Browsing by Author "Donath, Max"

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Advanced BRT Volume II: Innovative Technologies for Dedicated Roadways
(University of Minnesota, Center for Transportation Studies, 2008-06) Cheng, Pi-Ming; Donath, Max; Gorjestani, Alec; Menon, Arvind; Newstrom, Bryan; Shankwitz, Craig
Presented herein is a novel approach to vehicle positioning using RFID technology (Vehicle Positioning System, or VPS). By installing in the road RFID tags encoded with road name or other designation, the specific lane, the direction of travel, and the longitudinal distance from a known reference, a vehicle outfitted with an RFID tag reader can determine its position each time it passes over and reads a tag, thus, providing precisely the information needed for many ITS applications – the longitudinal position of a vehicle in a particular lane on a particular road of the transportation network. Knowledge of lane of travel and distance from a known reference provided by VPS enables many transit applications, including headway control of bus platoons, merge/lane change assistance, rear-end collision avoidance, and bay mark-up applications. For lane assist systems, VPS and a lateral positioning system can augment DGSP in urban areas, providing seamless operation where DGPS accuracy is insufficient for lane keeping. This research focused on designing and building a prototype VPS using existing third party RFID hardware. The hardware was evaluated and characterized to determine if it could be used to create a viable, robust VPS. After the development and characterization of the positioning system, an implementation of a rear-end collision avoidance system was built to demonstrate the use of VPS. Finally, a more sophisticated rear-end collision avoidance system was designed and simulated, after which its implications to the accuracy specifications for VPS were analyzed.
Aggregating VMT within Predefined Geographic Zones by Cellular Assignment: A Non-GPS-Based Approach to Mileage- Based Road Use Charging
(Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2012-08) Davis, Brian; Donath, Max
Currently, most of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the roadway infrastructure are paid for by revenue collected from the motor fuel use tax. As fuel efficiency and the use of alternative fuel vehicles increases, alternatives to this funding method must be considered. One such alternative is to assess mileage based user fees (MBUF) based on the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) aggregated within the predetermined geographic areas, or travel zones, in which the VMT is generated. Most of the systems capable of this use Global Positioning Systems (GPS). However, GPS has issues with public perception, commonly associated with unwanted monitoring or tracking and is thus considered an invasion of privacy. The method proposed here utilizes cellular assignment, which is capable of determining a vehicle’s current travel zone, but is incapable of determining a vehicle’s precise location, thus better preserving user privacy. This is accomplished with a k-nearest neighbors (KNN) machine learning algorithm focused on the boundary of such travel zones. The work described here focuses on the design and evaluation of algorithms and methods that when combined, would enable such a system. The primary experiment performed evaluates the accuracy of the algorithm at sample boundaries in and around the commercial business district of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The results show that with the training data available, the algorithm can correctly detect when a vehicle crosses a boundary to within ±2 city blocks, or roughly ±200 meters, and is thus capable of assigning the VMT to the appropriate zone. The findings imply that a cellular-based VMT system may successfully aggregate VMT by predetermined geographic travel zones without infringing on the drivers’ privacy.
ALX : Autonomous Vehicle Guidance for Roadway Following and Obstacle Avoidance
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 1996-10) Du, Yu-feng; Schiller, William; Krantz, Don; Shankwitz, Craig; Donath, Max
This report presents results of the research performed on the Autonomous Land Experimental Vehicle (ALX) at the University of Minnesota. ALX autonomously follows roadways through the use of visual perception, and executes obstacle detection and collision avoidance through the use of ultrasonic sonar range sensors. This report describes the ALX embedded real-time control system based on a multi-processor, multi-tasking architecture, and presents algorithms used for visual perception, path tracking, position estimation, obstacle detection, and collision avoidance. Computer simulation and experimental results also are presented.
