PATH

Experimental Vehicle Platform for Pedestrian Detection

Chan, Ching-Yao
Bu, Fanping
Shladover, Steven
2006

This report documents the work conducted for PATH Task Order 5200 – the evaluation of sensor technologies for pedestrian detection. A survey of recent and available sensor products were selected and evaluated to assess their applicability for vehicle-based solutions. The performance characteristics and limitations of various products and technological approaches were investigated. Subsequently, demonstrative experimental vehicle platforms and testing facilities were developed to illustrate the concept of vehicle infrastructure integration.

System Fault Detection in Human-Augmented Automated Driving

Cohn, Theodore
2001

Lateral control of a vehicle in the Automated Highway System (AHS) has been formulated and simulated as part of the hierarchical AHS control structure. In that structure, lateral control resides in the vehicle, and is implemented as a closed-loop control system with the lateral deviation of the vehicle from a reference position as a controlled variable and the steering angle or its rate as a controlling input. The PATH AHS scenario has assumed a road reference and sensing system based on magnetic markers equally spaced along a highway lane. Freedom in the selection of the polarity of each...

Exploratory Field Test of Early Fleet Niches for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles and Fueling Infrastructure

Martin, Elliot
Shaheen, Susan A., PhD
Lipman, Timothy E., PhD
Lidicker, Jeffrey
2009

Over the last several decades, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) have emerged as a zero tailpipe-emission alternative to the battery electric vehicle (EV). There are key questions about consumer reaction and response to operations and refueling of FCVs. This report presents the results of a “ride-and-drive” clinic series (n=182) held in 2007 with a Mercedes-Benz A-Class “F-Cell” hydrogen FCV. The clinic evaluated participant reactions to driving and riding in an FCV, as well as witnessing a vehicle-refueling event. The respondents entered the clinic with a strong interest in alternative...

Development of an Adaptive Corridor Traffic Control Model

Recker, Will
2008

This report documents work performed on PATH TO 5323. Due to an administrative mandate, the work performed and reported herein constitutes only the early stages of the multi-year project that was approved under PATH TO 5323, and subsequently divided into two distinct awards—TO 5323 and TO 6323. Moreover, a series of events during the early stages of the project substantially redirected the original effort. These factors led to a major redirection from the original project. The majority of the work performed under the revised TO 5323 was then to develop a methodology consistent with the new...

Onboard Monitoring and Reporting for Commercial Vehicle Safety (OBMS) Phase II: Field Operational Test

Misener, Jim
Nowakowski, Christopher
O'Connell, Jessica
Murray, John
2008

Each year in the United States over 450,000 large trucks are involved in crashes, resulting in about 5000 fatalities and 120,000 injuries. Significantly, truck driver error is a major causal factor to truck-involved crashes. This points toward onboard monitoring as a promising means to encourage good driving behavior, it would recognizing and provide necessary feedback to correct self-induced hazardous driving situations. This is the basis for our past prototype development effort, which has produced under Task Orders 5509 and 6609 a suite of hardware on a Freightliner Century Class.This...

Lateral Control of Heavy Vehicles for Automated Systems

Hingwe, Pushkar
Wang, Jen-Yu
Tai, Meihua
Tomizuka, Masayoshi
2003

This is the final report for MOU 313, "Lateral Control of Heavy Vehicles for Automated Highway Systems". It address the following task items: Analysis and synthesis of control algorithms based on system identification and calibration results (Task 4. in the MPU), Closed loop results at highway speeds (Task 5), limits and persormance of sensors, actuators and control schemes as infered from data collected during closed loop experiments at 55 MPH (task 6) and baseline safety requirements based on closed loop data (task 7) Five controllers were designed based on the model identification study...

Qualitative Analysis on the Performance of Non-uniform Platoons: Report I; Non-uniformities and Performance Issues

Tongue, Benson H.
Packard, Andy
Sachi, Paul
1997

This is the first of two reports in which we detail the accomplishments and findings of a two-year research project aimed at determining control and spacing strategies as well as developing performance issues for automated vehicles traveling in platoons under non-uniform conditions. The first phase of the research was geared toward determining parameter uncertainty ranges for a given model and expected disturbances that materially affect the behavior of a vehicle in a platoon. Once this was completed, the relevant criteria for determining platoon performance were investigated. A simulation...

Vehicle Assist and Automation Demonstration Report

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology (PATH)
2017

Vehicle Assist and Automation (VAA) systems enable lane-keeping and precision docking of transit vehicles. They offer the opportunities of providing high-quality transit service within reduced lane widths. Sponsored by the United States Department of Transportation, this VAA project aimed to demonstrate the technical merits and feasibility of VAA applications in bus revenue service. The VAA Demonstration project was carried out through the four phases of design, development, deployment, and operational tests. In the design phase, the system architecture and requirements were finalized, and...

Development of Deployment Strategy for an Integrated BRT System

Miller, Mark A.
Tan, Chin-Woo
Golub, Aaron
Hickman, Mark
Lau, Peter
Zhang, Wei-Bin
2006

BRT mixes the flexibility of traditional bus transit service with an array of higher performance rail transit features. One of its advantages over rail, however, is its possibility for incremental and flexible deployment. With this flexibility and incremental nature comes a deployment process for BRT that is highly complex because numerous elements can be incorporated in any number of distinct phases. In almost all BRT deployments, ITS and advanced bus technologies have been applied to BRT, however, in less than a fully integrated manner. This project explores how deployment decisions can...

The Naturalistic Driver Model: Development, Integration, and Verification of Lane Change Maneuver, Driver Emergency and Impairment Modules: Final Report

Cody, Delphine
Tan, Swekuang
2009

This report describes the development of a driver model from a Human Science perspective, with the goal of integrating this model into a simulation environment supporting the design and support of Intelligent Transportation Systems. It also provides a discussion regarding the challenges faced in such an enterprise, concluding with a discussion concerning the need to develop a driver simulator.