2nd Annual Florida Automated Vehicle Summit

Darcy Conlin

The 2^nd Annual Florida Automated Vehicles (FAV) Summit was held last week (December 15-16) in Orlando and was led by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). This event saw 400 registrants, which is nearly twice as many as the initial 2013 summit. Hosted by the Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers (FICE) the two-day event included day one dedicated to industry and Florida state related speakers, while day two was packed with demonstrations at the Walt Disney World Speedway.

The mission of the FAV is to blaze the trail for the integration of automated vehicles into existing traffic operations and to lead by example with pilot projects, research projects and open dialogue to ensure that Florida serves as a fertile proving ground for these new technologies. Florida is creating the framework for implementation and designing an infrastructure for 30-40 years in the future that includes expanded roads and bridges that will aid driverless transportation. Below is a synopsis from some of the speakers.

• Jeff Brandes, Florida Senate District 22: Brandes’ believes the transit space is queued for disruption and that we need to take advantage of this valuable time. Within the industry, technology needs to be tested and Florida is poised to accept pilot programs and manufacturers to move the industry forward. In Brandes’ opinion, having Florida as one of the 3-4 key states that offer fertile ground for testing will aid the overall betterment of the state.
• Larry Burns, Professor of Engineering University of Michigan: Burns is Professor of Engineering Practice at the University of Michigan but he also spends a quarter of his time in Mountain View as a consultant to Google Inc. Even with these two diametrically opposed geographic associations, Burns said “Transportation is ripe for transformation and Florida is positioned to lead this transformation.” He also stated that with all the design concepts surfacing and it’s imperative to understand that the combination of them all is what will bring this autonomous vision to fruition. Burns believes that there is not just ONE technology that will make it all happen. Burns added that Florida is important and can lead in this space because of these key reasons: 1) concentrated population 2) distinct communities 3) excellent demographics 4) uniform, well marked roads 5) flat land and good weather 6) proactive state government 7) great place for manufacturing; and 8) substantial tourism.
• Paul Steinman, FDOT District 7 Secretary: Steinman credits Florida’s advantages as already having the legislation in place and the extensive ITS system with established fiber along all major corridors. Compared to other US states, Steinman attributes Florida’s head start in the industry to the capability to invest in the system and the desire to be thought leaders. He says that there is also a strong alliance with research partners and the connected vehicle test bed in Orlando that has been in place since ITS World Congress 2012. Click here to read more about the District 7 pilot project that includes the installation of Mobileye’s ADAS on approximately 50 vehicles in the Tamp Bay area. The study includes sedans, light trucks, buses and vans operated by regional transit authorities.
• Ed Hutchinson, FDOT Transportation Statistics Manager: Hutchinson said that Florida is using 4 state universities to collect information about opinions and to gauge the acceptance of technology with both elderly and millennials. This data is needed to provide justification for necessary changes in policy and/or engineering and design standards. Hutchinson also cited FDOT as planning a pilot project to roll out within the next 3 years in Miami related to the floral industry. The project includes a multi-phased plan that will gather real-world data from lorries that travel from Miami’s International Airport to the city’s warehouse district ten miles away. To ensure the speedy delivery of these perishable items there are currently 35 trucking firms that make over 200,000 trips back and forth on this route each year.

Below is a look at two Mobileye exhibits that occurred at the FAV Summit’s Day Two demonstrations at the Walt Disney World Speedway. Mobileye is considered a leader in collision avoidance technology.

The first demonstration included two cars on the racetrack that were equipped with the Mobileye Collision Avoidance System and driven by Mobileye employees. A smart phone plugs in through a USB port and runs an app of the program. There is also an eye level display on the windshield to indicate warnings. It was remarkable to this first time passenger to see and hear the visual and audio cues that the system gives when drifting out of a lane, or changing lanes without signaling. The Mobileye system doesn’t just look at passenger cars but other vehicles including motorcycles, trucks and vans as well as recognizing pedestrians and bicycles. The system is also equipped to look at lane markings on the road and recognize speed limit signs. All of these features were successfully demonstrated. As expected, the alerts to a potential collision with both a (mock) vehicle and (cut out) pedestrians were very alarming. The warnings were both visual and audial. Below are two photos of the impending dangers that the Mobileye demo car accelerated towards:

This system runs off the car battery and can be installed on any vehicle through the CAN bus. It is available for purchase from the Mobileye website. However, it must be professionally installed through a Mobileye Certified Installer (not a do-it-yourself). Mobileye has partnered with over 90% of auto manufacturers with the hope to get the wiring already installed in vehicles.

 

The second demonstration was a FDOT bus that had the Mobileye ADAS system equipped. However, this system included enhanced pedestrian side-sensing and was introduced by Mobileye last week at the FAV Summit. This first-of-its-kind solution is specially designed for buses operating in busy metropolitan areas. In addition to all the benefits of the original Mobileye Collision Avoidance System, this unique, multi-vision-sensor system provides drivers with alerts when pedestrians and cyclists are in the danger zones on the side of the bus. Pedestrians and cyclists often are not seen by the driver when the bus is making turns on tight, busy city streets with crowded intersections. One of the drawbacks, however, is that the system only works at heights above 36 inches and therefore may not sense a dog or small child.

As with the passenger car demonstration an amber light indicated caution with a potential problem within range and a red light with annunciation indicated alarm and alert for the driver to stop. The cautionary trigger will alert the drive when danger is 4-5 meters away and a red alert with annunciation triggers at about 2 meters out. These measurements are based on the speed at which a bus would typically go through an intersection and allow the driver adequate time to stop.

Overall Florida is making solid strides towards moving the autonomous industry forward. The state legislature and FDOT are working together to put the pieces in place to continue this momentum. It’s these types of steps and conferences that need to continue in order to enhance awareness and educate the public on what is happening within the driverless industry.