Analysis of a Differential Global Positioning System as a Sensor for Vehicle Guidance
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 1996-09) Bodor, Robert; Alexander, Lee; Liao, Chen-fu; Bajikar, Sundeep; Morellas, Vassilios; Donath, Max
An ongoing research project examines guidance systems, which can take over control of a vehicle if the driver becomes incapacitated. Part of this project includes an evaluation of a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) for vehicle-based lane sensing. This report documents the results of tests of the 5 Hz NovAtel RT20 DGPS receiver. A series of 32 static tests found the overall mean and standard deviation for the offset errors within specifications. In a series of dynamic tests, in which the vehicle was driven around the track at speeds of 20-35 miles per hour, after removing the effect of the GPS receiver's latency, the DGPS determined position exhibited a mean offset error of -17.3 cm (-6.82 in) and a mean standard deviation of 25.5 cm (10.1 in) in the direction of vehicle motion. In the direction perpendicular to vehicle motion, the mean offset was 4.57 cm (1.8 in) with a mean standard deviation of 39.6 cm (15.6 in). With no overhead obstructions in these tests, continuous satellite lock was possible. Tests at higher speeds based on a more accurate methodology are planned for the future.
Autonomous Vehicle Guidance Evaluation
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 1995-03) Shankwitz, Craig; Donath, Max
This report provides an overview of autonomous vehicle technology, specifically focusing on sensing and control technologies. It resulted from safety issues at the Mn/ROAD high-load, low-volume pavement test facility. Appropriate technology helps ensure the safety of the truck driver that provides loads to the pavement and the safety of traffic on 1-94. Researchers currently are working to provide a semi tractor capable of driver-supervised autonomous operation at the Mn/ROAD facility. Such a driver-supervised system will allow the truck driver to monitor the operation of the automatic control system actively guiding the truck and will allow the driver to take control from the control computer when desired.
Bus Rapid Transit Technologies: A Virtual Mirror for Eliminating Vehicle Blind Zones: Volume 2
(Center for Transportation Studies, 2005-01) Sergi, Michael Knoll; Donath, Max
The FTA has identified the concept of Bus Rapid Transit as a means to increase the efficiency of transit operations while maintaining transit’s proven safety record. According to the FTA website www.fta.dot.gov, “BRT combines the quality of rail transit and the flexibility of buses. It can operate on exclusive transitways, HOV lanes, expressways, or ordinary streets. A BRT system combines intelligent transportation systems technology, priority for transit, cleaner and quieter vehicles, rapid and convenient fare collection, and integration with land use policy.” Because of the limited right-of -way available to build new the FTA has identified lane assist as an emerging technology, which the premise behind lane assist technology is to unique environments, such as narrow lanes. Lane assist technology will allow desired higher operating speeds while maintaining the safety of the passengers, BRT public. Vehicle and the motoring BRT vehicles to operate at the increase the safety of BRT vehicles as they operate in the more will enable deployment of BRT systems. (and possibly dedicated) lanes for BRT operations. The third objective will be to develop long term relationships with Metro Transit, the Federal Transit Administration, bus manufacturers, and technology providers to develop and implement strategies to improve transit operations. For instance, improving the ability of a bus driver to merge into and out of traffic is a high priority. Improved bus guidance technology will make bus only shoulders a viable alternative throughout the country. Progress towards meeting this objective has been made, but considerable effort will have to be expended to make lane assist technology ubiquitous throughout the transit industry.
Bus Rapid Transit Technologies: Assisting Drivers Operating Buses on Road Shoulders: Volume 1
(2003-12) Alexander, Lee; Cheng, Pi-Ming; Donath, Max; Gorjestani, Alec; Newstrom, Bryan; Shankwitz, Craig; Trach, Walter
The FTA has identified the concept of Bus Rapid Transit as a means to increase the efficiency of transit operations while maintaining transit's proven safety record. According to the FTA website www.fta.dot.gov, "BRT combines the quality of rail transit and the flexibility of buses. It can operate on exclusive transitways, HOV lanes, expressways, or ordinary streets. A BRT system combines intelligent transportation systems technology, priority for transit, cleaner and quieter vehicles, rapid and convenient fare collection, and integration with land use policy." Because of the limited right-of-way available to build new (and possibly dedicated) lanes for BRT operations, the FTA has identified lane assist as an emerging technology, which will enable deployment of BRT systems. The premise behind lane assist technology is to increase the safety of BRT vehicles as they operate in the more unique environments, such as narrow lanes. Lane assist technology will allow BRT vehicles to operate at the desired higher operating speeds while maintaining the safety of the passengers, BRT vehicle and the motoring public.
