AHSRA
Research
Materials

AHS Background of development

"i,c,a" Development of AHS System Functions

Outline of the Primary Requirements of Advanced Cruise-Assist Highway Systems

Report on CHAUFFEUR Study Mission

Report on AVHS Demonstration in Korea and others

Outline of the 2nd International AHS Task Force

Report on the 2nd International AHS Workshop

AHS Requirements
(Phase 0)

Outline of AVG Demo '98
(Holland)

AVG Demo'98 Arena Discussion Presentation

Status and Plans of AHS in Japan

'98 ITS World Congress-Presentation

R&D policy on AHS

Mission & approach of AHSRA

Invitation to participate in the Joint Tests
 

Date: 18 - 19 June 1998
Venue: Delft University Auditorium, Delft City

First Day (June 18)
Number of participants: 43
Of these, 16 were Japanese, 9 American, 4 Dutch, 2 French, 2 German. The number fell far below the projected number. The auditorium had capacity for 300, and the workshop turned out to be much quieter than that in San Diego last year.
 
Opening statement by Mr. J.J. Klijnhout,
(Transport Research Center, The Netherlands)
Six organizations including France have gathered under the slogan "La Route Automatisee" for development with the following in mind:
1.
 Priority on user services
2.
 Reduction of traffic accidents and mitigation of congestion
3.
 Improvement in road use efficiency
Currently, a second contract is being extended; definition of the long-range development program being developed at present.
Problems:
Assurance of safety, reduction of congestion, pollution, future as public organization, etc.
The scenario for resolving these and the development targets are:
A.
 Improvement traffic safety outside cities (longitudinal and lateral directions)
B.
 Automated cruising of freight (trucks) on long- and medium-distance highways
C.
 Mitigation of congestion outside cities
D.
 Reduction of the number of vehicles inside cities.

Outline of scenario development
A.
 Motor vehicle: Longitudinal, lateral, and obstacle detection
B.
 Increase in truck freight, greater convenience
C.
 Betterment of transport outside cities, town centers (public transportation, etc.)


Michiell Coemet, Ministry of Transport, Netherlands
Spoke on basic business plan, with the following areas to be covered:
*Freight, public, and individual transport
*Establishment of vision for development periods (short/medium/long-range)
*Selection of drive-assistance or automation
*Areas of application
*Relevance to the government policies
*Expectations on AVG in the long term
*Plans currently under way in the Netherlands:
  -- Combi Road - automated freight relations between port facilities and land transport systems
  -- People Mover - transportation between railway station and city hall, etc.
  -- Management of government - academe joint research programs
  -- Participation in international projects
  -- Policy development
  -- AVG business plan
  -- Positioning of Demo '98 - establishment of international cooperation and information exchange

Government Policy in Japan (Mr. Tokuyama)
Presentation features:
1.
 Basic concept of AHS cruise-assistance
2.
 User services
3.
 System development
4.
 Future development schedule
Items 1 and 2 were linked to the content of booth exhibits, employing numerical figures to explain that accidents in longitudinal and lateral directions and at intersections can be reduced dramatically with AHS-i, -c, and -a. Also, the steps to system development were explained in very clear terms.
Proposal to host the next Task Force The Third Task Force is to be held after the ITS World Congress to be held in Toronto, Canada, from 8 to 12 November 1999 and will have a Workshop only.
The Fourth Task Force is to be held in Japan, including demos. Taking into consideration the international conferences to be held in the same period, it is scheduled either in October or November of the year 2000.


Government Policy of Sweden
* Organization for administration of all roads has been set up with government funds.
* ITS research center has been set up in 1989 in Gaffenburg(?), the second largest city, at the cost of 100 million krones.
* Universities and electronics businesses are participating.
* Implementation has been reviewed since 1996; 7 transportation centers have been set up in the country.
Q:
 What is the incentive for developing ISA-equipped vehicles?
A:
 Work package will be prepared for automakers, who will be instructed to manufacture under OEM (original equipment manufacturer) arrangement
Q:
 How about ISA application to special vehicles such as snowplow?
A:
 We do not believe such a need exist.

IVI(Intelligent Vehicle Initiative) Policy (Bob Ferlis, DOT, USA)
On the current traffic situation:
* USDOT is executing action plan under its initiative
* Improved safety, efficiency, and mobility are being considered
* Accidents are believed to occur due to driver error
* Increase in traffic volume due to rise in population is believed unavoidable
What IVI is:
* Positioned as infrastructural cooperation system based on the vehicle
* System supplementing the driver and motor vehicle technology
DOT's role:
Disclosure of advanced technology by testing and making resources available
This consists of the following elements:
* Vehicle platform
* Functional level
* Operational generation

(1)
 Vehicle platform
a. Light vehicle
b. Heavy vehicle
c. Transit vehicle
d. Special vehicle
(2)
 Functional level
a. Information + warning to drivers
b. Driver assistance
c. Fully automated
(3)
 Operational generation
a. Field test on all models to start by 2003; services to be integrated at current stage.
b. Service at that stage to be integrated by 2009.
c. Service at that stage to be integrated by 2015.

