AUTOMATED DRIVING ACTIVITIES IN THE U.S.A PARTIAL REPORT

JANE LAPPIN

CHAIR, TRB STANDING COMMITTEE ON VEHICLE HIGHWAY AUTOMATION

APRIL 19, 2021

EUCAD- VIRTUALLY BRUSSELS

WHAT NATIONAL POLICIES AND ACTIONS CAN ACCELERATE DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT?

• Structural safety standards for new vehicle designs

• Safe driving integration, by ODD, vehicle size/type

• Built infrastructure

• Machine-readable signage

• Digital short-range communications

• Road operations

• Ethics

• Liability

• Internal and external vehicle communications

• Accessibility

• Personal security

• Cybersecurity

• Data exchange standards

• Public acceptance

• Remote operations

• Consistent national regulations

• Procedural safety

• Platooning

• Planning

• Sensors/enabling technologies

• Equity

• Investment in Innovation*

• Multi-sector Pilots

• Public demonstrations

• Test beds

INDICATORS OF HEALTHY INNOVATION: AS OF FEBRUARY 25, 2021, CA DMV HAS ISSUED AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE TESTING PERMITS (WITH A DRIVER) TO THE FOLLOWING 56 ENTITIES:

• AIMOTIVE INC• AMBARELLA CORPORATION• APEX.AI

• APPLE INC• ARGO AI, LLC• ATLAS ROBOTICS, INC

• AURORA INNOVATION• AUTOX TECHNOLOGIES INC• BAIDU USA LLC

• BMW• HELM.AI INC• HONDA

• IMAGRY INC• INCEPTIO TECHNOLOGY INC

• INTEL CORPORATION

• LEONIS TECHNOLOGIES• LYFT, INC• MANDO AMERICA CORP

• MERC BENZ• NIO USA INC.• NISSAN

• NURO, INC• NVIDIA CORPORATION• OPTIMUS RIDE INC

• PHANTOM AI• PLUSAI, INC• PONY.AI

• Qcraft.ai• QUALCOMM TECHNOLOGIES,

INC

• TELENAV, INC.• TESLA• TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE• UATC, LLC (UBER)• UDACITY

• Udelv, Inc• VALEO NORTH AMERICA, INC.• VINGROUP USA LLC• VOLKSWAGEN• VOYAGE AUTO INC

• WAYMO LLC

• WeRide Corp DBA WeRide AI• XMOTORS.AI, INC

• RENOVO.AUTO• RIDECELL INC• SUBARU

• BOX BOT INC• CONTINENTAL• CRUISE LLC• CYNGN INC• DEEPROUTE.AI

• DELPHI• DiDi RESEARCH

AMERICA, LLC• EASYMILE• GATIK AI INC

• GHOST LOCOMOTION INC

• ZOOX INC

OTHER DATA POINTS, RAISING THE QUESTION: WHAT IS THE GOAL OF PUBLIC POLICY WHEN GLOBAL COMPANIES COMPETE?

As of January 27, 2021, CA DMV has issued Autonomous Vehicle Driverless Testing Permits to the following 6 entities:• AUTOX TECHNOLOGIES INC• BAIDU USA LLC• Cruise LLC• NURO, INC• WAYMO LLC• ZOOX, INC

Consolidation & Partnerships: Cruise buys Voyage; Aurora buys Uber ATG; Volkswagen invests $2.6 billion in ArgoAI; Motional partners with Aptiv and Hyundai; Amazon buys Zoox…

Waymo One outside Phoenix provides ~1,000-2,000 rides/week with 300 vehicles, logging more than 20 million test miles in a ~50sq/mile service ODD.

Nvidia sells GPUs to Toyota, Audi, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Airbus, Aurora Mobile, and Zoox

Lyft, Aptiv, and Motional (now with Hyundai), have completed ~100,000 paid taxi trips in Las Vegas over the last several years.

Autonomous vehicles registered in California traveled approximately 1.99 million miles in autonomous mode on public roads in 2020, a decrease of about 800,000 miles from 2019.

