Dr. Mahlon Heller was the PI of a multi-year research project for the design and development of an Autonomous Shadow Vehicle (ASV). This ASV R&D project was funded by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), New Technology and Research Program, Minnesota Department of Transportation (MN/DOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The project and its predecessor, also directed by Dr. Heller, were worth over $1.4 million. A shadow vehicle is the first vehicle that a motorist sees when approaching freeway a maintenance operation. A flashing sign on the back of a shadow vehicle alerts drivers to freeway maintenance ahead or to notify drivers that a lane is closed. The Autonomous Shadow Vehicle research and development project was a result of the need and desire to remove drivers from the shadow vehicles due to their exposure to extreme danger. Shadow vehicle drivers are severely injured or killed every year when errant drivers crash into the back of these vehicles. The ASV is targeted for freeway operations that involve continuously-moving lead vehicles where the lead vehicle is performing freeway maintenance operations such as road sweeping, paint striping, and cone placing.

 

Safe operation of the ASV is paramount. Hence, the ASV employs three independent tracking systems referred to as the Antenna, Vision and GPS Tracking Systems. Each tracking system provides the same parameters for steering, braking and throttle control, and calculation of the position of the shadow vehicle relative to the lead vehicle. The Antenna Tracking System and the Vision Tracking System are considered the primary systems regarding safety. Information from the GPS Tracking System is used when available. The lead vehicle driver controls the distance between the ASV and the lead vehicle via the Lead Vehicle User Interface (LVUI) Also, operational status of the ASV is provided via LVUI. This project was successfully demonstrated in the summer of 2000 and a video and additional detail may be found on Dr. Heller's Web site at www.ecs.csus.edu/eee