Research - Projects

Overview

The University Transportation Center houses a state of the art driving simulator (DriveSafety DS-600c) located in Stillwell Hall Room 37. The DS-600c includes a production-quality Ford Focus automobile cab with accurate placement and functionality of controls and displays including a standard-size steering wheel, gas/brake pedals with appropriate force feedback, speedometer, gearshift, radio, and rear-view and side mirrors. The DS-600c provides high-fidelity graphics and a 180º field of view which allows for realistic peripheral vision.

The system provides high-speed vehicle dynamics that excel in representing real world vehicle performance and handling characteristics. The motion platform also provides realistic vehicle motion and vibrations from pavement surfaces such as rumble strips and curbs.

The Hyperdrive software contains an extensive library of roads, intersections, vehicles, and traffic patterns. The roadways and traffic control devices are geometrically correct and modeled to highway design standards. There are over 45 standard performance measures and up to 25 customizable performance measures. The simulator has the capability to simulate 256 totally autonomous interactive ambient vehicles in the simulated environment.

The DS-600c is equipped with eye-tracking equipment, and additional equipment "such as physiological measurement devices and external input/coding systems" can be integrated with the system.
 

Projects funded by the University Transportation Center

1. A Distributed Instrument for Measuring Traffic in Short-Term Work Zones

   PI: Nigamanth Sridhar, Cleveland State University
   Award Amount: $30,144
   Subaccount: DUFFY18C
   Abstract: In this proposed project, we will design, construct, and test a low-cost sensor network instrument that can be easily and rapidly deployed in short-term work zones to monitor traffic behavior. The sensor network solution is completely self-organizing, and can begin producing useful data in a matter of minutes, and is therefore uniquely suitable for use in short-term work zones. The software infrastructure that we are building for this sensor network solution is capable of producing a variety of rich traffic statistics, such as vehicle speeds, vehicle trajectories, and behavioral trends in real time.
   
   Final Report
   
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2. Teachers and graduate students partnering to incorporate engineering in middle school mathematics and science classrooms

   PI: Debbie Jackson, Cleveland State University
   Award Amount: $14,007
   Subaccount: DUFFY18D
   Abstract: The request for the funds to support one graduate student and one middle school teacher during the 2009-2010 academic year will enhance thework of the University Transportation Center by:

   1. Supporting a graduatestudent in transportation engineering
   2. Teaching a middle school science teacher about the various applications of transportation engineering to her curricula
   3. Teaching middle school students about transportation engineeringand encouraging their participation in it, and
   4. Serving as a pilot for a future GK-12 proposal.
   
   
   Final Report
   
   

    

3. Enhancing the DriveSafety Driving Simulator for Research on Short-Term Construction Work Zone

   PI: Wenbing Zhao, Cleveland State University
   Award Amount: $44,767
   Subaccount: DUFFY18E
   Abstract: The goal of this project is to develop a set of software instruments around the DriveSafety simulator for research on short-term construction work zones. The software instruments consists of two parts:

   1. A set of tiles, stationary and moving entities that are not available in the DriveSafety simulation software (in particular, entities and dynamics regarding the applications of rumbling strips), but are essential to create scenes and scenarios for driving simulation in short-term construction work zones
   2. A software module that helps create scenarios based on the traffic data acquired from actual short-term work zones in collaboration with Dr. Sridhar's project).
   The custom tiles and entities developed in this project lay the foundation for carrying out driving simulation in short-term work zones, and the incorporation of actual traffic data into scenarios will undoubtedly increase the fidelity of the simulation results and is essential to capture the dynamics present in short-term work zones.
   
   Final Report
   
   

    

4. Evaluation of Transverse Rumble Strips for Work Zones

   PI: Deborah McAvoy, Cleveland State University
   Award Amount: $90,067
   <!--Subaccount: DUFFY18C
   -->Abstract: Plastic Safety Systems has developed RoadQuake, a portable rumblestrip, which is 11-feet in length, 12-inches wide and 0.8125-inches in height. This rumble strip has a profile twice the height of any rumble strip previously evaluated. The University Transportation Center at Cleveland State University and the Department of Civil Engineering at Ohio University proposes to evaluatethe effectiveness of Plastic Safety Systems' RoadQuake transverse rumble strips with regard to delineation and safety.

5. Evaluation of Work Zone Safety Messages

   PI: Deborah McAvoy, Cleveland State University
   Award Amount: $43,044
   <!--Subaccount: DUFFY18C
   -->Abstract: This project will evaluate the effectiveness of the Laborers' 860 public information outreach campaigns related to work zone safety that are advertisedon billboards throughout the Cleveland region during the construction season.

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