ITS Research Fact Sheets - Automated Vehicle Research
The Potential of Automation
Automated vehicles have the potential to bring about transformative safety, mobility, energy,
and environmental benefits to our nation’s surface transportation system. These benefits
could include crash avoidance, reduced energy consumption and vehicle emissions, reduced
travel times, improved travel time reliability and multi-modal connectivity, and improved
transportation system efficiency and accessibility, particularly for persons with disabilities and
the growing aging population. The pace of research, development, and commercialization of
automation technologies has increased rapidly in recent years. While technologies available
today require a human driver to monitor the roadway and be prepared to take control,
research into the development of fully self-driving vehicles is underway.
Automation Research at the USDOT
The USDOT’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) has established
an automation research program within the overall ITS program. Automation is also a key
component of the ITS JPO’s ITS Strategic Plan 2015-2019. The section below outlines the
program’s goal, objectives, and organization.
Goal
The program’s goal is to enable safe, efficient, and equitable integration of automation
into the transportation system. To achieve this goal, the USDOT will conduct research;
assess impacts; communicate results; convene and coordinate with stakeholders; provide
guidance, education, and assistance; develop or encourage appropriate standards and
policies; and continue to provide oversight and enforcement.
Program Objectives
- Facilitate development and deployment of connected automated transportation
systems that enhance safety, mobility, and sustainability
- Assess implications of emerging enabling technologies
- Research transportation system-level operational impacts of automation applications
- Assess the need for new vehicle performance guidelines and requirements
- Develop stakeholder guidance for automated vehicle operations
- Develop appropriate testing methods and objective test
procedures
- Estimate the potential safety, mobility, energy, and
environmental benefits of automation technologies
- Identify and address policy, institutional, and regulatory
challenges to safe automated vehicle operations.
Program Organization
The Automation Program is organized into five parallel research
tracks, as seen below.
Current USDOT Research
USDOT research aims to enable and accelerate the development
and deployment of automated vehicles; ensure safe and efficient
operations of emerging technologies and systems; and maximize
public benefits by leveraging connected vehicle technologies,
infrastructure-based solutions, and other approaches.
Current research includes:
Enabling Technologies
- Enabling Technologies: Future Forecast
- Assessment and Guidance for Digital Infrastructure
Safety Assurance
- Functional Safety of Automated Lane Centering Controls
- Cybersecurity Requirements for Automated Vehicles
- Driver Acceptance of Automated Vehicle Systems
- Human Factors Evaluation of Combined Function
Automation Concepts
Transportation System Performance
- Automated Speed Harmonization Prototyping and Testing
- Simulation for Research on Automated Longitudinal Vehicle
Control
- High Performance Vehicle Streams Simulation
- Partial Automation for Truck Platooning
- Lane Changing/Merge Foundational Research
Testing and Evaluation
- Development of Functional Descriptions, Safety Principles,
and Test Methods for emerging system concepts in
automated vehicles
- Transportation System Benefit Study of Highly Automated
Vehicles
Policy and Planning
- Standards Program Planning for Automated Vehicles
• Automation Policy Foundational Research
Connected and Automated Vehicles
Automated vehicles are those in which
at least some aspect of a safety-critical
control function (e.g., steering, throttle,
or braking) occurs without direct driver
input. Connected vehicles are those which
use wireless technology to communicate
between vehicles, roadside infrastructure,
and other road users. While some automation
technologies could be implemented without
connectivity, higher levels of automation will
likely need connected vehicle technology to
achieve their full potential.
Research Highlight
Evaluating Driver Transitions
There are critical research questions regarding
driver transitions between automated and
manual driving modes, such as how drivers
perform over time when using these systems.
This initial research study, Human Factors
Evaluation of Level 2 and Level 3 Automated
Driving Concepts, funded by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the
ITS JPO, addresses human factors research
questions focused on drivers transitioning
into and out of automated driving states.
The results could lead to the development of
initial human factors driver-vehicle interface
principles. Project partners include the Virginia
Tech Transportation Institute, Battelle, Bishop
Consulting, General Motors, Google, and the
Southwest Research Institute.
To learn more about this research, contact:
Kevin Dopart
Program Manager
USDOT ITS Joint Program Office
(202) 366-5004
kevin.dopart@dot.gov