A joint trial by the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT), the University of Wyoming, and other partners has successfully demonstrated a new connected vehicle alert system allowing vehicles to communicate road information to others.
The tech allows for vehicles to have the real-time capability to update road information and warnings for others in near real-time. The test was successful in Cheyenne, Wyoming, but this winter will be an even bigger test of its possibilities, with the installation of onboard communication devices on 100 of WYDOT’s vehicles and 75 roadside units around I-80. These represent phase one and two of the project, respectively, with a third and final phase to follow next spring and summer.
During this recent demonstration, the partners used several vehicles to communicate between one another during four respective incidents: a forward collision warning, a distress notification, a construction zone notification, and weather warnings.
“This technology will give us the ability to alert motorists of difficult situations before they encounter them,” WYDOT Director Bill Panos said. “We are testing cutting-edge technology that will assist in keeping the traveling public safe. WYDOT is committed to providing a safe, high quality and efficient transportation system, and this technology further helps us accomplish that.”
The project has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation–one of only three in the nation to hop at the opportunity to develop a Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program. The U.S. Department of Transportation will also review the research conducted after phase three ends to determine the success or failure of its findings.