ADS Demonstration Grants

The Michigan Mobility Collaborative is designing a pilot ADS-equipped shuttle service targeted for older adults and people with disabilities in two concentrated areas in the City of Detroit. Prior to the launch of the publicly-available shuttle service, the project team is conducting several months of closed-track testing using a two-part safety assessment protocol. They have also conducted extensive stakeholder engagement to develop the pilot service with equity in mind to provide service to and from essential destinations such as stores, medical appointments, and workplaces.

Project homepage: https://detroitmi.gov/government/mayors-office/office-mobility-innovation/detroit-ads-self-driving-shuttles 

 CCTA’s ADS Demonstration Program consists of three demonstrations to facilitate data collection and increase connectivity and accessibility for transportation-disadvantaged communities. The first project is a first-mile/last-mile shuttle pilot that will connect residents of a senior community with essential goods and services. The second is an on-demand accessible shuttle service at a county hospital for people without reliable transportation to medical appointments and hospital services. The third project will install necessary technologies along a two-mile stretch of I-680 to allow testing of a range of ADS features alongside traditional vehicles. 

Project homepage: https://ccta.net/projects/innovate-680/automated-driving-systems/ 

DriveOhio’s project demonstrated how connected and automated commercial motor vehicles and passenger vehicles could improve safety for drivers, passengers, and other travelers in rural settings, focusing on southeast Ohio’s diverse landscapes. The project includes a truck automation component, working with a fleet partner to test truck platooning on revenue-generating routes. The passenger vehicles collected data in various operating and environmental conditions, including limited visibility.

Project homepage: https://drive.ohio.gov/programs/av-cv/rural-automated-driving-systems 

Code repository: https://github.com/DriveOhioADS 

PennDOT’s project focuses on safely integrating ADS-equipped vehicles into work zones by examining if improved connectivity, computer perception, and high-definition mapping will improve ADS operations to safely traverse work zones. The project also aims to improve the map dissemination process using an enhanced mapping vehicle. The team has identified nineteen common work zone scenarios/configuration in different urban, rural, and suburban settings, on limited access facilities and urban arterials. The team has conducted simulation and closed-track testing and will conduct live on-road testing for select scenarios. 

Project homepage: https://penndot.pa.gov/ads

Code repository: https://github.com/PAWorkzoneAutomation 
 

This project focuses on developing and testing ADS for rural roads without high-definition maps and with no or low-quality road signs or markings. This requires strong reliance on onboard perception and localization. The team has also placed emphasis on city streets in multimodal urban environments involving cyclists and pedestrians. The project’s goal is to develop a systematic and scalable approach to the safe integration of cooperative ADS vehicles into the nation’s transportation system.

Data portal (in development): http://avadataportal.web.illinois.edu/ 

The ADS for Rural America project focused on testing the use of automated driving technologies on rural roadways to understand the unique needs of rural environments, while working toward solutions that improve safety and mobility. The six phases of testing, focusing on progressively more challenging scenarios, were conducted on a 47-mile loop in live traffic which included marked, unmarked, and unpaved roadways. Study participants rode in the vehicle and their comfort with automation was measured through surveys, anxiety ratings, and wearable sensor data.

Project homepage: https://adsforruralamerica.uiowa.edu 

Data portal: https://data.adsforruralamerica.uiowa.edu 

The SOADS project focused on demonstrating how vehicles equipped with ADS can safely interact with public services and infrastructure providers, and in cooperative operations on a managed corridor. The project defined, developed, and demonstrated eighteen key dynamic scenarios and potential solutions for safe interaction. The ADS-equipped vehicle included additional features developed by the project team for first responder interaction. The scenarios were tested on the I-395 Express Lanes in northern Virginia and at VTTI’s test track.

Project homepage and data portal: https://soads.vtti.vt.edu/ 

The trucking fleet CONOPS project developed a comprehensive description of ADS characteristics from the viewpoint of the commercial motor vehicle fleets that will use ADS technology. In addition to developing technical guides on topics including specification/installation/maintenance practices, inspection procedures, driver-monitor alertness management, insurance needs, safety metrics, concept road assessment system, and cybersecurity. The team conducted three deployments focused on truck queuing in port operations, cross-country trips along major freight corridors, and ADS integration in fleet port/yard operations. The team also conducted demonstration roadshow events to allow end users, stakeholders, and the public to experience ADS technologies.

Project homepage: https://www.vtti.vt.edu/projects/conops.html 

Data portal: https://dataverse.vtti.vt.edu/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.15787/VTT1/ZYMSEM