TROY, N.Y. — Today’s “smart vehicles” may be getting a little smarter as a result of research under way at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

A team of researchers led by George List, chair and professor of civil and environmental engineering, and William (Al) Wallace, professor of decision sciences and engineering systems, is developing a system that collects real-time traffic data and uses it to alert drivers about congested roadways, offering alternative routes to avoid problem areas.

The dynamic routing system — Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) — consists of a personal digital assistant (PDA) device with a global positioning system (GPS) that is part of a wireless computer network. The network collects and processes traffic data from the device and feeds the results back to the driver through an electronic voice mechanism.

“We have merged our data-gathering and computing expertise with existing GPS technology and navigational routing software. The result is a smarter routing system that we believe will make travel safer and more efficient,” said List, who also directs Rensselaer’s Center for Infrastructure and Transportation Studies.

The ATIS implementation process is under way and includes selecting and training a test group of 200 volunteers who will begin using the new system in their cars late this summer. The test group will be made up of drivers who commute each weekday morning to a location that falls within a specified suburban test bed area in Rensselaer County in upstate New York.

“Traffic volume varies in suburban areas because the highway system consists of freeways and rural roads. We have addressed these problems using sophisticated computing applications,” said Wallace. “If we demonstrate that this new system works in suburban areas with varying traffic densities, we are confident it will work in metropolitan areas where volume is typically greater.”

The ATIS project is funded by a $1,654,447 grant from the United States Department of Transportation and the New York State Department of Transportation. The ATIS team is lead by Rensselaer researchers and includes public and private organizations, as well as other academic research institutions.

Contact: Theresa Bourgeois
Phone: (518) 276-2840
E-mail: bourgt@rpi.edu