USDOT “recognized” 10 proving grounds in 2017 but did not provide funding:• City of Pittsburgh and the Thomas D. Larson

Pennsylvania Transportation Institute• Texas AV Proving Grounds Partnership• U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center• American Center for Mobility (ACM) at

Willow Run• Contra Costa Transportation Authority

(CCTA) & GoMentum Station• San Diego Association of Governments• Iowa City Area Development Group• University of Wisconsin-Madison• Central Florida Automated Vehicle Partners• North Carolina Turnpike Authority

Mobileye has data-sharing agreements with OEM and tech partners, including Volkswagen, BMW & Nissan. Mobileye reportedly gathers roughly 5 million miles of data every day.

1 CREATE A NEW VEHICLE CLASS FOR AVs

2 CLARIFY APPLICABILITY OF “MAKE INOPERATIVE” PROHIBITION3 ESTABLISH A NATIONAL AV PILOT PROGRAM

4 IMPROVE THE EXEMPTION PETITION PROCESS

5 RAISE THE CAP ON EXEMPTIONS FOR AVs

6 EMBRACE INNOVATIVE REGULATORY APPROACHES

7 MAINTAIN TRADITIONAL FEDERAL AND STATE ROLES

8 COORDINATE STATE AV POLICIES

9 ALIGN STATE TRAFFIC LAWS

10 LEAD IN INTERNATIONAL FORA

11 PROMOTE INDUSTRY STANDARDS

12 BUILD KNOWLEDGE FOR A SAFETY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK

14 SUPPORT U.S. LEADERSHIP ON AVs

13 PREPARE ROADWAY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR AVs

PILLAR 3 LAY THE FOUNDATION TO ACHIEVE LONGER TERM GOALS (11-13)

PILLAR 2 HARMONIZE FEDERAL, STATE, AND INTERNATIONAL POLICIES (7-10)

PILLAR 1 REFORM REGULATIONS TO ALLOW FOR AV DEPLOYMENT AT SCALE (1-6)

POLICY ROADMAP TO ADVANCE AUTOMATED VEHICLE INNOVATION A Four-Year Plan to Revolutionize Transportation

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation represents the manufacturers producing nearly 99 percent of cars and light trucks sold in the U.S.

Safety PrinciplesThe AVSC’s work consists of a set of safety principles for SAE Level 4 and 5 automated driving systems focusing on 1. Testing prior to and when operating

AVs on public roads,2. Data collection and sharing required

to reconstruct certain events and3. Interactions between AVs and first

responders.

PUBLICATIONS (to date)

Best Practice for Metrics and Methods for Assessing Safety Performance of Automated Driving Systems (ADS)

Best Practice for First Responder Interactions with Fleet-Managed Automated Driving System-Dedicated Vehicles (ADS-DVs)

Best Practice for Data Collection for Automated Driving System Dedicated Vehicles to Support Event Analysis

Best Practice for Passenger-Initiated Emergency Trip Interruption.

Best Practice for Describing an Operational Design Domain: Conceptual Framework and Lexicon

Best Practice for safety operator selection, training, and oversight procedures for automated vehicles under test

Members: Toyota, Ford, GM, Honda, Daimler, VW, Aurora, Lyft, SAE

WHAT WE DOPAVE helps enhance public understanding of driverless

technology through:• An educational website and social media channels• “Hands-on” demonstrations that allow the public to see and

experience driverless technology• Other outreach events, such as conferences and public

forums, that provide opportunities to engage with the public about AV technology and its potential benefits

• Policymaker workshops designed to provide real facts about AV technology to help policymakers make informed decisions

WHO WE AREPAVE is a diverse coalition that unites industry partners and nonprofit groups who believe in the potential of AVs. Our nonprofit members include disability advocates, safety groups, sustainability advocates, and trade associations. Our industry members include traditional automakers, auto component makers, startup technology firms, established tech companies, and insurers. We also have advisory groups of leading academics and public sector officials who provide guidance and support for the coalition’s activities.

Recent PAVE virtual panels:• What Do AVs Mean for Infrastructure?• Minnesota Governor’s Advisory Council on Connected

and Automated Vehicles• All AVs are Local: Trucks in Texas• Autonomous Vehicles and System-Level Safety• Disruptive Women Powering Our Autonomous Future

Panel• A Look at AV Perception

FOR EXAMPLE, AUTOMATED SHUTTLES

Shuttle operators & Manufacturers• Local Motors• EasyMile• Navya• AuroRobotics• Best Mile• May Mobility• Olli• Lohr• Cushman• Optimus Ride• 2GetThere• Robotic Research• Coast Autonomous