Areas of services:
* Safety (rear-end collision, road departure/lane departure, etc.)
* Commercial
* Transit (obstacle & pedestrian detection, etc.)
* Support (excl. lateral & longitudinal control support, Finland's low-friction alarm, etc.)
Current project status (IVI):
* Started with $10 million and hoped for increase to more than $20 million this year
* IVI announced in Federal Register in December 1997
* 130 responses, 600 pages long.
Q&A
* What annual budget does IVI have?
We are hoping for $50 million but have not reached that level.
* How are the funds spent?
We are hoping for allocation of 8 parts to the government and 2 parts to private sector.
* Sweden has not conducted survey on ITS demand. How about the US?
It is necessary to clarify what the infrastructure has to offer. Next, we must go to the Highway Department and get their support. This must be done to gain partnership.

Hosaka (AHSRA, Japan)
Theme: R&D Policy Based on AHS Requirements Content:
The presentation focused on R&D policy on practical action in technology development, following Japan's AHS policy presentation by Mr. Tokuyama. He explained that Japan plans to achieve AHS by coordinating AHS services with various related programs from both upstream and downstream processes and to implement R&D in a balanced way with attention to international coordination.

Breakout Session (discussion divided into three areas, characteristic of this workshop)
1. Public transportation
2. Freight and maintenance
3. Passenger cars
I participated in the passenger car session (20 participants). Functions needed in the top three requirements
* Recruitment of partners
* Policy development
* Program execution
Other roles:
* Leadership in standardization
* Encourage integration of motor vehicles and infrastructure
* Action based on defined financial resources
* Listen to social opinion and increased added value for traffic problem alleviation, etc.
Role of the private sector:
* Product development
* Market promotion
* Integration of vehicular systems
* Assessment of consumer interest, etc.
The items listed in AHSRA's requirements were prioritized by a show of hands in the audience.
 
 
Both public/private
Government role
Private sector role
Safe headway
13
**
*
Obstacle detection
14
*
**
Longitudinal control
6
*
**
Intersection collision
7
**
*
Right/left turn
1
**
*
Pedestrian
3
Level crossing
0
Speed and capacity
3
**
*
*
Maintenance and specialty
2
Stop and go
3
(Support rises with the number of *)
 
Second Day (June 19)
Breakout Session
(1)
 Function of public transportation
To be need-oriented; needs were listed:
* Pedestrian and obstacle detection
* Rear-end collision aversion
* No social discrimination
* Safety
* Comfort
-- Safety function: Avert collision
* User acceptance - Yes, but differs by influence on comfort and other elements
* Government role - legislation such as cause search and speed limit
* Industry - execute product development
-- Comfort function: Pursuit of driving comfort
* User acceptance level - high
* Government response - standardization, such as speed limit
* Industry - product development
(2)
 Needs for CVO (commercial vehicles operation) and freight
* Collision alarm (AHS-i level) and collision aversion (AHS-c level)
* Driver alert method
* Deceleration at curve
-- Collision alarm already started in US and Japan; Europe starting in 1999
Government incentives to be offered in West Industry (automakers) focuses on product development Insurance companies boost business by granting incentives
-- Driver alarm
Technical feasibility completed 4 years ago and already marketed in Japan User acceptance, but possible labor union opposition in the US
Benefit, personal management by driver and improved Government, study into labor law control and incentives Industry, action on product development and standardization
-- Projected data for road control:

Item Timing
*Snow clearance 2 years
*Garbage truck (high-speed) 5 - 8 years
*Lane marking 3 years
*Magnetic nails 3 years
 

Results of the Breakout Session
Poll on Functions To Be Prioritized in Development
 
Priority
Feasibility(Number of years needed)
 
Under 5 yrs
5-10 yrs
More than 10 yrs
Stop and go
+
**
Collision reduction
++
*
*
Speed Warning/control
+
**
**
Lat. Control(low speed)
+
*
*
Road condition monitoring
-
**
Driver condition monitoring
-
*
*
Synchrony Traffic signal
0
*
*
ACC
++
***
 
Anti-collision (Mr. MacGowan)
Discussion using Mr. Hosaka's downstream process slides
(Regarding problem presentation, solutions, and system design)
Benefit:
Accident reduction
Cost reduction
Reduction of congestion, etc.
Government:
Obligation to explain to the people
Obligation to explain cost
Promote understanding for research and development
International cooperation:
Researchers cooperate and explore viability
Global market
Cooperation among experts
Improved acceptance of such systems will increase the latitude in problem-solving
 
A wareness survey: A survey was conducted on awareness regarding the following AVG-related issues.
 
Open Discussion:
Q: Impressions on demos of last year and this year
Answers:
US -
Achievements in San Diego were particularly good, raising interest thereafter in our state of Arizona.
Denmark -
Demos are for shows only. Demos should be done in more normal traffic.
South Korea -
The objective of demos is to show to the government and obtain funds. There are so many participants that some were not able to experience demo rides. Demos should be held with trucks simulating normal traffic.
US -
Demos and field tests should be separated. Technical demos are all right, but many who see the demo will ask "what can be done with it?"
(Written by Yamauchi)