Shankwitz, Craig

The SAFETRUCK program focuses on preventing accidents on rural highways, especially those associated with run-off-the-road incidents and driver fatigue, by giving the vehicle the ability to steer to the side of the road and come to a safe stop if the driver falls asleep or is otherwise incapacitated. Researchers have equipped a Navistar 9400 series class 8 truck tractor with the sensors and control computers necessary to perform this task. Designing the controller that will steer the truck requires a mathematical model of the lateral response of the truck to steering inputs. In this project, researchers developed a lateral dynamic model by incorporating second order dynamics into the steering axle tires. Simulation of the resulting models indicated dynamic behavior that was close to the experimental data for speeds between 15 and 30 miles per hour. This is the first time that a lateral dynamic model of a truck has been experimentally verified. Both models, however, resulted in experimentally determined values for steering axle cornering stiffness that were considerably smaller than published values for the Goodyear G 159 tires on the truck.

This report presents results of the research performed on the Autonomous Land Experimental Vehicle (ALX) at the University of Minnesota. ALX autonomously follows roadways through the use of visual perception, and executes obstacle detection and collision avoidance through the use of ultrasonic sonar range sensors. This report describes the ALX embedded real-time control system based on a multi-processor, multi-tasking architecture, and presents algorithms used for visual perception, path tracking, position estimation, obstacle detection, and collision avoidance. Computer simulation and experimental results also are presented.

This report provides an overview of autonomous vehicle technology, specifically focusing on sensing and control technologies. It resulted from safety issues at the Mn/ROAD high-load, low-volume pavement test facility. Appropriate technology helps ensure the safety of the truck driver that provides loads to the pavement and the safety of traffic on I-94. Researchers currently are working to provide a semi tractor capable of driver-supervised autonomous operation at the Mn/ROAD facility. Such a driver-supervised system will allow the truck driver to monitor the operation of the automatic control system actively guiding the truck and will allow the driver to take control from the control computer when desired.

With interest in collision avoidance technology for highway vehicles on the rise, this report presents an overview of current collision avoidance technology, the technical work required to bring these systems to a commercially viable product, and the societal issues that need addressing before wide-scale deployment can occur. Many questions remain about the benefits of deploying such systems, the costs, the effect of these systems on drivers, and the steps necessary to effectively regulate vehicles equipped with such systems. In addition to technical aspects, the report also discusses the issues that society will face during development and deployment of these systems, which may prove bigger impediments to deployment than technical issues. The report also recommends a research plan to perform fair, unbiased evaluations of emerging collision avoidance technology.

Recent advances in MIMIC (Millimeter Monolithic Integrated Circuit) radar technology play an important role in the development of automated highway systems and automated vehicle control systems. This report presents results of a preliminary investigation into MIMIC-based automotive radar technology and makes recommendations for hardware evaluation. MIMIC technology integrates much of the radar transmitted, receiver, and signal processing hardware onto a one- or two-piece chip set. Massive integration leads to lower manufacturing costs and lower product costs. Moreover, this integration reduces the size of hardware, allowing the radar components to be installed in the vehicle without the need for significant modifications. As radar systems become smaller and cheaper, the demand for these systems will increase. Radar systems affect both the vehicles so equipped and other vehicles within a reasonable proximity. Before vehicles equipped with radar systems travel on public roads, their effects on traffic flow and highway safety must be investigated so that proper regulations can be developed and enforced.

The State of Minnesota has under way its Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) initiative, the goal of which is to eliminate fatal traffic crashes. This is a daunting task, and with limited financial resources, optimal strategies that provide the greatest benefit for a given cost have to be utilized if the goal of TZD is to be met. This report reviews both infrastructure and emerging in-vehicle solutions as a means to determine the optimal deployment strategy of countermeasures designed to improve highway safety. Infrastructure-based solutions are examined on two levels: 1) an analysis of a cross-section of strategies implemented throughout Minnesota, which 2) produced a before:after analysis that quantified the effectiveness of a variety of strategies utilized in Minnesota. In addition to the standard civil engineering countermeasures studied under the before:after analysis, emerging infrastructure and in-vehicle technology-based solutions were modeled in terms of effectiveness and potential deployment schedules. These cost and effectiveness models facilitated a comparison to the results of the before:after analysis, and from the comparison, optimal strategies for improving safety with limited funds and the TZD goal are presented.

Report #9 in the Series: Toward a Multi-State Consensus on Rural Intersection Decision Support. This research is part of a larger study to improve rural intersection safety. The Intersection Decision Support (IDS) research project is sponsored by a consortium of states (Minnesota, California, and Virginia) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), whose objective is to improve intersection safety. The Minnesota team's focus is to develop a better understanding of the causes of crashes at rural unsignalized intersections and then develop a technology solution to address the cause(s). In the original study, a review of Minnesota's rural crash records and of past research identified poor driver gap selection as a major contributing cause of rural intersection crashes. Consequently, the design of the rural IDS technology has focused on enhancing the driver's ability to successfully negotiate rural intersections by communicating information about the available gaps in the traffic stream to the driver. In order to develop an IDS technology that has the potential to be nationally deployed, the regional differences at rural intersections must first be understood. Only then can a universal solution be designed and evaluated. To achieve this goal of national consensus and deployment, the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Transportation initiated a State Pooled Fund study, in which nine states cooperated in intersectioncrash research. This report provides an overview of the crash analysis phase of the pooled fund study for all participating states. This includes patterns identified in severity, driver, and type of error as well as countermeasures previously tried by states.

Report #8 in the Series: Toward a Multi-State Consensus on Rural Intersection Decision Support. This research is part of a larger State Pooled Fund study to improve intersection safety. This report documents the initial phase of selecting a rural, four-lane expressway intersection to deploy a mobile vehicle surveillance system in California. The research team initially looked at four intersections of which none were suitable, thus the California Department of Transportation with the help of the districts chose US 395 and Gill Station Coso Road.

Report #7 in the Series: Toward a Multi-State Consensus on Rural Intersection Decision Support. This is the seventh report in a series that will be used to understand the regional differences in rural intersection crashes. It documents the initial crash-analysis phase of a nine-state pooled fund study for Nevada and concludes that the best overall candidate for test deployment of the IDS vehicle surveillance system is US 50 and Sheckler Cutoff.

Report #6 in the series: Toward a Multi-State Consensus on Rural Intersection Decision Support. This is the sixth in a series of reports sponsored by a consortium of nine states and the Federal Highway Administration to improve intersection safety. To develop an Intersection Decision Support (IDS) technology that potentially can be deployed nationally, regional differences at rural intersections must be understood. To achieve this goal, the University of Minnesota and Mn/DOT conducted a State Poled Fund Study. This report documents the crash analysis phase of the Pooled Fund Study for the State of New Hampshire and concludes that the intersection that is the best overall candidate for test deployment of the IDS Vehicle System is NH 101 and HN 123.