Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1001000
14 | SUMMER 2018 The potential is huge: Smart roads coupled with car connectivity will alter driving behav- iors, add comfort, increase safety, cut down on traffi c congestion and make commuting much more fuel- and time-effi cient. The idea of smart roads has been talked about for years, but consumers have only heard of the capa- bilities and seen small applications. In actuality, the technology in cars has changed at a much faster pace — and it's that advancement com- bined with the development of connected infra- structure (smart roads and cities) that will move us forward and change the way we think about transportation as a whole in the near future. Keeping in mind that roads are expensive, Stephen Woodruff, a vice president and trans- portation project manager at Huitt-Zollars, thinks you'll see more immediate connectivity capabilities in the next new car you purchase. "I think the greatest transportation advance- ment by 2020 will be more use of and driver comfort with driver assist technologies. Traffi c operations will improve as more drivers use the technology," he said. That technology is already available. Origi- nal Equipment Manufacturers (or OEMs) are driving innovation in transportation, and most major car manufacturers are offering cars with increasingly more automated capabilities. Take Subaru's EyeSight. The drive-assist tech- nology monitors traffi c, optimizing cruise control and car proximity to operate your auto- mobile. You set the number of car lengths you want between you and the car in front of you, and it maintains the distance. The car's sensors read the lane lines and nudge you back in the lane if you get too close to a stripe. You're barely driving. Seriously, you're just maneuvering the turns, Woodruff explained. Data from lidar, radar, cameras and GPS is used to navigate the current system. The next step is connecting those cars with infrastructure. And