Vehicle Infrastructure Integration

The USDOT Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration (VII) Program, now known as IntelliDrive^SM, represents an exciting, new paradigm for surface transportation — one which reflects a new spirit of cooperation among surface transportation stakeholders and a new concept for the integration of vehicles and the surface transportation system. VII presents opportunities to take the next great step forward toward improving the safety, mobility, commercial opportunities, and the environmental impact of surface transportation.

IntelliDrive^SM and VII

Vehicle Infrastructure Integration is a USDOT Program that is now incorporated under and basically being referred to as ‘IntelliDrive^SM’ which is a service-marked brand of USDOT.

IntelliDrive^SM is a developing concept that describes vehicles ‘connected’, perhaps continuously, but always wirelessly, to other vehicles and the outside world to affect an application or service. The notion includes any wireless communication protocol that may connect a vehicle to a piece of infrastructure or equipment outside of that vehicle, be it a DSRC OBE to a RSE, or a carry-in PND or cellular phone to a cellular tower or GPS satellite.

Alternatively, VII is a more focused concept, whereby the ‘connection’ is between a vehicle and some roadside infrastructure, and occurs at an isolated point in time, a discrete place and often for a distinct purpose to enable a particular application or service to occur – very quickly and securely. This limited in range, specialized, high-performance quality is why DSRC technology is featured prominently in VII.

• For more on IntelliDrive^SM visit www.intelliDriveusa.org.
• For more on the VII visit www.its.dot.gov/itsnews/fact_sheets/vii.htm.

OmniAir’s Role in the Program

OmniAir and its members are actively participating in the above programs in significant ways:

• 5.9GHz DSRC Certification Program
• VII Tactical Deployment
• IntelliDrive^SM Payments Concept of Operations

5.9GHz DSRC Device Standards Compliance Certification Program

In June 2006, OmniAir began a 5-year Cooperative Agreement with USDOT to develop the 5.9GHz DSRC Device Standards-Compliance Certification Program. The work comprises a series of tasks. OmniAir believes that a single interpretation of ’standards-compliant’ helps advance interoperability. It is part of OmniAir’s “One-Stop-Shop” approach.
For more, see the OmniAir Certification Committee page.

VII Tactical Deployment
A successful nationwide deployment of VII needs to recognize and take advantage of the forces that will naturally shape the situation. Combining applications in unconventional ways and investigating an alternative to embedded on-board vehicle technology will lead to eventual full deployment. This is the general picture of VII Tactical Deployment and is one of OmniAir’s most exciting programs taking shape.
For more on Tactical Deployment, visit here.

IntelliDrive^SM Payments Concept of Operations
This task was originally assigned by USDOT in 2007 and was called the ‘VII Tolling & Payments Concept of Operations. The task was re-scoped in 2009 and the final deliverable exists today in draft form. In a nutshell, a Concept of Operations describes the requirements for a national payment scheme for the ‘connected’ vehicle as it would exist in a multi-stakeholder ecosystem.
Go to the EPS Committee page to learn more