USDOT issues RFI regarding ‘Nomadic Data Collection Devices’

The US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), has announced a Request for Information (RFI) for documents related to nomadic devices for real time data collection. The announcement, which comes from the ITS Joint Program Office (ITS JPO), is not a solicitation for proposals or proposal abstracts, but requires information, for planning purposes, regarding: ‘the availability of nomadic data collection devices for real time travel data, with what are perceived to be unique capabilities for operating in a highly mobile environment’; and ‘to determine whether the needed capabilities exist or where there are gaps that need to be filled, through the development and certification of new data acquisition devices and/or systems’.

The ITS JPO division is looking for new smart sensors that can measure everything from road conditions and traffic density to visibility. Data gathered from the sensors will be incorporated into new Dynamic Mobility Applications that USDOT hopes will make transportation safer and more efficient. The RFI envisions one or more applications that people would carry with them from vehicle to vehicle, rather than in-built or on-board devices. Information gathered through public comment will inform decisions on whether and how to acquire devices as part of the ‘connected vehicle’ mobility research program’s testing agenda. Respondents are invited to comment on any of the items described in the request and are encouraged to address the specific questions featured at the end of the RFI. For further information, interested parties can visit; www.fbo.gov

28 June 2012