
ever, the Class A pricing actions are oriented toward the of actions being considered.
pricing of existing facilities with the specific intent of This analysis framework will both enhance the agen-
decreasing demand. cy’s understanding of the potential impacts of a pro-
A new toll road represents an increase in supply which posed project, and will serve as an effective graphic for
is a Class B action. The tolls imposed on this new facility communicating with the public and elected officials,
are, in fact, a technique for regulating the demand on the many of whom are more familiar with the economic
road, but their net result is to ensure that the newly sup- analysis than with the details of transportation engi-
plied capacity is operating at peak efficiency, rather neering.
than to achieve an overall reduction in regional VMT.
Thus the new toll road must be considered a Class B The holistic view
action with the end result that disutility will be decreased Unfortunately, the ability of transportation agencies to
(level of service improved), while demand will be take a holistic approach toward improving mobility is
increased. hampered by stovepiping of operations that occurs
This conclusion is consistent with the expectations of within the industry. Examples of the negative impacts of
stovepiped operations are easy to find.
For example, individual modes (highway, transit, and
rail) are operated independently by agencies with little
concern about the impact of their operations on each
other. Nowhere is this problem more evident and poten-
tially damaging than in our failure to integrate measures
that impact transportation system supply and demand.
State DOTs emphasize the use of supply-oriented meas-
ures such as freeway ramp metering, traffic signal con-
trol and rapid incident clearance.
When your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks
like a nail. The overall effectiveness of a transportation
system is determined by its individual components. For
this reason, it is essential that the roadway and vehicle
infrastructure be considered as a system rather than its
individual parts. TH
The future
and how to
map it
RICHARD BISHOP believes
that we’ve come a long way
with advanced driver
assistance systems, but
wonders how much further
we have to go
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) based matches their speed at a constant gap. Essentially, foot-
on radar, lidar, and image processing technology free driving. Early versions only operated at highway
are now available around the globe on dozens of car speed, offering quite a benefit to commuters but leav-
models – offering increased driver convenience and ing one hungry for more support at lower speeds.
safety. Today’s Full Speed Range ACC does just that – it will fol-
Even in the lawyer-saturated US, the most challenging low a lead car to a full stop, thereby extending the con-
market for active safety technology due to liability con- venience of ACC to city driving. Collision warning
cerns, sophisticated emergency braking systems are systems are built on top of the ACC technology, and Col-
now available. lision Mitigation Braking systems actually hit the brakes
The current offerings are really just a beginning, but full-on if the driver doesn’t respond to warnings and a
they are nevertheless impressive. If you’re on the high- collision is imminent. Lane departure warning and blind
way side of ITS, it can be a bit challenging to stay abreast spot warning systems are also available.
of how far the car industry has come. You know – those
metal and plastic things that keep filling up the roads? Blurred vision
Here’s a brief run-down. Night vision systems arrived with great fanfare on Cadil-
The automotive industry is moving rapidly from crash lacs in the 1990s, but were only marginally useful due to
protection to ADAS. In recent years, industry decision- blurry images. Now, a new generation of night vision
makers reached a consensus that we have reached the systems is on the march, spreading rapidly through the
point of diminishing returns with occupant protection -- luxury vehicle models. Oops … did I say luxury? What
active safety is the way forward. Why not avoid the crash about the rest of us that want to avoid a crash but can’t
in the first place? readily afford a luxury car?
The forerunner of all ADAS was Adaptive Cruise Con- Well, when it comes to high tech electronics, this is
trol (ACC), which operates like regular cruise control how the car industry works – the price of ADAS range
when the road ahead is clear. It uses forward sensing from several hundred to a couple of thousand dollars.
(radar or lidar) to detect slower vehicles ahead and That’s a modest percentage of the purchase price of the
average Mercedes or Infiniti. However, the good news is vers will begin to decrease.
that early systems such as ACC are starting to move into ADAS systems are poised for ever-more growth. In
mid-range vehicles. For instance, BMW now offers ACC 2006 we passed the 100,000 annual unit sales mark for
on the 2007 3-Series. With a base price of US$36,000, the ADAS worldwide. In coming years, a rapidly growing
3-Series dominates BMW sales in both Europe and North older driver population will highly value ADAS. As
America. prices come down due to larger volumes, the appeal
Sales are close to 60 per cent higher than the com- will broaden to encompass the average family who now
bined sales of their luxury models – values airbags and side crash protec-
close to 400,000 3-Series vehicles will “The good news is tion.
be sold this year. ACC and related sys- What are the major trends going
tems are now available on many makes that early systems forward? Two main themes will revo-
and models by the likes of Volvo, such as ACC are lutionize our experience of driving in
Volkswagen, and Toyota. the future. One is “the connected
ADAS entered the heavy truck mar- starting to move vehicle,” i.e. ubiquitous communica-
ket in the early 90s with radar-based into mid-range tions to/from our vehicles, which is
forward collision warning and blind the focus of the current U.S. Vehicle
spot monitoring. Today well over vehicles” Infrastructure Integration (VII) pro-
50,000 trucks are equipped with this gram and similar programs world-
type of system in the U.S. and penetration in Europe is wide. VII has received so much attention that I’ll not
creeping upwards. Lane departure warning became dwell on it here. But there is another major theme not
available in the late 90s and tens of thousands of systems quite as prominent – map-supported vehicle systems.
are now on the roads. Stability systems, preventing roll-
overs and jacknifing, are now widely available. Imagine Mapping the future
– we have begun an era where road closures, traffic Let’s dig into this a bit. We’re not talking about naviga-
fatalities, and infrastructure damage due to truck rollo- tion systems here, as useful as they are. We are talking
tudinal slope would assist in optimally actuating brakes Even though the customer’s ability to perceive the dif-
to optimally adjust the vehicle trajectory. There is disa- ference between today’s forward sensing systems and a
greement in the industry as to how much benefit can be sensor-fused, map-supported forward sensing system
gained. is limited, vehicle OEMs are moving towards sensor
fusion to make their systems ever-more robust.
