How CAV Technology Can Impact Roads for the Better

Everything from cruise control and lane keep assist to self-driving cars and flying vehicles are all part of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) (well, except flying cars). But what is a CAV, and why does it matter? A CAV is a vehicle that can connect to infrastructure, cars, and other objects on the road, all while having some level of autonomy. Current research in Minnesota by MnDOT is focusing on creating a fully autonomous vehicle, or a self-driving car. Minnesota is also known for a variety of harsh driving conditions, leading to a high number of accidents. Therefore, a self-driving car must be connected to objects around it in order to avoid accidents. But what does it mean to be "connected"? How autonomous do cars get? What are the benefits of these cars versus actual humans? In this article, we will answer those questions.

Connectivity

The first part of CAV is connection, which basically refers to how different sensors collect information in real time. There is also a literal connection part where the vehicle can communicate with infrastructure (V2I) and other cars (V2V) through roadside wireless units, or chips installed in participating vehicles. So far, the majority of the research goes into the different sensors involved and how those can play a role in increasing safety on the road. Let's take a look at a few:

LiDar - Light Detection and Ranging

• The "eyes" of the car

• It uses ultraviolet, visible, or infrared light to sense objects

• Uses laser beams and measures the range of the beam to create high level 3D maps

• Useful for sensing nearby objects

Radar

• Radar uses radio waves that reflect off objects

• Since radio waves have a longer range, is it useful for detecting moving objects

GPS

• A GPS is involved to generate a precise location of the car and which routes to follow

• Main applications in autonomous cars

Autonomy

In a world with the Tesla, we have all heard about how it can drive itself, of course with a real person ready to take over. Vehicles can have varying levels of autonomy, including autopilot in planes, and even lane-keep assist in newer cars to help the driver steer the car in the right direction. With advanced research combining sensors and a vehicle's ability to steer itself, we can get to almost or even fully autonomous vehicles.

Impact

As this blog focuses on the impact of engineering, let's examine why such technology would be beneficial for the roads by thinking of different problems we face while driving and how CAV technology can potentially solve that issue.

You can brainstorm ideas in your head or on a whiteboard. The goal of this brief activity is to expose you to a big chunk of the engineering design process that we are pretty much familiar with. This goes to show that almost anyone can become an engineer—all you need is an idea and the willingness to transform that idea into a reality, failing and learning along the way.

Now, here are some ways CAV can solve problems on the road:

• Merging: As Minnesotans, we pride ourselves on not knowing how to zipper merge. With CAV, merging can be less chaotic due to high level sensor detection, detecting many cars on the road and their precise location. A CAV, autonomous or not, can know when to merge and how.

• Human Factors: Whether it's that hesitation and merging at the wrong time, or being rushed and speeding through an intersection, human behavior is a large reason for crashes. There is research about how people interact with autonomous vehicles, which is the main idea of human factors research. With CAV, it will utilize sensors as mentioned above and know exactly when to speed up and when to brake. But regular and autonomous vehicles will always be mixed together on the road (just take a look at decades old models on the road), but if the autonomous vehicle is programmed correctly, it will communicate with other drivers just like a normal human would. Obviously, there is the lack of eye contact when it comes to pedestrians or other drivers at intersections, which is one limitation. But engineering comes with discovering limitations and how to fix them. What would you do to address the limitations of CAV?

Concluding Remarks

CAV is undeniably a fascinating topic, with the potential to revolutionize our roadways. Each year, approximately 40,000 individuals lose their lives in car accidents. Even if vehicles aren't fully autonomous, technologies that alert drivers could save lives. However, it's not just CAV research that seeks to improve our roads. Scientists seek to enhance the visibility of road markings in harsh weather conditions. Psychologists seek to improve road signs for greater clarity. Software engineers seek to develop simulations to effectively test various driving scenarios. And you and I seek to drive safely, protecting ourselves and others as well.