A Connected Vehicle System with High-Availability and Low-Bandwidth Requirement for First Responders
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 149, Issue 9
Abstract
This paper presents design and implementation of a high-availability, low-bandwidth requirement vehicular and portable connectivity system which allows first responders to communicate relevant and timely information. Since first responders may often handle remote areas with challenging communication networks, the system developed addresses an important research question, namely, can a Connected Vehicle technology be developed that would optimize selection of the communication mode based on availability, signal strength, noise, and bandwidth? The system developed and tested supports reliable connectivity even in harsh environments allowing responders to provide information on the scene of incidents to others in or outside their organization. The system integrates computing and communications technologies, including smartphone and tablet systems, and software stacks to facilitate deployment. This paper provides background, system design, and implementation details of the field-ready Connected Vehicle as a First Responder Connected Vehicle/Portable (FRCVP) system both in terms of its hardware and its software. Experimental validation of the system’s Communications Arbiter is also presented.
Practical Applications
This paper presents a portable system which provides responders with cost-effective communications even in harsh communications environments. The system allows the responder to communicate incident details and resource needs using the most cost-effective communications channel available. This allows headquarters to dispatch the exact tools needed, thus minimizing cost and environmental impact while achieving the best response.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
Support of this work by the California Department of Transportation’s Divisions of Research, Innovation and System Information and Maintenance is greatly appreciated. This work is an extension of the work originally conducted by the Western Transportation Institute (Richter et al. 2009). This work was supported through the AHMCT Research Center under Caltrans Contracts IA65A0416 Task 1846 and IA65A0560 Task 2927.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 149 • Issue 9 • September 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 3, 2022
Accepted: Mar 28, 2023
Published online: Jun 22, 2023
Published in print: Sep 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Nov 22, 2023
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