The open location platform company Here and the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) have announced a multi-phase project to develop automated vehicle and freight movement technologies on a portion of I-380 from Iowa City to Cedar Rapids.
The integrated automated vehicle and freight movement corridor on I-380 is a critical element of the Iowa DOT initiative to develop a cutting edge, ready-for-implementation, platform for connecting and guiding automated vehicles based on high-definition (HD) mapping assets, predictive travel modeling, and cloud-based infrastructure.
The multi-phased project lays the foundation for the future of transportation and mobility in the state and focuses on a portion of I-380 from Iowa City to Cedar Rapids, but also has far reaching implications. Iowa DOT, Here and a host of state and private partners are aiming to bring together the technologies, data sources, and systems needed to make connected and automated driving a reality.
By using advanced technology from Here and starting with the I-380 corridor, Iowa DOT will create a more efficient and safe road network and generate more economic development opportunities. To fulfil its objectives, the project will use the new generation of Here’s open location platform, as well as the company’s HD Live Map, Predictive Traffic and Real-Time Traffic platform services. The Here technologies and services will allow Iowa to develop vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication; static and dynamic mapping data for vehicle automation; real-time traffic monitoring; and localized safety information for the traveling public and commercial fleets along the I-380 corridor. The real-time data will show what is happening every minute and that information will be delivered to vehicles. Then, analytics are applied to be able to predict and understand what is happening ahead. Finally, vehicles are connected to the infrastructure.
“This project lays the foundation for the future of transportation and mobility in Iowa. We are going to tackle the key technical and practical challenges of connected and automated vehicle deployments in real-world conditions,” said Iowa DOT director Paul Trombino III.
“Iowa is a producer state. Many of our goods leave our borders, making our transportation infrastructure the lifeblood of our economy. We are focused on leveraging advanced technology to create a more efficient and safe road network for intermodal mobility and increased economic development opportunities. Our vision is smarter, simpler and customer driven. The department is working to connect the various modes of transport required to move goods effectively and help its ‘customers’, citizens and businesses, live and work better.”
Monali Shah, director of global intelligent transportation at Here, commented, “Iowa is taking a leadership role in answering important questions about how transportation agencies prepare for, and facilitate, the adoption of automated vehicles. We look forward to leveraging our advanced location technologies to help human drivers drive more effectively today, and enable automated vehicles as they become available.”
