IntelliDrive's Next Stop: Vancouver
An Aug. 10-11 meeting of the DOT Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program office with the Institute of Transportation Engineers' IntelliDrive Task Force is taking place during ITE's annual meeting there.
Reviewing the IntelliDrive research program and figuring out how to obtain stakeholders' input on what users need in the definition of the core IntelliDrive System is on the agenda Aug. 10-11 when the DOT Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program office meets with the Institute of Transportation Engineers' IntelliDrive Task Force. The location is Vancouver, the occasion ITE's annual meeting.
If you're not up to date with IntelliDrive, it's worth a look. While it is a January 2009 rebranding of what was up to then called Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration, IntelliDrive is evolving along with global automakers' in-vehicle technologies. IntelliDrive envisions an active safety system providing early warning to drivers through sensing and communication between vehicles and also between vehicles and outside elements.
"The IntelliDrive program is focused on enabling a surface transportation system in which vehicles do not crash and road operators and travelers have the information they need about travel conditions. IntelliDrive will establish an information backbone for the transportation system that will immediately support applications to enhance safety and mobility and, ultimately, enable the vision of a crashless, information-rich surface transportation system," DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration explains in its page about the system.
The page cites the Japanese SmartWay project, saying it was "up to 80 percent effective in reducing traffic crashes at certain traffic safety 'hot spots' in Japan."
Features of IntelliDrive could include:
- Signal and Stop Sign Violation Warning -- Drivers who are at risk of violating a red signal light or a stop sign receive a graphical and audible warning from on-board equipment.
- Curve Speed Warning -- Drivers are warned by the system to slow down if their vehicle's speed is higher than recommended for the curve.
- Collision Warning -- Audible and visual warnings to drivers who are approaching a slowed or stopped object too rapidly or following a vehicle too closely. If a vehicle traveling ahead suddenly decelerates, the driver behind is notified to ensure his or her awareness, even if visibility is limited by weather conditions or obstructed by large vehicles.
- Drivers are warned of impending side or rear-impact collisions and when they are about to drift out of their lane.