Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is undertaking a new program to develop new applications, devices, products, business solutions, and a range of services that improve transportation's role in safety and quality of life. America's transportation system is among the best in the world, but Americans face crash risks, congestion, environmental impacts, and other detriments that erode our quality of life. Smart ideas on how to apply advanced wireless technology can make the transportation system safer, more efficient and even "greener." An advanced open source wireless technology called Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) allows vehicles of all kinds, whether traveling slowly or even over 60 mph, to communicate with each other, stationary roadside equipment, and mobile devices. Thus far, the majority of applications have been aimed toward crash avoidance. The DOT believes that there are new approaches, partnerships and devices for using DSRC that innovators among the broader public can and will devise, if they are called to participate. This is that invitation. When vehicles talk to each other, what should they say? The Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge (the "Challenge") is soliciting short descriptions of novel, implementable ideas for products or approaches that utilize DSRC to offer benefits to travelers or society at large. Selected prize recipients will receive funded opportunities to present their winning ideas to unleash a new breed of advanced wireless technologies to make universal vehicle connectivity a reality. DSRC technology and this Challenge are described in more detail below. Understanding DSRC DSRC is an open source protocol for wireless communication, similar in some respects to WiFi. While WiFi is used mainly for wireless Local Area Networks, DSRC is intended for highly secure, high-speed wireless communication between vehicles and the infrastructure. The key functional attributes of DSRC are: - Low latency: The delays involved in opening and closing a connection are very short-on the order of 0.02 seconds. - Limited interference: DSRC is very robust in the face of radio interference. Also, its short range (~1000 m) limits the chance of interference from distant sources. Additionally, DSRC is protected by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for transportation applications. Although purely commercial convenience applications are welcome, transportation safety applications take precedence. - Strong performance during adverse weather conditions. In 2004, the FCC dedicated 75 MHz of bandwidth at 5.9 GHz to be used for vehicle safety and other mobility applications. DSRC operates in this band, and has been developed for over a decade by a range of stakeholders including automakers, electronics manufacturers, state highway departments, and the federal government. Most work on DSRC has focused on active safety-crash avoidance using driver alerts based on sophisticated sensing and vehicle communications. A number of other DSRC applications have been envisioned as well. For example: - Transit signal priority - Transit vehicle refueling management - Personalized taxi dispatch services - Integrated transportation financial transactions: - Toll collection - Parking payment - Rental car payments and processing - Enhanced truck roadside inspection - Real time freight logistics - Pedestrian safety at intersections - Routing and scene management for emergency services - Advanced highway-rail and highway-transit grade crossings More information on DSRC is available at the following website: http://www.its.dot.gov/DSRC/dsrc_faq.htm This Challenge Working with our many stakeholders, the DOT aims to improve safety, mobility, and the environmental impacts of transportation. DSRC has the potential to provide dramatic benefits in these goal areas, but only when it is widely implemented in vehicles and roadside equipment. To accelerate DSRC's adoption, the DOT is seeking feasible ideas for valuable new ways to utilize DSRC. This Challenge is seeking all sorts of ideas, from anyone. Winning submissions will be short-20 double-spaced pages or less- and need not be technical. The barriers to entry are intentionally low. The submissions must describe an idea for a novel use, application, device, product, service or solution that relies on DSRC. The technical, engineering details that would enable the idea do not need to be fully spelled out, although technical feasibility is an important factor in judging the submissions. Similarly, while a full business plan is not a necessary part of a winning submission, the potential for widespread adoption is also an important criterion in judging. Through this challenge, the DOT aims to develop new, actionable ideas, and to connect inventors with potential partners-businesses and investors-that might help bring the ideas to life. How to Enter 1. Read the Challenge rules and eligibility requirements at the following website: http://connectedvehicle.challenge.gov/rules 2. Prepare a description of your idea in no more than 6000 words (about 20 double-spaced pages). 3. If desired, prepare a video or images to illustrate your idea. 4. By May 1, 2011, submit your material through the Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge website: http://connectedvehicle.challenge.gov. Please Note: Ideas must be submitted through the Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge website. Ideas submitted through the FedBizOpps website will not be accepted. Any questions regarding the Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge must be submitted in writing to the designated Point of Contact, Alison Fecht, at the following email address: Alison.Fecht@dot.gov. Responses to all questions will be posted on the Blog page of the Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge website: http://connectedvehicle.challenge.gov/posts. For more details, please visit the Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge website: http://connectedvehicle.challenge.gov. The Connected Vehicle Technology Challenge website contains all of the information needed to respond to this challenge.