2012 Annual Report Mission and Background
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Fiscal Year 2012 Virginia Tech Transportation Institute 2012 Annual Report Mission and Background Mission Background The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute In 1996, VTTI was designated as one of three (VTTI) saves lives, saves money, and saves time Federal Highway Administration/Federal Transit in the transportation field by developing and Administration Intelligent Transportation Systems using state-of-the-art tools, techniques, and (FHWA/FTA ITS) Research Centers of Excellence. technologies to solve transportation challenges. Since then, the Institute has grown tremendously VTTI conducts applied research using a multi- and has garnered a reputation as one of the leading disciplinary core of researchers and educates transportation research institutions in the nation. students in the latest transportation technologies Its cutting-edge research is effecting significant through hands-on research and experience. VTTI change in public policies in the transportation uses a breadth of tools to explore transportation domain on state and national levels. In 2005, due to problems, including facilities such as the Virginia its continued research leadership, the Institute was Smart Road and the internally developed data designated the National Surface Transportation acquisition system (DAS). Safety Center for Excellence (NSTSCE). VTTI has an elite team of engineers that develops new techniques and technologies to study transportation challenges from any perspective: vehicle, driver, infrastructure, and environment. These capabilities earn the Institute a unique standing in the transportation research field and make VTTI a one-stop shop for transportation research, evaluation, analysis, and development. 2 Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Table of Contents 2012 Annual Report • Mission and Background 2 • Sponsors, Clients, Partners 4 • Facilities and Equipment 5 • The Virginia Smart Road 7 • Special Initiatives 9 • Tours and Open Houses 10 • Media Coverage 11 • Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center 12 • Center for Automotive Safety Research 14 • Center for Smart Infrastructure and Sensing Technology 28 • Center for Sustainable Mobility 32 • Center for Infrastructure-Based Safety Systems 38 • Center for Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure 42 • National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence 46 • Center for Truck and Bus Safety 70 • Center for Injury Biomechanics 78 • Center for Product Development 86 • Center for Technology Development 88 • National Tire Research Center 90 • Virginia Green Highway Initiative 92 • The I-81 Coalition/Transportation Policy Group 94 • Financial Information 96 • Stakeholders 122 • Personnel 124 • Publications 142 • Presentations and Honors 154 3 Virginia Tech Transportation Institute 2012 Annual Report Sponsors, Clients, Partners The continued success of the Institute 0 Hubbell Lighting, Inc. 0 Research and Special 0 is due in large part to its sponsors, Human Factors North Programs Administration 0 Institute for Critical Technology and 0 RGS Associates, Inc. clients, and partners. VTTI would like Applied Science (ICTAS) 0 ROHO, Inc. to acknowledge the contributions and 0 IDEA Programs 0 Rowan University 0 0 support of the following organizations: Institute for Transportation Research Rutgers University and Education at North Carolina 0 SAE International State University 0 Schneider National, Inc. 0 3M 0 Interactive Design 0 0 Science Applications AAA Foundation for Traffi c Safety and Development, Inc. International Corporation 0 0 AAA Mid-Atlantic Jacobs, Edwards, and Kelcey, Inc. 0 Science Museum of Western Virginia 0 0 ACF Johns Hopkins University 0 Scientex 0 0 American Association of Motor Last Resource 0 Shenandoah Telephone 0 Vehicle Administrators Lisboa, Inc. 0 Shentel Service Company 0 0 American Transportation Litton Network Access Systems 0 Siecor/Corning Research Institute 0 Lord Corporation 0 0 Siemens Amoco 0 Maccaferri 0 0 Snow Economics Arlington County, VA 0 MaineWay Services 0 0 Soft ware Technology, Inc. Atlantic Construction Fabric 0 MCI Federal 0 0 South Carolina DOT Attention Technologies, Inc. 0 Michelin 0 0 Systems Technology, Inc. Automotive Events 0 Minnesota DOT 0 0 Texas DOT Battelle 0 Mississippi DOT 0 0 Texas A&M Transportation Institute Beam Brothers 0 ModComp 0 0 TNO Defense, Security and Safety Bedford County, VA 0 Montana State University – Western 0 0 Tom Tom Bekaert Transportation Institute 0 0 0 Toyota Bishop Consulting Monterey Technologies, Inc. 0 0 0 Transanalytics Booz Allen Hamilton Motor Coach Industries 0 0 0 Transecurity California Department Motorcycle Safety Foundation 0 of Transportation (DOT) 0 Transportation Research Board National Academy of Sciences 0 0 Calspan 0 