Advanced Transportation Technologies Seminars

Despite a solid body of evidence about distraction and its risks, automobile manufacturers now allow you to update your Facebook page while driving. Positive Train Control systems have been mandated for implementation, yet there has been little if any attempt to understand the new roles of the human operator given the aggressive time frame in which the system must be in operation. There is a similar concern about the NextGen air transport system, which is supposed to revolutionize how flights are managed and flown.

Developing the system architecture is the straightforward part. Understanding the myriad of human and policy implications is much more complex, but it is foundational and necessary if the system is to be safe and realize its intended potential. This presentation develops an approach to understanding the application of automation technology through three interdependent models: sociotechnical, human systems integration, and formative evaluation.

Computing is ubiquitous in nearly every household. Computers are becoming smaller, more portable, and embedded in many common appliances and devices. In addition, digital cameras are becoming pervasive in society. They are appearing in many varieties, and can be found in devices ranging from cars to telephones.

This seminar focuses on the problem of camera networks for transportation and security applications. Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos will present the Hyperion framework, which involves the computation of an extensive set of video-analytics based on human and crowd activity monitoring, automatic camera placement, camera-to-camera tracking, semi-autonomous calibration, and video forensics analysis. An innovative user interface allows a single user to monitor thousands of cameras. Applications of this technology include the real-time identification of empty parking spots at truck stops and traffic data collection on freeway systems.

The next quantum leap in vehicle safety is represented by cooperative systems where vehicles exchange critical safety information among themselves and with the roadside infrastructure. The research community has already developed a set of new communication standards and built prototype systems demonstrating the feasibility and high potential introduced by cooperation among road users. However, key areas such as security and smart channel load control techniques still need to be addressed.

In this seminar, Luca Delgrossi will discuss his team's contribution to the development of 5.9 GHz Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) technology, including their participation in the first installation of the system at an intersection in Atherton, California. Delgrossi will also detail the technology's advantages and limitations, and discuss how 5.9 GHz DSRC can be used by automotive OEMs to enhance safety.

Speaker

Luca Delgrossi, Director, Driver Assistance and Chassis Systems, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development North America

Delgrossi's team in Palo Alto, California, has contributed to the development of 5.9 GHz dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) technology since the early stages and helped install the first 5.9 GHz DSRC intersection at 5th and El Camino Real in Atherton, California. In 2008, the team publicly demonstrated a Mercedes-Benz S-550 coming to stop automatically upon detection of an imminent red light violation at an instrumented intersection at the ITS World Congress in New York, New York.

Delgrossi, who holds a Ph.D. in computer science, also serves as chairman of the board of directors at the Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) Consortium and is co-editor of the IEEE Communications Magazine Automotive Networking and Applications Series.

In this seminar, Gary Davis will report on the use of data collected in the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 to support microscopic modeling of crashes and near-crashes. In this project, several crashes between a following and leading vehicle were reconstructed using vehicle-based data from a 100-car study, site-based video data from the Minnesota Traffic Observatory, and site-based Doppler shift data from the Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance Systems (CICAS) project.

In each case, estimates of acceleration histories, driver reaction time, and the situation at the start of the reaction phase were obtained. The project also demonstrated the potential of systems such as CICAS to provide data on near-crashes in intersections.

In this seminar, Hayes will describe a study examining the safety impact of three decision support systems (DSS) used at intersections where a highway crosses a minor road controlled by a stop sign. Many crashes occur at such intersections because even cautious drivers sometimes make poor judgments about when to enter high-speed highway traffic.

The three DSS warning systems evaluated in this study were a dynamic highway sign placed in the intersection, a similar display placed on sideview mirrors, and a haptic warning system in the seat that vibrates when gaps are unsafe. All three were evaluated and compared to identify which has the greatest ability to reduce crashes and increase safe driving behaviors.

Speaker: Caroline Hayes, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota

This seminar presented procedures developed through research (NCHRP 3-87) for implementing ramp-management strategies at freeway sections that regularly experience breakdown and operate under congested conditions. For more information, see http://www.its.umn.edu/Events/SeminarSeries/2009/fall/october22/index.html