2009 International Bus Roadeo
Overview of Vehicle Assist and Automation
(VAA)Technologies and Applications
Rob Gregg
Director, Transit Management &
Innovation
NBRTI/CUTR/University South
Florida
QUALITY TRANSIT -- NOW
What is VAA ?
“VAA systems are a cost effective solution to provide
Rail like service at bus type prices using BRT vehicles
Equipped with inexpensive driver assist technologies”
 Vehicle Assist: applications that help
driver maintain control bus (driver
always in control):
 Precision Docking
 Vehicle Guidance
 Vehicle automation: applications that
provide full automated control
 Platooning
 Automated Vehicle Operations
VAA: An Enabler for BRT
Feasible
Region
Level of Investment
(e.g. Capital Cost, Operating
Cost)
Heavy
Rail
BRT with VAA
LRT
• Fully Grade
Separated
• Roadway Shoulder
Operations
• At-Grade Transitway
• Designated Arterial
• Urban Circulator
• Suburban Collector
BRT
Bus
Los Angeles Metro Rapid
Los Angeles Local Bus
Level of Service/Performance Measure
(e.g. Capacity, Operating Speed, Travel Time, etc.)
3
PATH Magnetic Guidance System
PATH/UC Berkley/Caltrans
• Developed since 1987 and thoroughly tested
– National Automated Highway Systems
Consortium demonstration in San Diego
in 1997
– Field tested for Bus Rapid Transit on
arterials
• High performance
– 10 cm lane keeping accuracy at
highway speeds
– 5 mm precision docking accuracy
• Costs for infrastructure instrumentation:
less than $20k per mile
5 mm = 0.196850 "
PATH DGPS/INS/Magnet Based
Guidance System
Steering actuator
Integrated DGPS/INS Unit
Magnetic Marker System
Yaw rate gyro
Caltrans, together with AC Transit in the San Francisco Bay
Area and the Lane Transit District (LTD) – Eugene Oregon,
supported by PATH
Goal:
• To demonstrate the
technical feasibility of
lateral vehicle guidance and
how vehicle guidance can
improve transit agency
operational efficiency,
performance and service
quality.
Benefits of Lane Assist
Technology :
• Reduced Land Use
• Reduced Impervious Surface
• Minimize impact on Existing
Land Uses
• Reductions in Dwell Times at
Stops
• Reduced Travel Time
• Safer Operation
• Improved ADA Access
• Rail-Like Image
VAA Demonstration
Environment / Technology
• Revenue Service Applications
– AC Transit - Lateral guidance on an
HOV lane and through a toll plaza
– LTD - Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) transit
way lateral guidance and precision
docking at bus stops
• Technologies Proposed
– Magnetic marker sensing
– Differential Global Positioning System
(DGPS) with inertial navigation sensors
– Combination of the two
7
AC Transit Proposed VAA Test Route:
TransBay Express Bus Line M
45ft. MCI Coach / Air
Conditioned/ High Back
Seating / Wi Fi
Service Bay using San
Mateo (92) and
Dumbarton Bridges (84)
San
Mateo
Bridge
Application Environments
• AC Transit Lane M
– 4 miles HOV on Route 92
– Narrow toll plaza on San Mateo
Bridge
– Positioning Bike Racks (4
Bikes, 2 per bay) and
wheelchair lifts
– Diverse urban & suburban
local streets
– Poor road conditions (trees,
narrow roadways, tight turns)
•
•
•
•
•
Vehicle
63-foot articulated bus
New Flyer
Hybrid-electric propulsion
Doors on left and right side
Bikes on board
Application Environments
• Lane Transit BRT
– Four-mile corridor & eight stations
• 15.5-minute travel time
• 10 minute service (except late at night)
– (1) 60 ft New Flyer BRT buses
• Technology to be tested
– Magnetic guidance along dedicated
lane segments
– Precision docking
– Collection of DGPS data for
verification for lane assist and
precision docking in urban area
Median traversable
Transit Lane
Other VAA Demonstrations
• Minneapolis Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) Lane
Assist
– Shoulder Running: Cedar Avenue (TH 77) – Cross-town
Commons (TH 62) – I-35W
– Differential GPS & Non-contact Velocity Measurement
Technique (to augment DGPS)
– Development Underway
• SANDAG Transit Only Lane (TOL)
– Shoulder Running: I-805
– Technology TBD
– Proposals Received
Minnesota Lane Assist Project
• System component procurement / design complete.
• The DGPS Virtual Reference Station Network is
operational with 5 of 6 base stations connected.
• The driving simulator purchased / Operational spring of
2009.
• The U of MN HumanFIRST program has initiated the
development of the training protocol, both for the
simulator portion of the training program, and for the
on-road portion of the training protocol.
• New steering feedback system designed, and is under
development.
• Operational 2010
SANDAG San Diego VAA Project:
TOL (Transit Only Lane)
• 21 Miles of Freeway Shoulder Operations.
– Introduces this new transit service along a 20 mile stretch of the I-805
corridor (42 miles round trip)
• Provide drivers with assistive technologies but ensure they retain
ultimate control.
• Utilize combination of sensors to support situational awareness, lanekeeping and adaptive cruise control functions.
• Builds on the successful technology demonstrations in 1997 and 2003
in San Diego.
• Request for Proposals: Winter 2008 – currently evaluating proposals
• Begin Design & Construction: Spring 2009
• Begin Service: Spring 2010
VAA: Potential Capital Cost
Benefits: Narrow Right of Way
Standard Bus width 8.5. ft. + mirrors
Standard Highway Lane Width = 12 ft.
Automatic Steering Reduces Lateral
Tracking Errors to 10 cm or less on straight
roads and moderate curves
Reduction cost for Bus ROW &
Construction?
Bridges and Tunnels?
Envisioned Customer /
Operational Benefits
“Rail-Like” Experience
Easy Access, ADA Feature, Bicycle Use
Improvement
Reduce Boarding / Dwell Time
Reduce System / Vehicle Damage
Reduce Operating / Maintenance Costs
Improve Travel Time, Safety and
Productivity
VAA Advisory Panel
(VAAAP)
•
•
•
•
Peer Transit Agencies
Technology Experts
User Market Interest Groups
Industry Manufacturers
Technology / Information Transfer
Thank You!
Rob Gregg
Director, Transit Management &
Innovation
NBRTI/CUTR/University South
Florida
Gregg@CUTR.usf.edu
Wei-Bin Zhang,
PATH / University of California, Berkeley
wbzhang@path.berkeley.edu