Travelers Insurance National Cooperative Highway 0 0 Cambridge Systematics United Defense, L.P. Research Program 0 0 Canadian Council of Motor 0 University of Calgary National Highway Traffi c 0 Transport Administrators Safety Administration University of Central Florida 0 0 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute 0 National Institutes of Health University of Iowa 0 0 CARPI USA 0 National Parks University of Maryland 0 0 CEI Group 0 National Private Truck Council University of Massachusetts/Amherst 0 0 Center for Innovative Technology 0 National Science Foundation University of Michigan Transportation 0 Cisco Systems 0 Research Institute National Transit Institute 0 0 Clean Air Tech International 0 University of Minnesota National Transportation Research 0 0 Clear Roads Center, Inc. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill 0 0 Corning Cable Systems 0 NAVTEQ University of Pennsylvania 0 0 Crack Sealant Consortium 0 New River Valley Planning University of South Dakota 0 0 Crash Avoidance Metrics Partnership District Commission U.S. Air Force 0 0 Delaware Department of Motor Vehicles 0 Nissan U.S. Department of Agriculture 0 0 Norfolk Southern Railroad ChooseMyPlate.gov Program Delaware Technical 0 and Community College 0 North American Fatigue Vehicle Safety Communications 3 0 0 DENSO Management Program Veridian 0 0 DLA Piper 0 North Carolina State University Virginia Center for Transportation 0 Donovan Hatem 0 Oilcom Innovation and Research/Virginia DOT 0 Operations and Security Division 0 Dunlap and Associates, Inc. Omni Weight Corporation 0 0 0 Osram/Sylvania Virginia Department of Conservation Dynamic Research, Inc. and Recreation 0 0 Outdoor Advertising Association Enercon Services, Inc. 0 Virginia Department 0 Ergonomic Analysis, Inc. of America 0 of Environmental Quality 0 Fairfax County, VA PACCAR, Inc. 0 0 Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles 0 Pacifi c-Sierra Research 0 Federal Highway Administration 0 Virginia Department of Rail 0 Parsons Brinckerhoff and Public Transportation Federal Motor Carrier 0 Safety Administration PB Farradyne, Inc. 0 Virginia DOT 0 0 Fluor, VA PB World 0 Virginia Rail Policy Institute 0 0 Ford Motor Company Penn State University 0 Virginia Tech Parking Auxiliary 0 0 Foundation for Outdoor Advertising Pennsylvania DOT 0 Virginia Tourism Commission 0 Research and Education Performance Fuels System 0 Visteon Corporation 0 0 General Motors Philips Lighting 0 Volvo Trucks North America 0 0 General Motors OnStar Division Pitt Ohio 0 Weigh-In-Motion 0 0 George Mason University Professional Truck Driving Institute 0 Westat 0 0 Georgia DOT PSMJ Resources, Inc. 0 Western Research Institute 0 0 Guard Rail of Roanoke, Inc. Realtime Technologies, Inc. 0 Windwalker Corporation 0 0 Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc. REI Safety Services, Inc. 0 Wisconsin DOT 4 Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Facilities and Equipment 2012 Annual Report Overview VTTI has several laboratories to aid in research objectives. These labs include driver-interface The traditional laboratories at VTTI are housed development, eye-glance data reduction, lighting in two buildings totaling more than 52,000 square research, accident analysis, accident database feet. Building I is 30,000 square feet and houses analysis, pavement research, and traffic simulation. office, laboratory, and garage facilities. Low-service laboratories include facilities dedicated to driver interface development, eye-glance data reduction, Vehicle Fleet lighting research, accident analysis, accident The VTTI vehicle fleet includes 32 vehicles database analysis, pavement research, and traffic and tractor trailers, many of them uniquely simulation. The National Surface Transportation instrumented for specific experiments. The Fleet Safety Center for Excellence (NSTSCE) building Inventory table outlines the year, model, make, and added 22,000 square feet of office and laboratory color of each vehicle or trailer. Researchers use the space and was occupied in July 2006. VTTI vehicle fleet for Smart Road tests; experimental test currently has approximately 7,500 square feet of vehicles are used to develop new instrumentation “flex” space in The Moss Building and Research packages. Several of the vehicles are long-term Building 7 at the Virginia Tech Corporate loaners from vehicle manufacturers, the Virginia Research Center (CRC). VTTI is expanding Department of Transportation (VDOT), and other its on-site capacity with the 7,000-square-foot partnering organizations. addition of three garage bays and a 24,400-square- All vehicles are maintained in-house when possible foot addition to Building 1 that will comprise with fully functional garages and a machine shop. office space. Flex space currently used in Research Loaned vehicles are maintained in cooperation Building 7 will be