Transportation Research Center (TRC), the largest independent automotive proving ground in North America, has opened its new state-of-the-art connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) testing facility in East Liberty, Ohio.
The SMARTCenter has been designed to provide a high degree of flexibility in replicating real-world scenarios for all types of passenger and commercial vehicles. The new center boasts industry-leading facilities including a 1.2 mile, six-lane, connected and signalized highway intersection; an urban network consisting of movable intersections, roundabouts, and oblique intersection scenarios; a 10,000ft2 control building with garage and office space; full site access to dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) and high-speed wireless communication; and an underground power distribution and fiber network to support current and future test technologies.
Brett Roubinek, president and CEO of TRC, said, “After more than five years of collaborative planning with our industry partners, the opening of the SMARTCenter provides an important enhancement to TRC’s robust portfolio of testing and research capabilities, serving to benefit those pioneering innovations in connected and automated mobility.”
Funding for the US$45m project was provided by the State of Ohio, JobsOhio and Ohio State University, with construction beginning in early 2018.
“Ohio is making the tech infrastructure investments that are putting us in a position to be a leader in automated driving technologies,” said Jon Husted, lieutenant governor of Ohio, who serves as director of InnovateOhio. “This new facility will attract the innovative people and businesses we need to compete for and bring global automated-driving technology investment to Ohio.”
SMARTCenter Facts:
– More than 1,100,000ft² of pavement equaling 18.5 lane miles
– Over 20,000ft of underground conduits to distribute power and fiber optics throughout the site
– Covering 540 acres, the SMARTCenter is nearly two-thirds the size of New York’s Central Park
