Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1347119
April/May/June 2021 I 35 This self-driving ability is generally limited to larger county, state, and interstate roadways with better lane markings. The combination of these tech- nologies is resulting in a variety of levels of automation. Manufacturers are integrating some level of automation into the vehicle systems of many new cars and trucks. 3 CHALLENGES FOR CAV DEVELOPMENT The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) identifies various proving ground sites for testing auto- nomous vehicles. 4 These facilities represent a diverse cross section of the automotive and commercial vehicle manufacturing and testing industry. A public roadway testing and research environment is essential to the development of CAV technologies. The variety of conditions such as weather, traffic patterns, and unexpected driving behavior on expressways and urban streets is often difficult to recreate at a mocked-up testing facility. Testing a connected vehicle's ability to transition from urban roadways to an expressway and back requires a merging of connectivity across these environments. No single proving ground site thus far has been able to provide a comprehensive testing facility for developing CAV applications in both expressway and urban environments—until now. With Ohio's Smart Mobility Corridor (US33 SMC) completed in December 2020 and the final deployment of electronic systems, either completed or near completion by the time of this article, US33 SMC will be the longest, largest, and most comprehensive "autonomous-ready" testing environment in the nation—and quite possibly the world, rivaled only by China's Apollo Park. Ohio's Department of Transportation (ODOT), as well as many other transportation agencies, is looking to improve the safety and operational benefits of CAV technologies to meet its goal of enhanced safety through improved interaction between vehicles and the trans- portation infrastructure and environment. This improved interaction leads to improved mobility by increasing safety and reducing delays and congestion. The autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle makes up one component of the CAV environment. The long awaited self-driving vehicle is well on the way to becoming a reality. Roadways will soon be the stage for a revolution in the automotive experience. Auto manufacturers and tech companies across the globe are in a race to develop and produce a safe and economically viable autonomous vehicle. The success of CAV development is dependent on a well-equipped infrastructure. The semi-autonomous vehicles already in devel- opment are utilizing a mix of wireless technologies and onboard ultrasonic, radar, image, and light detection and ranging (Lidar) sensor systems to drive the vehicle on the roadway. These location tracking and proximity sensing technologies combine two existing systems on some late model cars—traffic adaptive cruise control and a lane keeping system—into a more complete system that provides limited self-driving capabilities (Figure 1). FIGURE 1: Self driving autonomous vehicle. AUTOMOMOUS CAR Remote Sensing System Wireless Communication Long-Range Radar Short-Range Radar Surround View Blind Spot Detection Rear Collision Warning Park Assistance Surround View Traffic Sign Recognition Lane Departure Warning Emergency Braking Pedestrian Detection Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control Cross Traffic Alert Park Assist Surround View LIDAR Camera Ultra Sound