The $25 million study, which is being conducted by the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute and funded largely by the DOT, will test a Wi-Fi-like system that allows vehicles to communicate with each other and with the road infrastructure in order to avoid crashes and prevent traffic congestion.
Known as dedicated short-range communications, the vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity system will use transmitters and receivers to allow vehicles to "talk" to each other and warn drivers of potential hazards such as a car ahead stopping short or a nearby truck drifting through lanes of traffic. Over 73 miles of roadway throughout Ann Arbor will also be outfitted with transmitters and receivers, permitting communications between vehicles and the road infrastructure concerning traffic conditions.
While the majority of the vehicles involved in the study will be supplied by volunteer participants, a number of major automakers will also take part, including General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Daimler, Hyundai, and Nissan. Each automaker has agreed to donate eight vehicles for testing purposes.
At the conclusion of the study, the DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to analyze data from program to decide whether to implement federal regulations related to vehicle-to-vehicle communications.
While the precise cost of implementing the system isn't yet known, Mike Shulman, technical leader of Ford Research and Advanced Engineering, estimates the cost would be similar to that of today's Wi-Fi systems in laptops and cell phones.
