6/20
ACAS/FOT Phase I Interim Report Available June 30, 2002   |  Jack Ference of NHTSA requested that we post this, to get it the widest possible distribution.  If you'd like a copy of the results, contact Jack directly at jference@nhtsa.dot.gov.

6/19
Metro Transit of Minneapolis Shows Off High Tech Bus to FTA Chief    |   As part of a Bus Rapid Transit technical conference in May, Federal Transit Administrator Jenna Dorn took a ride on a bus that includes virtual mirror and assisted steering technology.  Metro Transit provides info on the ride and the overall project.  

6/9
Real-Time Centimeter-Level GPS Positioning in the Works to Aid Vehicle Safety Systems   |   The US Federal Highway Administration, a pioneer in making differential GPS available for ITS applications, is now experimenting with centimeter-level accuracy.  Such precise positioning could become a key element in active safety systems and vehicle-highway automation.  IVsource takes a look.  

6/2
A Look at the A.C.S. Speed Sensitive Accelerator Pedal   |   The accelerator pedal -- which has remained basically unchanged since the origin of the automobile -- is due for an upgrade.  Soon it will evolve to be active and "intelligent" -- suitable to meet emerging needs of Intelligent Speed Adaptation and other systems requiring a cooperative interface.  French inventor Alain Landerretche provided IVsource with information about one such interface -- the Speed Sensitive Accelerator.

5/31
NSF Solicits for Exploratory Research on Communications Systems for Surface Transportation   |   The NSF/USDOT ICSST program is looking for researchers to address information and communications technologies in order to gain enhancements in safety and relieve congestion, among other goals.  Proposals are due in early June.

5/20
Fiat Research Hits the Road with Blind Spot Sensor   |   Latest news from the innovative Italian manufacturer.

5/19
Close of an Era -- ITS Joint Program Office in Transition with Departure of Johnson     |   An era is coming to an end, as Dr. Christine Johnson, long time director of the ITS Joint Program Office within the US Department of Transportation, is moving on.  IVsource provides a perspective on her tenure and speaks to possible future directions for the JPO, the “center of gravity” of the federal ITS program in the United States.

5/8
Yet Another Magazine Dangles Visions of Future Smart Cars   |   The little press that the automated highway concept does get often makes it sound -- somewhat inaccurately -- as if it's still pie in the sky.

5/7
ITSA 2002 Retrospective -- This Year's Show Hot on Highways, Cool on Vehicles   |   The tribes gathered once again for one of the biggest Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) events of the year – the 12th annual ITS America Annual Meeting.  This year's conference and full exposition took place at the Long Beach, California convention center during the last week of April, and IVsource was there ... looking (harder than we expected) to find showcased examples of intelligent vehicles.
 

5/7
German Research Initiative INVENT Investing 76M Euro in Safety and Mobility   |   German INVENT program goals -- improving traffic safety and reducing congestion -- are shared by other programs around the world.  But the nature, scope, and level of cooperation in the program promises to foster some of the most far-reaching activities to date in the worldwide intelligent vehicle research community.

5/6
California Researchers Examine Automated Truck Operations and Deployment   |   As part of the ongoing work in heavy truck automation being funded by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), researchers at San Jose State University have been examining deployment paths for inter-city trucking operations.  A detailed deployment sequence has been proposed.

4/24
ITS America Meeting To Offer Six Sessions on Human Factors and IVI   |   This month's Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) Annual Meeting has plenty to offer on intelligent vehicle issues within one of its seven tracks.

4/20
Night Vision System Now Available on Kenworth’s Big Trucks   |   In a notable first for the trucking industry, Kenworth has expanded safety system offerings with the introduction of the Kenworth Night Vision System for its Class 8 product line, developed by Bendix Commercial Vehicles Systems.  

4/4
Analysis & Editorial: Arizona's Vision 21 Task Force Keeps to the Basics But Misses the Vision   |   Founded by Arizona's Governor in 1999, the Vision 21 Task Force had a broad charter to examine the state's transportation needs and opportunities over the next 20 years. Their final report was released in CD format earlier this year, and addressed, appropriately, such broad issues as transportation revenues, project approval processes, and mobility for Arizona citizens. While they did their job in addressing the core issues, they failed to achieve a true long-term vision of how road transportation may evolve based on intelligent vehicle technology and the opportunities this offers to highway operators. IVsource takes an in-depth look.

4/1
Minnesota Researchers Tackle Driver Fatigue Detection and Warning   |   Joining the growing number of researchers in the complex field of driver fatigue monitoring, investigators at the University of Minnesota have achieved some successes with a system that detects symptoms of fatigue and warns drivers accordingly.