VIIC Cooperative Policy Research Plan
2009 - 2013

IntelliDriveSM National WG Meeting October 29-30, 2009

Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC)

• In October 1999 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated the 5.9 GHz band (5.850-5.925 GHz) for Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) based Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) applications for the purpose of improving public safety.
• In December 2003 the Commission adopted licensing and service rules for the 5.9 GHz Band.  DSRC systems will provide a short-range, wireless link to transfer information between vehicles traveling at high speeds and roadside units or other vehicles.
• The low latency communications capability, in combination with a nationwide data collection and processing network, will enable significant improvements to safety mobility, and productivity and convenience.
• The Final Rule and Order allows private and non-safety application to make use of the spectrum on a lower priority basis.

DSRC Communication Spectrum

5.9 GHz DSRC Technologies Enable Cooperative Transportation

• Critical SAFETY Technologies
  • DSRC radio for fast, interactive communications (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure and Vehicle-to-Vehicle)
  • Accurate and fast vehicle positioning sensing
  • Precision roadway database
• Critical MOBILITY Technologies
  • Real-time probe vehicle data (speed, direction, location, situational variables)
  • Data processing and information dissemination

VII Consortium

• Industry consortium founded to develop pre-competitive safety technologies
• Michigan 501 (c6) non-profit
• Nine (9) light-duty vehicle manufacturers
  • Chrysler
  • Toyota
  • Nissan
  • BMW
  • Mercedes-Benz
  • GM
  • Volkswagen
  • Honda
  • Ford

VIIC Program Work Orders

The workflow that is to be undertaken by the VII Consortium is broken down into various Work Orders 

• WO1 – Program Management
• WO2 – Systems Engineering
• WO3 – Radio (DSRC)
• WO4 –Policy Support
• WO5 – OBE System
• WO6 – Applications
• WO7 – Positioning
• WO8 – Security
• WO9 – Testing and Lab Facilities
• WO12 – Private Network Services
• WO14 – OBE TransitionVIIC Accomplishments

VIIC Accomplishments

• On-Board Equipment (OBE)
  • Selected, developed and purchased platforms
• Radio Devices (Dedicated Short Range Communication - DSRC)
  • Jointly developped a DSRC radio + Linux drivers + antenna
• Applications Development
  • Developed basic prototype applications to exercise the VII network (Probe Data Collection, Off-board navigation, In- vehicle signage, Payment applications)
• Vehicle Integration
  • Competed the process of integrating equipment into the vehicles (CAN access, Display mount, OBE mount)

VII – Proof of Concept

• Michigan DTE:
  • A Developmental Test Environment (DTE) will be built in Novi, MI and to serve as a test bed for any future VII Testing
  • 57 Road-Side Equipment (RSE) Sites
    • 13 Freeway
    • 44 Arterial
  • Over 45 Square Miles Covered
  • 75 Miles of Roadway
    • Interstate and Divided Highway: ~32 Miles
    • Arterial: ~43 Miles
  • Service Delivery Node (SDN) located at the Road Commission of Oakland County Traffic Operations Center
  • Multiple technologies deployed to provide communications from RSEs to SDN (termed Backhaul Communications)
    • WiMax: 28 sites
    • Wireline: 21 sites
    • 3G: 5 sites
    • Canopy: 2 sites
    • WiFi: 1 site

OBE Transition WO 14

• Objective – To enhance the performance of the Proof of Concept OBE and its associated applications to allow the system to be used for research purposes by naïve third parties.
• Tasks – baseline current system performance and implement opportunities to make the performance more robust. The five month activity  encompasses:
  • OBE services improvements (radio, positioning , HMI Manger etc)
  • Applications including Hearbeat, Probe and Signage improvements
  • Development of user and diagnostic manuals
• Conclusion -The activity will conclude with regression testing of the enhanced OBE operating with the enhanced Development Test Environment to quantify the performance improvement achieved.
• Expectation – The system will exhibit performance improvements  sufficient to facilitate further research into IntelliDrive^SM activities.

Roadmap Task 1.5 Vehicle Systems Deployment Analysis

The USDOT intends to develop and analyze a range of deployment scenarios for IntelliDriveSM.

VIIC is currently working on one aspect of deployment scenarios through Policy Work Order Task 12 - Retrofit Research. VIIC anticipates:

• participating in developing and analyzing additional deployment scenarios
• providing analysis of Volpe research work and analysis of other stakeholder position papers, etc.

Roadmap Task 1.8 Development of Implementation and Operations Strategies

The USDOT intends to develop a range of implementation and operations strategies including infrastructure deployment strategies and vehicle-based deployment strategies.

VIIC anticipates:

• having significant responsibility for development of any vehicle-based deployment strategies
• being a contributor to the infrastructure deployment strategies, due to the integration of both system elements

Roadmap Task 2.1 Financial Workshop

The USDOT intends to conduct a workshop to engage experts in venture capital market financing and corporate strategic investments, as well as experts in more traditional transportation innovative financing and public-private partnerships.

