Enabling Better Mobility Through Innovations For Mobile Devices

Abstract

Mobile phones are quickly reshaping our world. As of November 2014, 97 percent of US households have mobile phones, with the average household owning 5.2 connected mobile devices. Mobile app use on these devices is skyrocketing, with app usage up 76 percent in 2014. These apps can help us make better transportation choices by delivering the right information at the right time & location - from decreasing your wait time for public transportation,  informing you about traffic incidents before you even leave for your destination assisting transit riders with special needs get to and from jobs. However, developing new mobile technology that is smart, both in terms of delivering the information at the right moment and conserving limited resources such as battery life and data plans, is not always simple. Research conducted at universities has the potential to break through some of these challenges, which can result in improvements in mobility to everyone.

This presentation discusses the multi-disciplinary innovation process at the University of South Florida, including research funded by the National Center for Transit Research UTC and the Florida Department of Transportation that has resulted in 14 U.S. patents on location-aware mobile technology and resulted in the deployment of real-world systems. Lessons learned during the research itself, as well as, the technology transfer process to real-world deployments will be presented.

Sponsored by: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), University Transportation Centers Program

DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, findings and conclusions reflected in this presentation are the responsibility of the authors only and do not represent the official policy or position of the USDOT/OST-R, or any State or other entity.

For more information, contact Denise E. Dunn at denise.e.dunn@dot.gov