Route 33 To Be Used for Autonomous Car Research
An area of Route 33 will be used for vehicle-to-infrastructure communication tests for autonomous car research. $15 million is being invested in the Smart Mobility Corridor that will run between East Liberty and Dublin. The communication tests will allow autonomous vehicles to talk to highway systems and each other, which could help ease congestion.
Optic cable wiring will occur during the Summer of 2017, although there is no official launch date as yet. The wiring will allow researchers to obtain data from sensors placed along the road, where testing can begin. A partnership between Intel subsidiary Wind River and Ohio State University, the city of Dublin and the Transportation Research Center will be among the first to use the 35-mile section of Route 33 as a test area for self-driving cars. The area is ideal for many US manufacturers, who would prefer not to travel abroad for testing.
The research could be fundamental to the future of autonomous vehicles. A PR statement claimed that the project will aim to “increase the pace, quality and development, testing and deployment of self-driving and other connected vehicle technologies.” As well as testing communication between vehicles and infrastructures, tests will be carried out for related technologies including smart mapping and smart sensing.
The region around the Transportation Research Center has quickly grown into an emerging center for high-tech automotive research. Ohio is clearly emerging as a hub for smart vehicles. “Ohio is in a good position to capitalize on the research and development dollars being invested in future mobility initiatives,” said Michelle Krebs from Autotrader. “It already has a strong automotive base with Fiat Chrysler’s Jeep complex near Toledo and Honda’s significant research, development and manufacturing operations around Marysville.” Honda’s Ohio-based R&D Center is working on introducing autonomous vehicles by 2020 and aim to release a model that is almost completely autonomous by 2025.
If your company is participating in R&D, you may benefit from a state and federal tax credit. Ohio’s R&D Investment Tax Credit is 7% of the qualifying expenditures. Contact a Swanson Reed specialist for more information.
