Roadway safety can be significantly improved with real-time collection of traffic, roadway surface condition, and environmental condition data and the efficient broadcasting of that information to road users. The UW’s Smart Transportation Applications and Research Laboratory (UW STAR Lab) has developed the Mobile Unit for Sensing Traffic (MUST), which can be used for real-time traffic and environmental sensing, data collection, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) applications, roadway monitoring, and infrastructure security. MUST is able to collect real-time transportation-related data, such as travel times, speeds, traffic volumes, vehicle types, pedestrian flows, and roadway surface and weather conditions. Taking advantage of AI technology, MUST can detect moving objects promptly without the need for high bandwidth communication support. In addition, MUST can be configured as a road-side unit for connected vehicle and other smart transportation applications, This project will install MUST sensors along four roadways in Lynnwood and Bellevue, Washington, to demonstrate their data collection, condition assessment, and V2X application capabilities. This project will also investigate the most cost-effective way for MUST sensors to transmit their data to transportation agencies and to broadcast real-time information to road users through various channels. The goal is to establish a standard procedure for state transportation agencies to follow in deploying MUST sensors to improve roadway safety.
Principal Investigator: Yinhai Wang, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW
Sponsor: WSDOT
WSDOT Technical Monitor: Matt Neeley
WSDOT Project Manager: Doug Brodin
Scheduled completion: December 2023