Webcasts showcase Intelligent Transportation Systems research

Last updated Sep 25, 2010 — 8 views

The University of Minnesota’s federally-funded Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Institute is conducting a series of seminars presenting updates on its research into human factors, intelligent vehicles, traffic modeling and management, sensing, communications, and controls. The webcasts are free and open to the public, and may be viewed live on the web or streamed on demand afterwards.

UMN says its Intelligent Transportation Systems research activities leverage a wide range of academic disciplines, including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, human factors, computer science and engineering, and civil engineering.

First two 2010 seminars available for on-demand streaming

Videos from the first two events in the Fall 2010 ITS seminar series currently are available for on-demand streaming, as indicated below. Click each seminar’s title to view the associated video:

  • September 9 — Intelligent Decision Support Systems Inside the Vehicle: Can They Help Drivers to Make Safer Driving Decisions? — presented by Caroline Hayes, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota.

    Abstract: In this seminar, Hayes describes a study examining the safety impact of three decision support systems (DSS) used at intersections where a highway crosses a minor road controlled by a stop sign. Many crashes occur at such intersections because even cautious drivers sometimes make poor judgments about when to enter high-speed highway traffic. The three DSS warning systems evaluated in this study were a dynamic highway sign placed in the intersection, a similar display placed on sideview mirrors, and a haptic warning system in the seat that vibrates when gaps are unsafe. All three were evaluated and compared to identify which has the greatest ability to reduce crashes and increase safe driving behaviors.

  • September 23 — A Causal Model of Traffic Crashes and Conflicts — presented by Gary Davis, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota

    Summary: In this seminar, Gary Davis reports on the use of data collected in the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 to support microscopic modeling of crashes and near-crashes. In this project, several crashes between a following and leading vehicle were reconstructed using vehicle-based data from a 100-car study, site-based video data from the Minnesota Traffic Observatory, and site-based Doppler shift data from the Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance Systems (CICAS) project. In each case, estimates of acceleration histories, driver reaction time, and the situation at the start of the reaction phase were obtained. The project also demonstrated the potential of systems such as CICAS to provide data on near-crashes in intersections.

Upcoming Fall 2010 seminars

Five additional events in the Institute’s Fall 2010 ITS seminar series are scheduled to be webcast as indicated below. Click each seminar’s title for further details and instructions on how to view each webcast.

Note: videos and presentation slides will be available on each webcast’s page several days following each event.

  • October 7 — Vehicular Communications for Cooperative Safety Systems — presented by Luca Delgrossi, Senior Group Manager, Driver Assistance & Chassis, U.S. Mercedes-Benz Research & Development, North America, Inc.

    Summary: The next quantum leap in vehicle safety is represented by cooperative systems where vehicles exchange critical safety information among themselves and with the roadside infrastructure. The research community has already developed a set of new communication standards and built prototype systems demonstrating the feasibility and high potential introduced by cooperation among road users. However, key areas such as security and smart channel load control techniques still need to be addressed. In this seminar, Luca Delgrossi will discuss his team’s contribution to the development of 5.9 GHz Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) technology, including their participation in the first installation of the system at an intersection in Atherton, California. Delgrossi will also detail the technology’s advantages and limitations, and discuss how 5.9 GHz DSRC can be used by automotive OEMs to enhance safety.

  • November 4 — Topic TBD — presented by Monique Evans, Director, Office of Safety Research and Development, Federal Highway Safety Administration. Further details will be forthcoming.
  • December 2 — Topic TBD — presented by Darcy Bullock, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Purdue University. Further details will be forthcoming.

Prior years’ ITS seminar archives

In addition to the above seminar webcasts and on-demand streams, you can access a wealth of information regarding a wide range of Intelligent Transportation System research topics from the Institute’s prior years’ seminars. Available materials include papers, presentations, and videos. Click below to access each year’s archive:

Additional information regarding UMN’s ITS Institute’s ongoing seminar series is available here.

UMN’s Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Institute is one of 10 national-level University Transportation Centers (UTCs) funded by the U.S. federal government. In addition to these 10 National UTCs, 56 other universities host Regional, Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III UTCs.
 



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