New Autonomous Vehicle Platform Connects Road Authorities with Vehicle Operators

Highly automated vehicles (HAV) are currently testing on public roads in fewer than 50 cities around the world, but more markets are interested in bringing this new technology to their streets. Today, INRIX, the world leader in connected car services and transportation analytics, announced a new platform that provides the foundation for cities and road authorities to communicate with operators for safe and effective deployment of HAVs on public roads. INRIX AV Road Rules is the first platform that enables cities and road authorities to assign, validate and manage traffic rules and restrictions for autonomous vehicles operating on public roads. The platform also leverages information from HAVs to report infrastructure improvement needs, making the roads safer for all users.

“If deployed correctly, highly automated vehicles will radically improve our transportation systems, making them safer, more efficient and higher quality,” said Avery Ash, head of autonomous mobility. “After talking to hundreds of cities, states and federal officials, and dozens of HAV operators, we identified a critical data gap that INRIX is uniquely positioned to address. INRIX AV Road Rules marks an essential new tool for transportation agencies to lay a foundation for the safe operation of HAVs on public roads.”

For more than a century, road authorities have communicated driving restrictions with terrestrial signage and lane-striping. While HAVs have greatly improved the ability to operate in complex traffic environments, street signs and lane stripes are an inexact way to communicate rules to a 21st century vehicle. Currently onboard sensors, computer vision, machine learning and/or third-party datasets are used to triage roadway guidelines, but this approach is imprecise, costly (resources and dollars) and increases the risk of rule violations. INRIX AV Road Rules enables cities and road authorities to quickly and easily digitize local restrictions such as speed limits, crosswalks, school zones and stop signs, allowing automakers and HAV operators to ensure vehicles comply with local guidelines. The platform also creates a channel to communicate road infrastructure needs from HAVs back to transportation agencies, which improves safety and performance for all road users.