Collision Avoidance: Smart Trucks on Rural Roads
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 1995-03) Shankwitz, Craig; Donath, Max
With interest in collision avoidance technology for highway vehicles on the rise, this report presents an overview of current collision avoidance technology, the technical work required to bring these systems to a commercially viable product, and the societal issues that need addressing before wide-scale deployment can occur. Many questions remain about the benefits of deploying such systems, the costs, the effect of these systems on drivers, and the steps necessary to effectively regulate vehicles equipped with such systems. In addition to technical aspects, the report also discusses the issues that society will face during development and deployment of these systems, which may prove bigger impediments to deployment than technical issues. The report also recommends a research plan to perform fair, unbiased evaluations of emerging collision avoidance technology.
Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance System – Stop Sign Assist: Experiments to Validate Use of an In-Vehicle Interface Design
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2012-04) Becic, Ensar; Manser, Michael; Creaser, Janet; Donath, Max
The three studies included in the current report examine the transition from an infrastructure-based rural intersection crossing assist system to one located inside a vehicle. The primary goals of the first study, conducted in a simulator, were to examine the effect of potentially confounding factors, such as the drivers’ familiarity with the assist system and the impact of cognitive load on the drivers’ performance. Next, we examined the efficacy of several different designs of such system to determine the optimal interface design to be used for the in-vehicle system. Finally, the optimal design of the system was examined in the third study, as a field test. The results showed that the use of the system under cognitively demanding conditions did not result in any adverse consequences, which suggested that the processing of the system required minimal cognitive resources. Additionally, the results showed that the benefits of the assist system, such as reduced probability of accepting a critical gap were exhibited under the limited visibility conditions when the perceptual task of determining an appropriate crossing gap became overly demanding. The results from the field study showed that the use of the assist system resulted in improved intersection crossing performance exhibited in increased likelihood of making a complete stop at the stop sign and showed a strong trend toward a decreased probability of accepting critical gaps. Additionally, the impact of the in-vehicle CICAS-SSA was equivalent for older and younger drivers; that is, both age groups benefited from the use of the system.
Deployment of a Snowplow Driver-Assist System
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2023-06) Davis, Brian; Schwieters, Katelyn; Morris, Nichole L.; Donath, Max
Snowplow operators are often tasked with clearing snow from roadways under challenging conditions. One such situation is low visibility due to falling or blowing snow that makes it difficult to navigate, stay centered in the lane, and identify upcoming hazards. To support snowplow operators working in these conditions, University of Minnesota researchers developed a snowplow driver-assist system that provides the operator with visual and auditory information that is suitable for low-visibility situations. A lane-guidance system uses high-accuracy Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and maps of the roadway to provide information to drivers about their lateral positions. A forward-obstacle-detection system uses forward-facing radar to detect potential hazards in the roadway. The design of the system, and in particular its interface, is guided by extensive user testing to ensure the system is easy to understand, easy to use, and well liked among its users. The system was deployed in two phases over the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 winter seasons. In total, nine systems were deployed on snowplows across Minnesota, four in the first winter season and an additional five in the second. Participating truck stations represented all eight MnDOT districts as well as Dakota County. Over the course of the deployment, additional user feedback was collected to identify system strengths and areas for improvement. The system was found to be a cost-effective addition to snowplows that increase driver safety, reduce plow downtime, and increase driver efficacy for plowing operations, thus providing support to operators working in demanding, low-visibility conditions.
The Design of a Minimal Sensor Configuration for a Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance System - Stop Sign Assist: CICAS-SSA Report #2
(2010-08) Gorjestani, Alec; Menon, Arvind; Cheng, Pi-Ming; Shankwitz, Craig; Donath, Max
The deployment of a Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance System – Stop Sign Assist (CICAS-SSA) can save lives by addressing the causal factor of crashes at rural thru-Stop intersection: drivers who stop on the minor leg of the intersection, improperly assess the gaps in the traffic on the major leg, proceed, and are then hit. The prototype CICAS-SSA system consisted of a network of sensors covering both the minor and the major legs of the intersection. Sensors on the minor road monitored the approach of vehicles and classified them based on their length and height. Sensors along the major road were arrayed to track vehicles (and the gaps between them) approaching the crossroads from 2000 feet away as a means to ensure that the tracking algorithm had sufficient time to “lock on” and track all approaching vehicles. Because cost is a primary concern for any highway safety application, the development of a “minimal sensor set” which would provide adequate safety performance for minimum cost was paramount to the success of the CICAS-SSA program. This report documents the development of this minimal sensor configuration.
