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July 2003
ITS America attendees tour U of M labs
ITS America attendees touring the University's ITS Lab
About 75 attendees of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America's 2003 national conference, held in Minneapolis in May, took part in tours and demonstrations at three University facilities: the ITS Laboratory, the HumanFIRST Program, and the Intelligent Vehicles Laboratory. All three are part of the ITS Institute at CTS, directed by Max Donath.
During the ITS Lab tour, led by lab manager Ted Morris, participants viewed the lab's comprehensive simulation resources, computer workstations, and large-screen displays, including the Digital Immersive Environment that uses the illusion of 3-D to allow users to step into a research digital-world environment.
While touring the HumanFIRST Program, directed by Nic Ward, participants observed its state-of-the-art driving simulator in action. This Virtual Environment for Surface Transportation Research, or VESTR, wraps around an instrumented Saturn vehicle.
Another technical tour was given of the ITS Institute's Intelligent Vehicles Lab, directed by Craig Shankwitz, during which participants rode the TechnoBus, the latest addition to the program's research vehicle fleet. Along the route to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, the bus, outfitted with innovative driver-assistive technologies, traveled on the University of Minnesota's 3.5-mile intercampus transitway. While on this facility, the driver demonstrated the TechnoBus's automated steering and virtual rumble strip technologies.
While riding close to drivers on the fairgrounds demo area, participants saw the head-up displays (which allow drivers to "see" the road via projected images from a high-accuracy digital road map) and felt the tactile feedback systems. The technologies were also demonstrated in snowplows and a State Patrol vehicle.
In addition to the tours and demos, at this year's conference, the ITS Institute once again joined with Mn/DOT's Guidestar program to create and manage an informational exhibit. Institute staff members were on hand to answer ITS-related questions and distribute Institute publications to the many visitors who stopped by. CTS also supported the Local Government Day at the conference, in which speakers shared how ITS advancements will help local governments' transportation needs.