Mcity Ann Arbor Connected Environment Operations and Maintenance

Principal Investigator(s):

James Sayer, Director and Research Scientist – The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute

Project Abstract:
The Ann Arbor Connected Environment has made many transformations over the years. We started in 2011 planning the world’s first dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) full-scale deployment and launched the Safety Pilot Model Deployment in 2012. We deployed roughly 2800 vehicles and 25 roadside units. The data collected and analyzed from the Safety Pilot project lead to updating the DSRC industry specifications with lessons learned and other improvements. Furthermore, NHTSA issued a proposed rulemaking in late 2017 that would have required all new vehicles to be equipped with connected vehicle technology. Unfortunately, it was never enacted, due mostly to the new administration. In 2015, we began to update the environment and renamed it the Ann Arbor Connected Vehicle Test Environment – AACVTE. AACVTE was compliant with all of the revised industry standards, used production security protocols, and only deployed devices that had passed certification testing. In 2019, we entered a new phase, that of operations and maintenance, and we again changed the name to simply the Ann Arbor Connected Environment. Through Mcity, this project will enable the continued operations and maintenance of the Ann Arbor Connected Environment. AACE provides a foundational living laboratory used by researchers, automobile manufacturers, telecommunications, and insurance providers to develop and test connected and automated vehicles and technology. The project does not require a final report.

Institution(s): University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute

Award Year: 2018

Research Thrust(s): Control & Operations, Enabling Technology, Human Factors, Infrastructure Design & Management, Modeling & Implementation, Policy & Planning

Project Form(s):