Determination of the Alert and Warning Timing for the Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance System-Stop Sign Assist Using Macroscopic and Microscopic Data: CICAS-SSA Report #1
(2010-08) Gorjestani, Alec; Menon, Arvind; Cheng, Pi-Ming; Shankwitz, Craig; Donath, Max
Crashes at rural thru-stop intersections arise primarily from a driver attempting to cross or enter the mainline traffic stream after failing to recognize an unsafe gap condition. Because the primary cause of these crashes is not failure to stop, but failure to recognize an unsafe condition, the US DOT FHWA, MnDOT, and the University of Minnesota ITS Institute undertook the Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance System – Stop Sign Assist (CICAS-SSA) program. CICAS-SSA uses roadside radar sensors, a computer processor and algorithms to determine unsafe conditions, and an active LED icon based sign to provide timely alerts and warnings which are designed to reduce the frequency of crashes at rural expressway intersections. The focus of this report is the alert and warning timing used to provide a driver with assistance in recognizing and taking appropriate action when presented a gap which could be considered unsafe. The work presented herein uses both macroscopic data collected by roadside sensors and data acquisition equipment in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, and microscopic data collected using an instrumented vehicle and test subjects at the Minnesota Research Intersection, located at the intersection of US Hwy 52 and Goodhue County Road 9. Three tenets that are particularly germane to the determination of alert and warning timing for the CICAS-SSA system are: (1) the system does not help a driver choose a safe gap; it is designed to assist a driver with unsafe gap rejection, (2) it indicates when it is unsafe to proceed, not when it is safe to proceed, and (3) it must complement good decision making, and address those instances where poor decision making could lead to a crash.
Developing Driving Support Systems to Mitigate Behavioral Risk Patterns Among Teen Drivers
(University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies, 2007-08) Brovold, Shawn; Ward, Nic; Donath, Max; Simon, Stephen
Based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2003), motor vehicle deaths are the leading cause of teenage fatalities. A possible approach to mitigate the incidence of teenage driver crashes and fatalities is through the use of in-vehicle technology. The design and development of a first-generation prototype Teen Driver Support System (TDSS) to explore the feasibility and opportunities of such technology has been completed. The TDSS system includes technology designed to address several primary contributing factors associated with the majority of teen fatal crashes: speeding, seatbelt use, driver inexperience, and alcohol use. This has been implemented using a combination of what researchers call forcing, feedback, and/or reporting functions. Forcing functions take the form of ignition interlocks to enforce seat belt compliance and sober driving. A feedback function provides real-time tutoring and warnings about illegal or unsafe speeds through auditory warnings. A reporting function records vehicle information for parents to review and supervise (and enforce) teen driver performance. A speed feedback and reporting component is used for driver compliance with safe travel speeds. The system correlates the location (using GPS) of the vehicle to a digital road map and the road's corresponding speed limit. A weather-based speed element incorporates current weather information that is used to warn a driver if the vehicle's speed is too high for current weather conditions. Similarly, speed warnings specific to curves are included to warn if speed is excessive for the prevailing geometry. With the prototype TDSS, the researchers developed a method of integrating a seat belt interlock that requires the driver's seat belt to be engaged before the vehicle will start. Seat belt use is continuously monitored during each trip, and lack of seat belt use is recorded for later review. An additional interlock for alcohol is reserved for teen drivers with preexisting alcohol-related convictions. Since alcohol interlock systems are commercially available, they can be demonstrated as an optional component of the TDSS. In anticipation of potential future applications, such as the enforcement of certain graduated driver licensing (GDL) requirements, the system includes a biometric fingerprint component, which uses a fingerprint sensor to identify the driver and parent so that the system can log the number of training hours spent behind the wheel.