Forward Sensing We may see map-supported ADAS for forward sens-
Forward sensing is the classic long-range function for ing, using 2D maps, as soon as 2011, with 3D maps not far
which map data can be very useful. Typical sensing behind.
ranges are 80-100m. Over this range, road curves/
slopes can certainly be present. Current forward sens- Curve Speed Warning (CSW)
ing systems attempt to assess road curvature via vehicle CSW advises the driver as to whether their current
yaw rate and steering angle, which speed is appropriate for an upcom-
works better on freeways than on ing curve. This function is enabled by
smaller roads. Next generation for-
“Lighting an on-board digital map. Research
ward sensing will integrate radar/lidar applications, and evaluation thus far has focused on
with forward-looking cameras. 2D map support as to the radius of the
Image processing to detect lane/
forward sensing curve. The complete system, of
road boundaries will help immensely and similar course, would also integrate knowl-
with target tracking. Nevertheless, edge of tire-road friction. Further, a
road slope in particular will tend to
functions can complete safe speed calculation
confuse the sensing system, as targets benefit immensely would also take into account road
will “disappear” as they crest a hill and slope within the curve.
then reappear as the host vehicle
from map support” From a user perspective, the driver
crests the same hill. Knowledge of wants his/her vehicle to maintain a
road slope will inform the target tracking algorithms so “situation appropriate speed.” ACC does this by
as to maintain robustness. responding to slower vehicles ahead. CSW would do
The industry is moving towards implementing these the same by responding to the road ahead. CSW could
enhancements via “sensor fusion” techniques, which very likely be an add-on to a future generation ACC.
are actively being researched and prototyped. Eventu-
ally, a sensor fusion subsystem will exist on the vehicle, Predictive Adaptive Lighting (PAL)
which will accept data from all on board physical sen- As currently offered, adaptive lighting steers headlight
sors, as well as data sources such as maps, and data beams into curves based on the steering wheel angle. It
communicated wirelessly from outside sources (other is a relatively cheap safety application which is rolling
cars, road agencies, private providers, etc.). Thus, the into the market quite rapidly. Predictive adaptive light-
opportunity for map support for this function will track ing uses map data to anticipate a curve and begins
with the implementation of sensor fusion. swiveling the lamps earlier for optimum illumination of
the intended vehicle path. All work thus far to prototype tomer sees the system in operation every day. It is
PAL has focused on 2D maps. Clearly, the function also unclear as to how much the customer would value DPP.
calls for 3D maps so as to better illuminate the road Customer demand for the feature is expected to be
ahead in hilly areas even when the road is not curving. stronger in Europe, where there is more travel on two-
PAL is one of the strongest applications driving map- lane roads and more inclination to pass.
supported ADAS. It is readily understood by the cus- DPP has the advantage of relatively low cost. Industry
tomer, and the benefit is provided virtually every day sources have noted that no additional or upgraded
(night). Compared to other active safety systems which hardware is needed to integrate DPP into today’s navi-
use expensive sensors such as radar, PAL can be imple- gation systems.
mented at low cost.
3D PAL is only at the “talk” stage currently, as auto sup- Lane Change Assist (LCA)
pliers are wait on a full 3D road vector LCA comes in many forms, from blind
database. In terms of automotive inte- spot monitoring to long range sys-
gration, sources indicate that actuation
“Compared to tems. Map-support applies to long
in the vertical dimension is already other active safety range systems, which (typically) use
covered by a European regulation for radar to look far behind the vehicle to
automatic headlamp levelling. This
systems PAL can be detect fast-approaching vehicles in
was put into place to ensure that, as the implemented at low the adjacent lane. This is a real con-
pitch of the vehicle varies due to load cern when changing lanes on high
and other factors, the headlights are
cost” speed freeways, such as the German
not misaligned angled and blind Autobahn. However, most freeways
oncoming drivers. The dynamic headlight levelling have only very modest curves and slopes. Map-support
systems are quick-response respond quickly, and would theoretically be helpful, but the degree of utility
appear to be a perfect match for 3D PAL. needs to be established through additional research.
First introductions of 2D PAL could come as soon as
2010. The first systems may actually be 3D if the maps Brake cooling
are ready in time. Uptake on PAL is expected to be rela- Brake cooling is important for heavy trucks on long
tively strong, as regular adaptive lighting will be fairly downhill slopes. Knowledge of the extent of the slope
mature in the marketplace. by then. can assist an on-board system in activating counter-
measures to the brake pads overheating – if the pad
Dynamic Pass Prediction (DPP) temperature is approaching a critical level, yet the slope
Dynamic Pass Prediction, developed by BMW but not is about to end, no action need be taken, whereas a
yet on the market, informs the driver when it is not rec- longer slope would call for the countermeasures to be
ommended to overtake -- based on vehicle dynamics implemented. This function, currently at the conceptual
and road information from digital maps. The current stage, is enabled by a 3D map.
system uses the existing 2D map database in the naviga-
tion system. This function could be enhanced signifi- Predictive Powertrain
cantly with a 3D map database. Predictive powertrain systems using digital maps hold
DPP has the same advantage as PAL, in that the cus- significant promise in improving fuel economy for both
(Left) Predictive adaptive lighting (PAL) uses map data to anticipate a curve and begins swiveling the lamps earlier for optimum
illumination of the intended vehicle path. (Right) Regular ‘straightahead’ headlamp illumination