2015 Automated Vehicle Symposium Vehicle Assist and Automation (VAA) - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Vehicle Assist and Automation (VAA)

Greg Larson

Caltrans Division of Research, Innovation and System Information (DRISI)

Using Bus Steering Automation Technology to Improve Safety, Costs, and Efficiency

2015 Automated Vehicle Symposium

Levels of Automation

Bus Rapid Transit Issues Today

• Customers demand high-quality transit services
• Agencies need a safer and more cost-effective

transit system

• Insufficient funding for building and operating

new light or heavy rail systems

• Space limitations for installing bus-only lanes in

existing ROW

• Drivers complain about driving in narrow,

bus-only lanes

How Does VAA Help?

• Potential Benefits:
• Reduced right-of-way requirements and

infrastructure build-out costs

• “Rail-like” operations
• Smoother and faster travel
• Reduced operating and maintenance costs
• Reduced accidents

VAA: An Enabler for BRT

5

LRT Heavy Rail Bus

Level of Investment

(e.g. Capital Cost, Operating Cost)

Level of Service/Performance Measure

(e.g. Capacity, Operating Speed, Travel Time, etc.)

Feasible Region

Los Angeles Local Bus Los Angeles Metro Rapid

BRT with VAA

• Fully Grade

Separated

• Roadway Shoulder

Operations

• At-Grade Transit-

way

• Designated Arterial
• Urban Circulator
• Suburban Collector

BRT

US DOT VAA Program

The U.S. Department of Transportation, through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the ITS Joint Program Office, awarded three cooperative agreements to demonstrate, in revenue service, one or more Vehicle Assist and Automation (VAA) applications for bus-based, full-size public transit vehicles.

Vehicle Assist and Automation (VAA) is…

a technology that guides buses using magnets, just as trains are guided by tracks.

Magnetic Marker System

• Superior performance --

Support tight lane guidance and precision docking

• Robust -- Operable with all

weather and road surface conditions

• Safety -- Can detect missing

magnets

• Low costs -- infrastructure

installation: ~$20-30k per mile for magnets installation

• Maintenance free for

infrastructure

Automated Bus Demonstration at APTA 2003 in San Diego

Demonstration of Lane Guidance and Precision Docking Systems at 2005 ITS World Congress in San Francisco

Automated BRT Demonstrations

Automated BRT Demonstration

Field tests & demonstration of lane guidance system along AC Transit’s East 14th Street BRT route in San Leandro

• First time testing and demonstration of the magnetic

guidance in a real world urban setting

• System demonstrated its repeatability and reliability under

real-world conditions (with street crowns and obstacles, mixed with city traffic)

• Lessons learned here benefited later VAA development
• Workshop with California transit agencies received positive

response

Automated BRT Demonstration

Caltrans VAA Project

• Objective:

Demonstrate the technical feasibility of lateral vehicle guidance and how vehicle guidance can improve transit agency operational efficiency, performance and service quality

• Partners:
• LTD – Eugene, Oregon
• AC Transit – Alameda County, California
• UC Berkeley PATH Program
• FTA – Federal Transit Administration

LTD VAA Overview

• 23 mile BRT line
• 3 miles of magnets installed
• LTD maintenance yard test track
• One 60’ New Flyer bus equipped
• Two sensor bars
• Steering actuator
• Computer controller
• Human-Machine Interface display

LTD Automated Bus (New Flyer 60’)

Indicators (2 sets) Steering actuator Front & rear magnetometer sensor bars (2) Magnetometer sensor boards Yaw rate gyro HMI controller (2) Control computer (2) Actuator controller Instrument Cabinet (25x15x38) cm GPS Buzzer (2)

J1939 connection

Switch & button

• Automated System Installation/Configuration

A Large Step Towards Deployment

• Substantial new hardware and software developments

that better integrate with different transit buses and improve reliability and safety

• Product-like components and subsystems
• Safety – Fault Detection and Handling
• Infrastructure preparation: design and installation
• Close collaboration with transit agencies and drivers
• Real-world operating scenarios
• Real-time data collection and independent evaluation
• Operation in revenue service!

Can Transit Agencies be Early Adopters of Vehicle Automation?

There are compelling reasons for initially focusing on heavy vehicles, such as buses, trucks, and agency maintenance vehicles:

• Trained, professional drivers that are more likely to be able to

re-take control, if needed

• Well-maintained vehicles that are less likely to have failures in the

first place

• Costs for added automation equipment are incrementally low

compared to the overall cost of the vehicle

• Easier to add equipment, since internal data networks are based on
• pen standards (SAE J1939)
• Some vehicles operate on exclusive right-of-way, which minimizes

interference from human-driven vehicles

• Fleet Operators are open to trying new practices that reduce

business costs

Caltrans provides a safe, sustainable, integrated and efficient transportation system to enhance California’s economy and livability

Questions and Discussion

Caltrans Division of Research, Innovation and System Information http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/drisi/