Development of a Sensor Platform for Roadway Mapping: Part A - Road Centerline and Asset Management
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2014-06) Davis, Brian; Donath, Max
Collecting information about the roadway infrastructure is a task that DOTs at all governmental levels need to accomplish. One way to increase the operational efficiency of these efforts is to use a relatively inexpensive mobile data collection platform that acquires information that is general enough to serve multiple purposes. The design and evaluation of one such platform that costs roughly $40,000 is described. It primarily consists of a differential GPS receiver providing vehicle location, and a LIDAR scanner that generates geometric profiles of the area between the vehicle and just beyond the road’s edge. The vehicle collects data along the road by driving it in both directions. The system post-processes the data to automate feature extraction. For roads with simple geometry such as two-lane, undivided highways, the road’s centerline can be calculated by finding the midline between the vehicle’s paths from each direction of travel. Algorithms process the LIDAR scans to automatically detect the presence of curbs and guardrails, which is then combined with location information to yield the position of these features in world coordinates. The centerline calculation was determined to be accurate to within 6 cm in areas where its use was applicable. Curbs and guardrails were generally detected with an accuracy of better than 10 cm. The results demonstrate that it is feasible to use a relatively inexpensive mobile data collection system to acquire road centerline and roadside features such as curbs and guardrails.
Development of a Sensor Platform for Roadway Mapping: Part B – Mapping the Road Fog Lines
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2015-04) Davis, Brian; Donath, Max
Our objective is the development and evaluation of a low-cost, vehicle-mounted sensor suite capable of generating map data with lane and road boundary information accurate to the 10 cm (4 in) level. Such a map could be used for a number of different applications including GNSS/GPS based lane departure avoidance systems, smart phone based dynamic curve speed warning systems, basemap improvements, among others. The sensor suite used consists of a high accuracy GNSS receiver, a side-facing video camera, and a computer. Including cabling and mounting hardware, the equipment costs were roughly $30,000. Here, the side-facing camera is used to record video of the ground adjacent to the passenger side of the vehicle. The video is processed using a computer vision algorithm that locates the fog line within the video frame. Using vehicle position data (provided by GNSS) and previously collected video calibration data, the fog line is located in real-world coordinates. The system was tested on two roads (primarily two-lane, undivided highway) for which high accuracy (<10 cm) maps were available. This offset between the reference data and the computed fog line position was generally better than 7.5 cm (3 in). The results of this work demonstrate that it is feasible to use a camera to detect the position of a road’s fog lines, or more broadly any other lane markings, which when integrated into a larger mobile data collection system, can provide accurate lane and road boundary information about road geometry.
Development of Driver Assistance Systems to Support Snowplow Operations
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2018-08) Liao, Chen-Fu; Morris, Nichole L.; Achtemeier, Jacob; Alexander, Lee; Davis, Brian; Donath, Max; Parikh, Gordon
Snowplow operators are often tasked with numerous monitoring and operational activities that they need to do simultaneously while removing snow and spreading deicing agents on the road. Driver assist systems were considered for 3 applications: gang plowing, backup assist, and lane boundary guidance. We evaluated the system performance and position accuracy of commercially available Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) Onboard Units (OBU) for gang plowing. Our results indicated that the positioning accuracy of the OBUs was inadequate for providing the plow operator with sufficient information to maintain spacing between two vehicles. The backup assist system and lane boundary guidance system were developed and successfully deployed to support snowplow operations. Human factors studies were also conducted using a driving simulator to better understand the needs prior to designing an appropriate Human Machine Interface (HMI) for these plow operations. The radar-based backup assist system was installed on a snowplow that operates on Highway 169. The backup assist system provides an audio warning to the operator to look at the display from a rear-view camera when an object is detected. The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based lane boundary guidance system was developed to assist plow operations when visibility is poor and lane boundary cues are limited. The lane boundary guidance system was installed on a second snowplow operating on MN-25 running between Belle Plaine and Green Isle. The lane boundary guidance received the most positive feedback from operators and is recommended for further development.
Differential GPS Based Control of a Heavy Vehicle
(1999-01-01) Alexander, Lee; Donath, Max
This report describes the development of technologies that safely steer a vehicle if the vehicle's driver becomes incapacitated. A Differential Global Positioning System (GPS) senses the vehicle's position and velocity. This method seems to offer adequate precision with a low-enough infrastructure cost to make the system practical in most rural settings. Researchers used a heavy vehicle -- a class 8 truck tractor -- partly because of the most favorable economics associated with installation of this type of system on a commercial vehicle, and partly because of the commercial driver's higher exposure to conditions that engender drowsy driving. This research examines two potential applications of the steering, throttle, and brake controllers. The first, a virtual rumble strip, vibrates the wheel whenever the vehicle drifts out of its lane. The second, a system senses the erratic steering that presages loss of consciousness, and then takes control of the vehicle, pulling it over to a safe stop.