Locations • U-M Ann Arbor, MI• University of South Florida, Tampa• San Ramon, CA• Bedrock, MI• Denver, CO• Providence, RI• Minneapolis, MN• Detroit, MI• Sacramento, CA• Park City, UT• Columbus, OH

Pilots & Demos• 20 sites in 13 states

operating low-speed shuttle pilots/demos

• State, federal, local funding

• Public engagement• College campus,

office park, public road, amusement park, sports arena

• Lincoln, NE• Dublin, CA• Weymouth, MA• Gainesville, FL• College Park, TX• Greenville, SC• Arlington, TX• Jacksonville, FL• National Harbor, MD

FROM THE US GOVERNMENT

LOCI OF ACTIVITY (road vehicles)

• Departments of Defense:

• Non-combat applications that reduce costs & improve service, like logistics and campus mobility

• Department of Energy:

• Modeling and simulation of AV operations and impact to reduce energy consumption

• Department of Transportation:

• Safety regulation of all vehicles & roadways; implications for built infrastructure, land use planning, traffic operations, personal mobility, accessibility, transit, trucks, interstate busses, environmental impact…

• States

• Regulation and enforcement: Drivers, insurance, roadway safety and policing, public health

U.S. DOT AUTOMATED VEHICLES COMPREHENSIVE PLAN*

Builds on previous voluntary guidance ADS 2.0, AV 3.0, AV 4.0

Explains Departmental goals related to Automated Driving Systems (ADS)

1. Promote Collaboration and Transparency2. Modernize the Regulatory Environment

3. Prepare the Transportation System

Identifies actions being taken to meet those goals Stakeholder Engagement, Research, Guidance, Rulemakings

Provides real-world examples of how these Departmental actions relate to emerging ADS applications

• Occupant-less Low-Speed Vehicles • Passenger Vehicle Conditional Driving Automation• Passenger Vehicle Automated Driving Systems

• Automated Trucking Operations• Low-Speed Passenger Shuttles

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transportation.gov/AV

RECENT USDOT RULEMAKING ACTIVITY

• January 2021 – Final Rule on Occupant Protection for Automated Driving Systems (NHTSA)

• December 2020 – Notice Regarding the Applicability of NHTSA FMVSS Test Procedures to Certifying Manufacturers (NHTSA)

• December 2020 – NPA of National Standards for Traffic Control Devices; the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways; Revision (FHWA)

• November 2020 - ANPRM on Framework for Automated Driving System Safety (NHTSA)

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Slides 10-23 courtesy of Kevin Dopart, USDOT

USDOT AUTOMATION DEMONSTRATION GRANTS

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Applicant State Amount

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

TX $7,063,787

University of Iowa IA $7,026,769

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Transportation Institute

VA $7,500,000

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Transportation Institute

VA $7,500,000

Ohio Department of Transportation (through DriveOhio)

OH $7,500,000

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

PA $8,409,444

City of Detroit, MI MI $7,500,000

Contra Costa Transportation Authority, CA

CA $7,500,000 Stars indicate commercial testing

ACCELERATING INNOVATIVE MOBILITY (FTA)

• ELATE (Youngstown, OH, and Santa Clara Valley, CA)

• Partners: Western Reserve Transit Authority, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, CALSTART

• Automation Level: 4

• Vehicles: Two purpose-built, common-spec prototype accessible automated electric vehicle (AAEVs)

• Transit’s First-Mile/Last-Mile Solution (Houston, TX)

• Partners: Houston Metro, AECOM, Phoenix Motorcars, EasyMile

• Automation Level: 4

• Vehicle: A wheelchair accessible ZEUS 400 all-electric shuttle bus (EZ Zeus)

• Location: Fixed-route connecting Texas Southern University, University of Houston, and Houston’s Third Ward with light rail and bus service

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Slides 10-23 courtesy of Kevin Dopart, USDOT

SAFETY RESEARCH OVERVIEW

• Updating and Modernizing Regulations • (removing regulatory barriers & unintended consequences)

• ADS System Safety Performance • (test methods, safety performance metrics, functional safety)

• ADAS Evaluation and Test Development • (field studies, benefits estimates, user acceptance, test methods & metrics)

• Human Factors • (signaling, telltales, inclusive designs & user needs, communications with other road users)

• Occupant Protection• (alternative cabin configurations & seating positions)

HUMAN FACTORS UPDATES• NHTSA

• Maintaining Situational Awareness when Operating Automated Vehicles: Findings from Other Modes

