# Presentation: 353470

## HOV Pooled Fund StudyAutomated Vehicle-Occupancy Verification Technologies Study

**HOV Pooled Fund Study**Automated Vehicle-Occupancy Verification Technologies Study

## Addressing the HOV Enforcement Challenge

- Automated Vehicle Occupancy Verification (AVOV)

## Study Team

- TTI
- Ginger Goodin, Research Supervisor
- John Wikander
- John Lowery
- David Ungemah
- Robert DeRoche
- Chris Poe
- Battelle
- Denny Stephens

## Presentation Overview

- Problem
- Overview of Project Objectives
- Project Deliverables
- Next Steps/Schedule

## Key Questions for AVOV Research

- How do various AVOV technologies work?
- What obstacles do they face?
- What is the outlook for success or widespread use of these technologies?
- What technologies are on the horizon, including “pie-in-the-sky” ideas that are perhaps years away from being considered?
- What technologies, if any, have been devised, but rejected, and why?

## Purpose and Objectives

- Review concepts, methods and technologies for AVOV
- Identify feasible technologies
- Develop criteria for improved AVOV
- Develop implementation guidelines

## Project Deliverables

- Synthesis Report
- Research White Paper
- Concept of Operations Document*
- Outreach Materials
- Project Fact Sheet
- Subject Presentation
- Distribution Plan, Letter, Notice
- *supplemental deliverable

## Synthesis Report

- Synthesizes current state of the practice in pertinent AVOV technologies
- Serves as a guide for identifying improved methods
- Detailed information provided on
- Roadside-based technologies
- In-vehicle technologies

## Research White Paper

- Chapter One	Introduction
- Chapter Two	State of the Practice
- Chapter Three 	Roadside Systems
- Chapter Four	In-Vehicle Systems
- Chapter Five	Legal and Privacy Considerations
- Chapter Six	Conclusions and Recommendations
- References

## Chapter One – Introduction

- Purpose and Objectives
- Traditional HOV/HOT Enforcement Practices and Shortcomings
- Criteria for Improved Occupancy Verification

## Problems with Visual Enforcement

- Insufficient Accuracy and Reliability
- Impaired by high vehicle speeds, dark vehicle tint, bad weather and dawn/dusk lighting conditions
- Rear occupants are especially hard to spot
- Costs and Manpower Requirements
- Enforcement costs for HOT facilities range from $3700 to $9000 per lane mile
- Safety Concerns
- Officers must position themselves close to high speed traffic for accurate occupant counting
- Insuring officer safety requires expensive barrier-protected enforcement areas

## Growing Need for AVOV 

- Better Occupancy Enforcement Needed for Existing and Proposed HOV Lanes
- Over 100 HOV projects in operation
- 33 projects planned
- Growing Number of Managed Lanes Projects Will Require Enforcement to Protect Toll Revenues
- 24 HOT projects in six states
- 7 HOT projects in operation
- 17 projects in development

## Traditional Enforcement Methods

- Geometric design methods to aid visual check
- Technology-assisted methods
- Supporting regulatory measures
- Policy and administrative approaches
- Shortcomings
- Reliability
- Safety
- Cost

## Chapter Two – State of the Practice

- Overview
- Description of AVOV Systems
- Roadside
- In-vehicle
- Research and Development Overview

## Research and Development Overview

- Domestic Initiatives and Projects
- Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Occupant Crash Protection Standard (FMVSS 208)
- Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Initiative (VII)
- I-15 Violation Enforcement Study
- International Initiatives
- E.U. Advanced Passive Safety Network
- PRISM Project
- AIDER Project
- ENTERPRISE Report

## Chapter Three – Roadside Systems

- Overview
- Sensing Technologies
- Technology Trends and Outlook
- Key Challenges
- Functional Requirements

## Sensing Technologies

- Viable Technologies
- Multiband Infrared Systems
- Infrared Systems
- Non-viable Technologies
- Photo and Video Systems
- Passive Microwave
- Ultrawideband (UWB) Radar

## Key Challenges for Roadside Systems

| Property | Visible
Light
(Passive) | Near
Infrared | Thermal
Infrared | UWB
Radar | Microwave |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Not blocked by tinted vehicle windows | N | Y | N | N | N |
| Capable of all-weather and night-time operation | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Capable of resolving vehicle cabin details | Y | Y | N | N | N |
| Fast enough to capture vehicles moving at freeway speeds | Y
 | Y | Y | N | N |

## Infrared Composite Imaging

## Technology Trends and Outlook 

- Viable research and technologies nearly in place
- Sensor technologies
- Faster and cheaper infrared sensors
- Image processing
- NIR fusion isolates skin signature
- Pattern classification
- Neural networks, state vector machines
- No systems in current production
- Cyclops undergoing field testing

