- Honda to pilot advanced prototype of road condition
management system with three tech partners and Ohio Department of
Transportation (ODOT)
- ODOT invests $700,000 for data
analysis and evaluation in project led by Honda and partners
i-Probe Inc., The University of Cincinnati, and Parsons Corporation
- Vehicle-generated data could make roadways safer by helping
maintenance crews more quickly address roadway damage
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 9, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- DriveOhio, the smart mobility hub of The Ohio
Department of Transportation (ODOT), has awarded over $700,000 for a two-year research project led by
Honda and three technology partners – i-Probe Inc., The
University of Cincinnati, and Parsons
(NYSE: PSN). The partners will develop a road condition management
system that will use vehicle-generated data to identify and report
hazardous road conditions in Ohio.
Honda will lead the project, leveraging the research it conducted
in 2022 and the Honda Drive Data Service* from Honda Motor
Co., Ltd., with the funding to cover project work by the three
partners.
Honda pilots prototype road condition
management system with three tech partners and Ohio Department of
Transportation.
In addition to increased efficiencies and potential cost savings
for the state of Ohio, the project
could help make roads safer and reduce the cost to consumers
associated with vehicle damage due to road hazards. ODOT is
responsible for nearly 50,000 lane miles and almost 45,000 bridges
across the state. Through early identification of roadway issues
like potholes or damaged guardrail, ODOT's maintenance crews may be
able to respond faster and make repairs before conditions worsen.
Furthermore, the vehicle-generated data could instantly link
inspectors to near real-time information, potentially reducing the
need for time-consuming visual inspections.
The initiative will build on a pilot program conducted by the
Honda Research Institute in 2022, which evaluated a road condition
management system using GPS coordinates and cameras to collect
real-time road condition information.
During the new two-year project, Honda test vehicles equipped
with Advanced Driver Assistive Systems (ADAS) will collect road
condition data on select routes that will be analyzed and evaluated
to pinpoint roadway damage and inform road maintenance operations
in Ohio. In the future,
ADAS-equipped vehicles could become part of an active road
maintenance system that collects anonymized road hazard information
for analysis and appropriate action by road maintenance crews.
Honda has been a leader in the U.S. in advancing connected
vehicle and connected infrastructure research and pilot programs.
By empowering drivers to participate and contribute to building a
safer and better roadway, this will significantly enhance the
customer experience while potentially improving the efficiency of
maintenance work for road operators like ODOT.
Scope of Two-year Project
Working closely with ODOT, the partner companies will integrate
their respective technologies with Honda test vehicles for data
collection and analysis of the roads located in rural and urban
areas. The project will focus on the following roadway
conditions:
- Roadway striping deficiencies that affect some driver
assistance features, such as lane-keeping assist functions
- Pothole development, including size and location
- Ride quality of the road, regardless of the vehicle's age or
condition
- Guardrail and cable road barrier damage
- Road sign wear, including missing signs
- Condition of berms, including the percentage and depth of drop
off
Honda and the partner companies will provide the roadway
condition data to ODOT through a web dashboard. ODOT will use the
data to cross-reference its regular visual inspections. The results
of the analysis will be used to enhance the machine learning
algorithm Honda uses to generate the web-based dashboards. After
the project, ODOT will evaluate the possibilities and value-add for
long-term use of such data for maintenance as well as for other
ODOT operations.
Executive Comments:
Ohio Department of Transportation/DriveOhio:
"As
transportation evolves and modern vehicles become more advanced,
ODOT is excited to investigate new ways to apply technology and
maximize efficiency for our crews," said DriveOhio Executive
Director Preeti Choudhary.
"Integrating vehicle data into our operations has the potential to
be a game-changer when it comes to better serving Ohio drivers and increasing roadway safety for
all."
Honda:
"As Honda continues to expand the application
of our Honda Sensing and AcuraWatch systems in the U.S., we have a
tremendous amount of valuable, anonymized data available for road
operators," said Sue Bai, chief
engineer and chief of data business, Digital Service Development
Division at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "We believe this
initiative will be a paradigm shift in road infrastructure
evaluation, management, and maintenance, by empowering drivers to
contribute to and participate in creating safer and smoother
roadways with a sense of shared ownership and pride, improving the
overall driving experience, and proactively helping prepare
infrastructure for future mobility needs including autonomous
vehicles, all toward Honda's goal of achieving zero
traffic-collision fatalities involving our motorcycles and vehicles
by the year 2050."
i-Probe Inc.:
"i-Probe is a world-leading
vehicle-data-based engineering service provider that can bolster
the revival and enhancement of road infrastructure," said
Daisuke Oshima, Chief Executive
Officer at i-Probe Inc. "In this ODOT project, i-Probe will lead
data collection on the roadways in Ohio and leverage results reporting based on
the experience we've gained through pilot projects conducted
with other state DOTs."