• Child Passenger Safety Perceptions and Practices in Ride-sharing and Autonomous Vehicles

• Temporal Components of Warnings and Notifications for Safe Manual Re-engagement with the driving task in Automated Driving

• Exploring Methods of Remote Operation Following a System Failure with ADS Vehicles in Shared Mobility Applications

• FHWA

• Driver Acceptance of Vehicle Automation – Function Specific (L1 – L2) Automation Applications

• Research Key Automated Vehicle Human Factors Safety Issues Related to Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO)

• Investigate Key Automated Vehicle Human Factors Safety Issues related to Infrastructure

• Human Factors Issues Related to Truck Platooning Operations

• Ensuring Cooperative Automated Driving System (C-ADS) Vehicles and Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) Safety Through Infrastructure (upcoming)

TECH-CELERATE NOW

• Initiated by: FMCSA and ITS JPO

• Purpose: To accelerate the adoption of ADAS by the trucking industry to reduce fatalities and prevent injuries and crashes

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Partners:

Site: http://www.tech-celeratenow.org/

AUTOMATED VEHICLES AND ADVERSE WEATHER (AVAW)

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Source: FHWA

CARMAThe USDOT’s initiative focused on improving the transportation system by leveraging emerging automated driving technology and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology to enable increased safety and operational performance in moving people and goods.

Recurring traffic congestion use cases on freeways and arterials.

Nonrecurring traffic congestion use cases on freeways and arterials.

Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) and port use cases.

§ Congestion§ Transit§ Traffic Signals

§ Work Zones§ Weather§ Traffic Incident

Management (TIM)

§ Port Drayage§ Commercial Motor

Vehicles (CMV)§ Truck Platooning

USDOT Partners:FHWA | HRDSO | HOTM | RC

ITSJPO | FTA | FMCSA

USDOT Partners:FHWA | HRDSO | HOTO | RC

ITSJPO | FMCSA

USDOT Partners:FHWA | HRSDO | HOFM | RC

ITSJPO | FMCSA | MARAD

CARMA USE CASES

TRUCK PLATOONING EARLY DEPLOYMENT ASSESSMENTPHASE 2 FIELD OPERATION TEST OVERVIEW

• Proposed route and experimental design:

• California to Texas – 1,400 miles of I-10

• California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

• Four trucks and 20 drivers.

• One round trip per week for one year.

• Data to be collected.

• Engineering data: onboard sensors, J-1939 Bus, and DSRC

• Extra sensors for surrounding traffic collection: fixed beam lidars and video cameras

• Wireless modem connection with trucks for monitoring: CACC system operation and data logging health

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Source: California PATH

TRAFFIC OPTIMIZATION FOR SIGNALIZED CORRIDORS (TOSCO) PHASE II – BUILD & TEST 2020-2022

• Most research related to connected vehicles occurs on low speed arterial (35-45 mph) range or freeways

• SH 105 - Conroe, TX Corridor Represents a high speed facility

• 15 intersections between Montgomery, TX and Conroe, TX covering about 12 miles

• Posted speed limit range: 45 mph (east end) to 55 mph (west end)

21Source: Google Maps

N

MODELS FOR AUTOMATED VEHICLE PLANNING• Recent modeling projects include:

• Automated Vehicle Access, Mobility, and Affordability for System Users

• ADAS/ADS Data Collection Broad Agency Announcement

• Incorporating AV into Planning Models

• Improving Analysis, Modeling and Simulation for Connected and Automated Vehicle Capabilities

• Modeling Connected AV Performance

• Strategic Modeling Tools to Support AV Scenario Planning (VisionEval)

• FHWA AV/CV Modeling Peer Exchange22

Source: Rakoff, Hannah E., et al. Building Feedback into Modelling Impacts of Automated Vehicles: Developing a Consensus Model and Quantitative Tool. 2020, https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/48969.

INFRASTRUCTURE RESEARCH OVERVIEW

• Testing and Pilot Design, Development, and Evaluation Framework

• National Roadway Automation Concept of Operations

• AV Readiness: Infrastructure Funding and Timing Challenges and Solutions

• Truck Platooning Impacts on Bridges:Phase I – Structural Safety

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What is possible?

What will change as a

result?

What are the

impacts?

THANK YOU

Jane Lappinroad.vehicle.automation@gmail.com