Driver Assistive Systems for Rural Applications: Digital Mapping of Roads for Lane Departure Warnings, Volume 2
(2005-08-01) Trach, Walter; Donath, Max; Shankwitz, Craig
Deployment of any system is driven by market demand and system cost. Initial deployment of the Intelligent Vehicle Lab Snowplow Driver Assistive System (DAS) was limited to a 45 mile section of Minnesota Trunk Highway 7 west of I-494 and east of Hutchinson MN. To better gage demand and functionality, St. Louis and Polk Counties in Minnesota operationally tested the system during the winter of 2003-2004; Polk County also tested during the winter of 2004-2005. Operational benefits were found to be drastically different in the two counties. Low visibility was not an issue with the St. Louis County snowplow routes, so the system offered few benefits. In contrast the topology of Polk County is flat, with almost no trees. High winds combined with few visual cues create significant low visibility conditions. Polk County was pleased with their original system, and obtained a second system and tested it operationally during the 2004-2005 Winter. The experience of these two counties is documented in Volume One. A key component of the DAS is a high accuracy digital map. With the exception of the mapping process, the present cost of the DAS is well documented. With cost data complete, counties can determine whether to acquire these systems.
Driver Assistive Systems for Snowplows
(2003-03-01) Gorjestani, Alec; Alexander, Lee; Newstrom, Bryan; Cheng, Pi-Ming; Sergi, Mike; Shankwitz, Craig; Donath, Max
A comprehensive driver assistive system which utilizes dual frequency, carrier phase real time kinematic (RTK) differential global positioning system (DGPS), high accuracy digital geospatial databases, advanced automotive radar, and a driver interface with visual, haptic, and audible components has been used to assist specialty vehicle operators perform their tasks under these low visibility conditions. The system is able to provide a driver with high fidelity representations of the local geospatial landscape through a custom designed Head Up Display (HUD). Lane boundaries, turn lanes, intersections, mailboxes, and other elements of the geospatial landscape, including those sensed by automotive radar, are projected onto the HUD in the proper perspective. This allows a driver to safely guide his or her vehicle in low to zero visibility conditions in a desired lane while avoiding collisions. Four areas of research, are described herein: driver assistive displays, the integration of a geospatial database for improved radar processing, snowplow dynamics for slippery conditions, and a virtual bumper based collision avoidance/gang plowing system. (Gang plowing is the flying in formation of snowplows as a means to rapidly clear multilane roads.) Results from this research have vastly improved the performance and reliability of the driver assistive system. Research on the use of a specialized driver assistance system to assist specialty vehicle operators in low visibility conditions, including the design of a custom Head Up Display (HUD) projecting elements of the landscape in proper perspective. Driver assistive displays, the integration of a geospatial database for improved radar processing, snowplow dynamics for slippery conditions, and a virtual bumper based on collision avoidance/gang plowing system are discussed.
Evaluation of Radar for Snowplows: Initial Results
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 1998-04) Gorjestani, Alec; Pham, Thanh; Bajikar, Sundeep; Donath, Max
Heavy or blowing snow often causes poor visibility for snowplows. This report presents the results of a one-year preliminary study to evaluate the performance of an off-the-shelf radar unit for improved detection of objects under snow and blizzard conditions. Researchers developed a geometrical computer model of radar range and closure rate measurement to provide a baseline for comparison with experimental results. They varied parameters such as radar orientation, location, and differential vehicle speed to determine their effect on radar performance. The radar's accuracy improves as the speed differential between vehicles increases, according to the research findings. Furthermore, slight deviations in orientation and location do not seem to greatly influence the radar's ability to detect other vehicles. The radar also was tested under falling snow conditions. The radar effectively detected target vehicles under 'light' and 'moderate' snow conditions with visibility down to less than one half mile. However, the very small number of snow events in the winter of 1997-98 limits the ability to make conclusions about the radar's performance under such conditions. Since the study began, commercially available radar technology has improved significantly, and researchers recommend testing the improved radar units in the future.

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