The University of Cincinnati
(UC):
"We are very excited to be part of this effort to help
ODOT in achieving its mission of providing a transportation
infrastructure that is safe, accessible, well maintained, and
positioned for the future." said Munir
Nazzal, the Director of UC's Center for Smart, Sustainable
and Resilient Infrastructure (CSSRI). "Over the past years, we have
been developing edge AI algorithms for real-time detection of
infrastructure assets deficiencies. In this project, we will be
testing and validating some of these algorithms as well as
assisting in integrating them into the Honda vehicles."
Parsons:
"This pilot project, a first for Parsons, is a unique opportunity
to gather original equipment manufacturer data into our iNET®
decision support system to help improve operational efficiency for
the Ohio DOT," said Jodie Bare, vice
president, Global Digital Services & Operations for Parsons.
"Our entire team is excited to be a part of this opportunity to
leverage innovative ideas, emergent technology, and product
evolution to push the boundaries of what's possible and deliver a
better world for our clients and communities."
Partners Bring Unique Expertise
Honda and its partners
are committed to drawing on unique expertise from various domains
to deliver the most impactful project based on ODOT's defined
requirements, while also creating a vision for the scalability of
the road condition management system. The partnering organizations
bring strong expertise in complementary disciplines:
- Honda has extensive knowledge of vehicle-generated data
and can serve as a significant source of anonymized connected
vehicle data to advance ODOT operations. Advanced active safety and
driver-assistive systems found in Honda Sensing® and AcuraWatch™
technologies are equipped to more than 7 million vehicles on U.S.
roads, designed to reduce the frequency and severity of collisions
while also serving as a technological and perceptual bridge to the
more highly automated vehicles of the future. Honda also introduced
the world's first vehicle with an Automated Emergency Brake (AEB)
system in 2004 and a Level 3 automated vehicle (conditional
automated driving in limited area) in Japan in 2021.
- i-Probe Inc. (IPI) is one of the world's first providers
specializing in collecting and analyzing big data obtained from
vehicle sensors to provide infrastructure condition information
services. IPI services include pothole/crack detection, pavement
roughness condition monitoring, and deterioration alerts, which
come with map overlay and are generated from daily monitoring. IPI
collaborated with Honda to deploy several vehicle-based road asset
assessment pilot projects in the U.S.
- The University of Cincinnati
(UC) is home to industry leaders with extensive knowledge and
experience in the use of vehicle sensors for infrastructure assets
evaluation and management. The UC team has led projects for ODOT
and other infrastructure operators, assisting in improving roadway
maintenance practices and addressing infrastructure challenges. The
UC team led a project that developed a system used by ODOT to track
and schedule different types of maintenance equipment.
- Parsons is a world-class leader in Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS) with a deep understanding of
transportation management centers based on their experience in
deploying over 90 Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS). This
includes significant integrations with other systems and data
platforms to create a seamless experience for DOTs.
* Utilizing driving and vehicle behavior data and location
information, the Honda Driver Data Service analyzes and evaluates
the traffic environment including locations where brakes are used
frequently. The system is designed to reduce the risk of traffic
collisions by identifying potentially dangerous spots on the road
which may cause traffic collisions and enabling the user to improve
the traffic infrastructure.
About Honda Commitment to Safety
Honda is committed to "Safety for Everyone" and is working to
further improve safety for everyone sharing the road. The company
has established a global goal to achieve zero traffic collision
fatalities involving Honda motorcycles and automobiles by 2050.
Honda operates two of the world's most sophisticated crash-test
facilities in Ohio and
Japan, and is responsible for
numerous pioneering efforts in crashworthiness, collision
compatibility and pedestrian safety.
Advanced passive safety features include Honda's proprietary
Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure and
next-generation driver and passenger front airbag technology, which
are designed to provide a high level of collision protection for
occupants. Advanced active safety and driver-assistive systems
found in Honda Sensing® and AcuraWatch™ technologies, now on more
than 7 million vehicles on U.S. roads, are designed to reduce the
frequency and severity of collisions while also serving as a
technological and perceptual bridge to the more highly automated
vehicles of the future.
Learn more at https://www.honda.com/safety.
Learn more about Honda through the Honda Digital
FactBook.
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SOURCE Honda