## Chapter Three – In-Vehicle Systems

- Sensing Technologies
- Telematics / Communications Technologies
- Technology Trends and Outlook
- Key Challenges and Functional Requirements

## In-vehicle Sensing Technologies

- High Interest Technologies (Near Term Viable)
- Weight Sensors
- Optical and NIR Sensors
- Capacitive and Electric Field Sensors
- Low Interest Technologies (Near Term Unviable)
- Biometric Smart Cards
- Thermal Infrared Imaging
- Ultrasonic Sensors
- Smart Cards and Readers

## Weight Sensors

| Advantages | Newer frame-based systems integrate easily  
Immune to nearly all ambient conditions
Low parts cost |
| --- | --- |
| Disadvantages | Simpler systems can be fooled by weights on the seat, require careful calibration, and are somewhat inaccurate 
Frame-based sensors can only be used on front seats
Cushion-based sensors must be built into seats |
| Development Status | Production |
| Development
Interest | Large – nearly every manufacturer and parts supplier |
| Market
Forecast | Continued strong demand |

## Electric Field Sensors

| Advantages | Detects a signature biometric characteristic 
Cannot be blocked by non-conductive objects
Immune to nearly all ambient conditions
Can be used for front and rear seats
Low parts cost |
| --- | --- |
| Disadvantages | Must be integrated into seat surfaces or located directly overhead
Limited sensing range
Can be blocked by conductive materials such as foil |
| Development
Status | Production |
| Development
Interest | Moderate – systems have been investigated by NEC/Honda/Elesys, IEE, Allied Signal, Siemens, and TRW |
| Market
Forecast | Wider application foreseen for rear seats with side curtain airbags |

## Electric Field Sensors - Operation

## 3D Time-of-Flight (TOF) Sensors

| Advantages | Deals well with complex scenes 
Immune to nearly all ambient conditions
Compact form factor
Low parts cost |
| --- | --- |
| Disadvantages | Line of sight transmission |
| Development Status | Pre-production |
| Development
Interest | Large – systems have been researched by IEE, Canesta, Fraunhofer/Siemens,  DaimlerChrysler/Conti Temic |
| Market
Forecast | Wide application foreseen |

## 3D TOF Sensor Operation

## Trends:  In-vehicle Systems

- Sensing Technologies
- OEM advanced airbag systems will detect front occupants
- 100% of new vehicles by 2009
- Weight sensing
- Active Optical / NIR, Ultrasonic, Electric Field sensors
- Increasing monitoring of rear passengers as rear side curtain airbags gain adoption
- Electric Field sensors
- Telematics
- DSRC units for roadside communications (2008-2015 est.)
- Higher speed in-vehicle networks
- Safe-by-wire, Flexnet

## Key Challenges

- Accuracy and Reliability
- Rear Occupant Detection Capability
- Communications Integration
- Retrofit Feasibility and Costs
- Market Penetration

## Chapter Five - Legal and Privacy Considerations

- Overview
- Moving violations vs. toll evasion
- Statutory Framework
- Examination of statutes related to automated enforcement
- Legal Issues
- Legal challenges

## Privacy Considerations

- Privacy Concerns
- Threats
- Resolving Concerns
- Photographic record of occupants
- VII barriers
- Legal definition of HOV infraction
- Role of Public Education

## Conclusions and Recommendations

- Phased Approach
- Near Term (2-5 years)
- Growth of HOT lanes provides a market for roadside systems in the near term
- Use as enforcement tool
- Engage in VII development
- Intermediate Term (5-15 years)
- Legal authority for automated roadside system
- Continue VII engagement and address public privacy concerns
- Long Term (15-20+ years)
- VII-based in-vehicle system for occupancy verification

## Concept of Operations

## Concept of Operations Document

*Purpose*: To define user needs and functional requirements for a roadside AVOV system
- How can AVOV equipment fit into the larger context of an ITS network?
- Provides a starting point in the procurement process
- Describes equipment features that can be tailored for a specific application
- Helps determine what the procurement specification will need to address in order to support the desired feature

## Next Steps

- Address comments on Research White Paper
- Submit Concept of Operations for review
- Complete outreach materials
- Revise Project Fact Sheet
- Finalize Subject Presentation
- Develop Distribution Plan
- Project ends

- -  June 30, 2007
- -  June 22, 2007
- -  July 15, 2007
- -  July 31, 2007

## Questions?

- Ginger Goodin
- TTI
- g-goodin@tamu.edu