VIIC anticipates:

• participating in this workshop
• providing industry review and position input to the workshop findings

Roadmap Task 2.3 Analysis of Market Factors

The USDOT intends to identify the market factors that will create a sustainable and ongoing marketplace and to identify how market factors will drive or influence the success of IntelliDrive^SM .

VIIC anticipates:

• contributing to the analysis of market factors that can further implementation of 5.9 GHz DSRC for safety applications
• participating in development of investment model options

Roadmap Task 2.4 Investment and Funding Analysis

The USDOT intends to build on the results of the Task 2.1 financial workshop, to develop a set of investment model options and describe how each model will work and what the potential impact of each model would be on market opportunities.  

VIIC anticipates:

• reviewing and developing industry positions on potential investment model options

Roadmap Task 2.7 Benefits/Cost Analysis Updates & Identification of New Technology Costs

Following the development of the initial deployment scenarios, the USDOT intends to identify new or additional costs and benefits, including the costs of new technologies.

VIIC anticipates:

• participating in the cost benefit analysis work
• providing industry based estimates for forecasting and modeling

Roadmap Task 3.1 Governance Needs Summary

The USDOT intends to develop a report on governance needs associated with IntelliDrive^SM including identifying key steps in developing a governance framework and the governance requirements vis-à-vis the technical work plans.

Governance is an extremely important issue for the VIIC. The VIIC:

• provided governance industry position papers and recommendations for an experts’ workshop
• will assist in the development of the report

Roadmap Task 3.2 Governance Framework Alternatives Analysis

The USDOT intends to analyze other governance structures with focus on how the governance entity has addressed safety, stimulated a market, engaged private industry, used regulations/standards, and dealt with policy that is similar to the “federated” nature of the transportation system.

The form of VIIC participation in this Roadmap Task 3.2 will be dependent on how the USDOT proceeds with the execution of this task

Roadmap Task 3.3 Rules of Use, Operation, and Enforcement

The USDOT intends to develop options for a system of rules of use, operation, and enforcement based on deployment scenarios developed in Task 1.1 and framework options in Task 3.2.

VIIC input is considered essential to the development of rules of use.  The VIIC will:  

• develop independent industry position papers
• provide analysis of program findings and proposed options

Roadmap Task 4.1 Institutional Issues Analysis

The USDOT intends to identify the range of institutional issues that will present significant challenges to successful IntelliDrive^SM deployment, operations, and use including privacy, liability, patent or IP issues, data ownership, and spectrum use.   This is another area of significant interest to VIIC members. The VIIC will:

• participate in the institutional issues analysis work
• develop industry positions and linkage to deployment scenario, investment, and governance framework models

Roadmap Task 4.2 Legislative Analysis

The USDOT intends to identify legislation that may conflict with or offer best practices for IntelliDrive^SM deployment.  It also intends to identify cross-jurisdictional issues and other potential legal impacts, and to develop recommendations relative to those issues and impacts.

VIIC anticipates:  

• developing industry position papers
• directly engaging in expert work group meetings

Roadmap Task 4.3 Risk Analysis

The USDOT intends to conduct a risk analysis and develop recommendations for each deployment scenario that addresses the impact of technology evolution, roadblocks that may lead to deployment delays or stoppages, and any other known risks.

The VIIC anticipates:

• providing input to the risk analysis
• developing industry positions on the influence of these risks on various deployment scenarios  

Roadmap Task 4.5 Spectrum Analysis

The USDOT intends to analyze the legal issues and market opportunities and identify the impacts to each of the deployment scenarios.

From this analysis the USDOT intends to develop recommendations for discussion with the FCC on use of the allocated spectrum.

VIIC anticipates:

• developing industry positions on the use of the allocated spectrum
• engaging in discussions with the FCC on this issue

Roadmap Task 4.6 Development of Institutional Recommendations

The USDOT intends to develop recommendations for overcoming the issues, roadblocks, and challenges identified throughout Track 4 and to most effectively leverage best practices and opportunities.

VIIC input to this work is considered essential to achieving successful DSRC deployment. The VIIC will:

• develop industry positions and recommendations on each institutional issue being investigated
• participate in the stakeholder workshops
• provide input to the recommendations report

Roadmap Task 5.2 Comparative Analysis of Deployment Scenarios

The USDOT intends to conduct a comparative analysis that assesses each deployment scenario for its impact on Safety, Mobility, Environment, Market Opportunities, and Return on Investment.

This is another area of significant interest to VIIC members. The VIIC will:

• directly engage in expert work group meetings
• assist in the development of a comprehensive assessment of deployment scenarios

VIIC Board-Approved Cooperative Policy Research Timeline