Here is some of the latest news from ITS America. There was a new grant program announced from PlanteM, new connected car testing tools and the right kind of wrong-way alert systems.
New PlanetM Grants
PlanetM announced the PlanetM Startup Grants. Separated into two different categories, these grants encourage mobility startups to test their technologies on Michigan Roadways or at Michigan’s state-of-the-art testing facilities. Please find more information below on each of these grants.
The PlanetM Testing Grant will accelerate innovation by providing mobility startups the opportunity to access advanced testing facilities. The cost to test can be a deterrent for certain startups, so PlanetM is taking action to provide funding to reduce this cost. This will allow startups to focus their resources on enhancing and proving their technologies, and work to deepen companies’ ties to Michigan and its mobility ecosystem.
Organizing Grant Partners: Mcity and American Center for Mobility (ACM)
Location: Statewide
Timeframe: July 2018 — September 2019
Value: 25% match required by participant. Grant amounts will vary.
The PlanetM Pilot Grant will support global mobility startups to deploy their technologies on Michigan roadways in partnership with Michigan communities, ultimately making it easier, safer and more affordable for Michigan residents to get around.
Organizing Grant Partners: Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), municipalities
Location: Statewide
Timeframe: July 2018 — September 2019
Value: 25% match required by participant. Grant amounts will vary.
CV Test Tools
Southwest Research Institute is introducing new data and software tools designed to ensure that devices used on connected vehicles (CVs) will be ready for public roads. SwRI is showcasing the Connected Vehicle Test Tool in Booth 337 at the 2018 Intelligent Transportation Society of America Annual Meeting in Detroit, June 4-7.
“This suite of tools will serve to verify that connected vehicle devices perform as expected for deployment in vehicles and on public roads,” said Eric Thorn, manager of SwRI’s Cooperative Systems Section.
Connected vehicles are designed to improve roadway safety and mobility by enabling wireless communications between vehicles and intelligent transportation systems. SwRI has more than 10 years of experience developing, deploying and testing connected vehicle technologies and standards.
SwRI’s comprehensive CV test tool suite verifies conformance with SAE J2945/1, the Society of Automotive Engineers on-board system requirements for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) safety communications. The standard ensures interoperability and data integrity when devices communicate over wireless networks.
The SwRI Connected Vehicle Test Tool tests all vehicle-level J2945/1 requirements with data collection, data analysis, reporting software tools and all required hardware in a simple, portable package. The tool generates an easy-to-follow summary report with conformance status for each requirement tested, while also providing detailed testing artifacts, including plots, logs and raw data.
The Right Way to Wrong Way?
Traffic & Parking Control Company, Inc. (TAPCO), the manufacturer of the TAPCO Wrong-Way Alert System, will hosted a live system demonstration at the ITS America Annual Meeting in Detroit, Michigan, from Tuesday, June 5, through Thursday, June 7.
The demonstration provided a unique opportunity for traffic professionals and interested parties to see firsthand how this proven solution reduces wrong-way driving events by as much as 38 percent.
In the demonstration, participants rode inside a vehicle and experience the driver’s perspective in a simulated wrong-way driving event, observing LED-enhanced warning alerts and other functions performed by the system. Participants then saw the traffic manager’s perspective of a TAPCO Wrong-Way Alert System as notifications arrive to a user’s screen via email, voice or text message, alerting the recipient of a wrong-way incident.
TAPCO Wrong-Way Alert Systems are custom engineered for each ramp configuration and surrounding environmental factors. System options include:
- A selection of detection sensors to ensure system activation
- A variety of attention-grabbing LED-enhanced alerts
- BlinkLink® powered by TAPCO software to collect real-time data, capture wrong-way event images and send vehicle information to select recipients through email, text and voice notifications
- Integration with local traffic management centers to proactively warn right-way drivers via overhead message boards
Traffic & Parking Control Company, Inc. (TAPCO), manufacturer, distributor and service provider of traffic and parking control products, announced are displayed in booth 241 at the ITS America Annual Meeting in Detroit, Michigan, June 4 through June 7.
The new products include:
- Top-of-pole self-contained control cabinet with 44Ah of battery power to support XAV2-LED push buttons, a TAPCO industry exclusive. To simplify ordering and installation, the cabinet also includes a universal mounting bracket that accommodates all sizes of commonly used metal or wood posts. Featuring an integrated 20 watt solar panel, the powder-coated aluminum cabinet is designed for quick installation and a clean appearance.
- Dimmable Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) light bars that comply with the Federal Highway Administration’s Interim Approval 21 recommendation. These new light bars include integrated, simple-to-deploy pedestrian indicators on both sides of the bar to adapt to every use case, as well as a new, universal mounting bracket that provides road-side adjustability and accommodates all sizes of commonly used metal or wood posts to simplify ordering and installation.
These innovations establish TAPCO as the only traffic control manufacturer that designs a top-of-pole, self-contained cabinet that supports XAV2-LED push button activation with dimmable RRFB light bars.
“Our Pedestrian Crosswalk Systems have become an integral solution for agencies and road operators who demand innovation in both product design and installation ease,” said Jon Zick, Director of Engineering and Marketing at TAPCO. “The introduction of these products solidifies TAPCO as the North American leader in Pedestrian Crosswalk Systems.”