CITR | SMOOTH

In a Smart City, all individuals should have access to multiple choices of transportation. In the U.S., the first mile (access to transportation choice) and the last mile (from transportation station to final destination) can be the weakest links in smart mobility. Many people in the US do not live or work close to a transportation stop, and transportation stops are not always close to the final point of interest. While walking may be a solution for some, it does not apply to everybody (elderly, limited mobility, etc.). Note for instance that the elderly are expected to become 20% of the entire US population within the next 25 years. The proposed solution is a network of “on demand automated vehicles,” demonstrated using a closed circuit of automated shuttle driving within the Ohio State University main campus and two selected stops within the outer campus. The automated shuttles will have Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) communication and will be equipped with vulnerable road user detection technology, enabling them to function in pedestrian zones on campus. The Ohio State University is a very large campus with multiple local bus lines, bus stops, roads and pedestrian walkways. Although the first phase of the project will be on Campus, the City of Columbus will benefit as the proposed GCTC project moves to pilot studies in Columbus in later phases. MORPC, which develops the Columbus area metropolitan transportation plan, will consider integration of SMOOTH project use cases into the transportation plans of Columbus and Mid-Ohio.
The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research, Control and Intelligent Transportation Research Lab; The Ohio State University Crash Imminent Safety University Transportation Center; CISCO; The City of Columbus; General Electric (GE); Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC); Battelle; and Team ARIBO are participating.