ATSSA Signal July/August 2018

American Traffic Safety Services Association 16 Innovation & New Programs The Connected Automated Vehicles (CAV) and Automated Vehicle (AV) indus- try is undeniably progressing and ex- panding, especially in terms of commu- nication and collaboration. A growing population of academics, major auto manufacturers and representatives from federal and state governments are in- vesting time and money into technolo- gies that will advance CAVs and AVs. Rob Dingess, president of the Mercer Strategic Alliance, came to ATSSA head- quarters to discuss CAV and AV technol- ogy, and what it means for the associa- tion and the future of the roadway safety industry. “We’re going to have to have the ability to communicate effectively with these new systems that are highly evolving, constantly changing. If you’re an ATSSA member company and you’re involved in anything related to traffic control de- vices, you have to ask yourself if you’re prepared for what ’s coming,” said Dingess. Dingess spoke about the levels of auto- mation that will take place as the tech- nology evolves. Levels of Automation (LoA) designate the automated capabil- ities of a vehicle, and differentiate AVs fromHAVs, with level 0 translating to no automation and 5 translating to full au- tomation. An AVwith an LoA greater than 3 would be considered an HAV and be more likely to fair well on a well- maintained roadway with adequate strip- ing than it would on a rural road because the sensor technologies rely heavily on pavement markings to operate. Additionally, Dingess spoke about the existing technology related to CAVs and AVs, as well as the challenges and op- portunities they provide to ATSSA and its member companies. Several automotive companies have been working on the next wave of AV technology, and by 2025 the market for partially autonomous vehicles is expect- ed to reach $36 billion, and the AV mar- ket is expected to reach $6 billion. He spoke about how companies devel- oping CAV and AV technology will inter- sect with companies that work in road- way signs, pavement markings, traffic control devices, and work zones. Dingess encourages ATSSA members to become more involved in the association’s tech- nical committees to learn what they’re working on, and to get prepared for the future of the roadway safety industry. ATSSA is already making efforts to help its member companies prepare for in- creasing AV technology and presence on U.S. roadways. ATSSA members and staff have been working with the Auto- motive Safety Council (ASC), a trade as- sociation that represents manufacturers and suppliers of the automotive safety industry. The most recent collaboration was in March during the 2018 ASC An- nual General Meeting. ATSSA’s Director of New Programs Brian Watson and Chief Technology Officer for Road Infrastructure Inc. Paul Carlson met with meeting attendees about po- tential ways ATSSA and ASC could share information, what that shared informa- tion might lead to, and specific actions that could be taken in the infrastructure and automotive industries to reach a unified goal. “Preparation means what they’re doing about pavement markings, what they’re doing about having work zones that can communicate with automated vehicle systems, and where traffic signals fit,” said Dingess. Dingess highlighted how important technology and ATSSA training will be to roadway workers, who will ultimate- ly be interfacing with this incoming technology, as they adapt to working in work zones in an automated road- way environment. “ATSSA has never been more important to its members than it is right now. We’re in a time of disruption in the in- dustry and our members are going to need ATSSA to help them as the indus- try goes through this rapid change,” said Dingess. Future of roadway safety industry, automated vehicle technology discussed in ATSSAmember visit Mercer Strategic Alliance President Rob Dingess discusses AVs and the future of the industry ATSSA member Rob Dingess shared insight on the future of autonomous vehicles with staff at ATSSA’s head- quarters in Fredericksburg, Virginia.