Abstract
The VTTI project team led a collaborative effort with Neaera Consulting Group to develop and integrate a Multi-Incident Response Vehicle (MIRV) into the Safely Operating Automated Driving Systems (SOADS) vehicle. The MIRV vehicle will be applied as one technical solution to how automated driving systems can be designed to interact safely with public safety in challenging scenarios. This project explored whether a MIRV can extend the perception of an ADS to beyond the vehicle by providing eyes on the ground for better situational awareness, deploy flares to secure a scene surrounding a driverless vehicle, and communicate with emergency, safety, and police personnel. The MIRV will be docked underneath the SOADS F-150 vehicle and can be automatically deployed for both autonomous operation and remote teleoperations. Control and supervision of the MIRV will be possible through the cloud, accessible via mobile device and remote fleet management software. The MIRV will potentially demonstrate a new application of autonomous technology in transportation that could greatly improve safety by performing dangerous tasks, allowing passengers to remain safely in the vehicle while it is disposed on the roadway or perform necessary functions outside the vehicle when there are no passengers at all.
Project Highlights
- VTTI’s Multi Incident Response Vehicle successfully demonstrated the autonomous closing of roadway lanes through the process of lying non-incendiary flares in prescribed spear and taper formats.
- VTTI’s Multi Incident Response Vehicle will soon be integrated into the SOADS platform and be featured in the demonstration this Fall in Northern Virginia.
- Student interns working at Neaera Consulting Services honed their STEM skills by constructing a robot platform for the transportation sector that could eventually save lives.
Final Report
EWD & T2 Products
Student Impact Statement(pdf): Ten high school students from the Highlanders Robotics Team in Fort Collins, Colorado and two undergraduate students in Engineering from Colorado State University participated in conducting this research project. This file contains statements by all involved students as to the impact this project had on their education and workforce development.
This project resulted in the creation of a fully functional Multi Incident Response Vehicle (MIRV) and garage for storage and deployment of the MIRV, integrable with the F-150 SOADS vehicle.
This project also produced a complete software package of operational source code for controlling and communicating with the MIRV.
Presentations/Publications
Product Functionality Demonstration. (December 2022). Blacksburg, Virginia, United States.
Final Dataset
The final datasets for this project are located in the Safe-D Collection on the VTTI Dataverse; DOI: 10.15787/VTT1/SJ19VO.
Research Investigators (PI*)
Will Vaughan (VT)*
Mike Mollenhauer (VTTI/VT)
Jean Paul Talledo Vilela (VTTI/VT)
Project Information
Start Date: 07/01/2022
End Date: 08/15/2023
Status: Complete
Grant Number: 69A3551747115
Total Funding: $100,000
Source Organization: Safe-D National UTC
Project Number: 06-013
Safe-D Theme Areas
Connected Vehicles
Automated Vehicles
Safe-D Application Areas
Operations and Design
Risk Assessment
Driver Factors and Interfaces
Infrastructure Technology
More Information
Sponsor Organization
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC 20590 United States
Performing Organization
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
3500 Transportation Research Plaza
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
USA