Media Advisory: Virginia Tech Transportation Institute to demo automated driving system on I-395 Express Lanes in the D.C. area
WHAT: The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) will host a media day in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area to demonstrate a Level 4 automated driving system (ADS) operating safely with public safety and first responder officials on the I-395 Express Lanes in Arlington, Va. A Cooperative Driving Automation scenario including string-seeking behavior with ADS in freeway operations will also be demonstrated.
VTTI researchers developed a Ford F-150 with a variety of features and functionalities that will be used to demonstrate how various technologies can solve challenges for public safety officials while operating in Level 4 automation. A selection of these complex scenarios will be featured during this event, including a demonstration of an automated vehicle responding to:
- A law enforcement traffic stop
- Response to manual traffic control
- Cooperative Driving Automation
- Navigating temporary work zones
- Reactions to emergency vehicles
- Fleet management support
WHEN: October 12, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WHERE: Long Bridge Aquatics Center
333 Long Bridge Drive, Arlington, VA 22202
Attendees will meet at the Long Bridge Aquatics Center followed by a demonstration on the I-395 Express Lanes in Arlington, Virginia. Live demonstrations will be offered on the I-395 Express Lanes, followed by time to talk with original equipment manufacturer, technology developer, and infrastructure owner operator representatives on site.
WHO: Media interviews with researchers will be available following the demos.
- Mike Mollenhauer, Division Director of Technology Implementation at VTTI
- Andy Petersen, Chief Engineer at VTTI
- Liz White, Program and Business Manager at VTTI
- Joe Mclain CAMP, LLC, General Motors
- Austin Averkamp Transurban North America
Media RSVP: Please contact Shannon Andrea (sandrea@vt.edu; 703-399-9494) or Eric Holbrook (eholbrook@vtti.vt.edu) if you plan to attend.
BACKGROUND: VTTI, in partnership with Transurban North America, and the Crash Avoidance Metrics Partners, LLC (CAMP), a consortium of vehicle manufacturers consisting of Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan, defined scenarios that include challenging interactions between ADS and public safety officials that may impact broader ADS deployment. Transurban North America designed and built applications that gather and disseminate data from their traffic management systems to the ADS vehicles. This data allows the vehicle to better understand and react to operating conditions that could affect its functionality.
The resulting 18 scenarios focus on ADS response when confronted with public safety interactions including traffic stops, response to emergency vehicles, checkpoints, and other traffic related events. Additional scenarios focus on interactions between the ADS and its passengers, between the ADS and other road users, and unusual infrastructure conditions. Read more about VTTI here.
