The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in the US has demonstrated what it says is a fully operational, connected vehicle environment along 29km of Interstate 85 known as ‘The Ray Highway’, utilizing the Cirrus by Panasonic connected vehicle data management platform. Showcasing GDOT and Kia Georgia vehicles equipped with vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, GDOT says it can now deliver real-time situational awareness to drivers on equipped roadways in this key logistics and manufacturing corridor, a fast-growing region of West Georgia.
GDOT, The Ray (which manages the stretch of highway) and Panasonic are now providing ‘ride-along’ experiences for stakeholders, where drivers will be warned of hazardous conditions ahead on the roadway before the event comes into the driver’s view. These experiences are intended to demonstrate how connected vehicle technology can detect and warn drivers about weather events, work zones, hard braking and even vehicle crashes in a real-world highway environment. The experience includes in-vehicle visualization of traveler warnings, the capabilities of V2X technology installed on and along roadways, the digital communication that enables the intelligence of connected roadways, as well as the Cirrus cloud platform point of view that manages the data for GDOT to detect events and provide real-time alerts to drivers.
“It is important that Georgia DOT leads in the deployment of transportation technology that benefits all drivers, that helps to move freight across the region more efficiently and safely, and that advances Georgia as the technology epicenter of the East Coast. We know that connected vehicle technology will save lives, and we are determined to see it come to life in Georgia as soon as possible,” said Russell McMurry, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation. “Today is all about the power of partnerships and what we can accomplish for Georgians when we partner with organizations like Kia, The Ray and Panasonic to advance our roadways.”
“In the tech industry, we talk constantly about building technology with purpose rather than developing technology for technology’s sake,” added Chris Armstrong, VP of Cirrus in Panasonic’s Smart Mobility Office. “We are proud to partner with such mission-driven organizations in the Georgia DOT, The Ray and Kia Georgia. The power of perspective really stands out to me in this project: we are solving transportation challenges by bringing forward perspectives from public, private and philanthropic organizations where we experience the issues from different viewpoints but are united in our dedication to improving safety for all. We each play a unique role in doing all that we can to champion the wide-scale adoption of this life-saving technology as quickly as possible.”