Research

Lead Researcher(s)

James Sayer
Research Scientist, Director, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and Adjunct Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering

Debra Bezzina
Project Senior Manager

Project Team

Jim Sayer
Research Scientist, Director, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and Adjunct Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering

Debby Bezziina
Project Senior Manager

Dillon Funkhouser

Mary Lynn Buonarosa
Project Intermediate Manager

Project Abstract

Four pedestrian mid-block crosswalks in the Ann Arbor Connected Environment will be equipped with pedestrian-detection infrastructure. There will be two systems deployed to detect pedestrians that will utilize the newly deployed infrastructure: The first is a vision-based system; the second is a phone app that communicates wirelessly to the roadside unit (RSU). Seventy pedestrians will be recruited who frequent these mid-block crosswalks. Although the video system will be operational at all times, the phone app experiment will be run twice at different times of year. For both systems, the RSU will broadcast a personal safety message (PSM) that is much like the basic safety message (BSM), but specifically for pedestrians, road workers, and other vulnerable road users. The PSM will be received by the ASD-equipped vehicles in the area. Under the Ann Arbor Connected Vehicle Test Environment (AACVTE) Project (DTFH6115H000005), approximately 1,150 aftermarket safety devices (ASDs) are deployed that will be capable of responding to the PSMs by providing the driver with a pedestrian-detection warning as appropriate. Approximately 100 of those vehicles are funded by this project. Data will be collected and analyzed to determine the benefits of each system and compare the systems to each other. Results will be contained in the final report.

Project Outcome

(1) Expand vehicle-to-pedestrian deployments for both pedestrians (phones) and vehicles (on-board units); and (2) deploy infrastructure-based pedestrian-in-crosswalk detection systems.