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Federal Highway Administration National Dialogue on Highway Automation: August 1-2, 2018 Digital Infrastructure and Data Workshop Summary

Breakout Session II: Digital Infrastructure

This section summarizes stakeholder discussion from the second breakout session. The following questions were asked:

  • How do you define digital infrastructure and what aspects of digital infrastructure are the most critical to enabling highway automation (e.g., data management hardware, software, policies, standards, agreements, communications technology)?
  • What digital infrastructure aspects are needed to gather, process/quality check, assimilate, and disseminate each type of data element?
  • What would a National Transportation Digital Infrastructure Framework primarily need to include (e.g., types of data, communications media, data management capabilities)?
  • What is the government’s role in implementing or supporting the development of digital infrastructure? What types of institutional capabilities, information, or guidance is needed?

The Digital Infrastructure Definition Is Emerging, Incomplete and Includes Multiple Components

There was not clear consensus among workshop participants around a specific definition of the digital infrastructure. However, they shared the perspective that a digital infrastructure represents the connected and interoperable components needed to gather and process data for AVs. The functions of a digital infrastructure include data capture, transmission, storage, information delivery and analysis. The parts of a digital infrastructure could include hardware, software, and protocols and policies (including standards). Several participants discussed how the digital infrastructure also includes humans—engineers and other people who interact with and operate the other parts. Although many parts of the digital infrastructure exist now, they exist to differing degrees in different places.

The digital infrastructure can also include multiple systems and components. Examples cited included traffic signal controllers with data processing capability, cell towers, and secure communication gear. Edge computing, where full data analysis capabilities are co-located with roadside sensors and other equipment, was also cited as a currently available subsystem. Some workshop participants noted that different private companies are operating their own digital infrastructures now, although these infrastructures (e.g., traffic data collection, mapping data systems, analysis and information dissemination systems) do not necessarily provide all functions needed for supporting highway automation.

Digital Maps Are a Key Part of the Digital Infrastructure

Participants described the value of high-definition maps of the physical environment in the roadway. These maps might be constructed via light detection and ranging sensor (LIDAR), and would provide definition high enough to support AV navigation. Although maps are being produced by private-sector companies, there are opportunities to improve these maps through better information about real-time roadway conditions and characteristics. For example, some participants said that it would be valuable for the public sector to produce nationwide maps of infrastructure characteristics (e.g., bridge heights, lane widths, and right-of-way widths) and rules of the road, including dynamic elements such as signal phasing and timing. These maps may potentially reduce AV development costs and facilitate industry-agency communications and cooperation on prioritizing infrastructure improvements.

A National Transportation Digital Infrastructure Framework Could Be Valuable

Workshop participants discussed the value of having a national framework, which would consist of a set of agreements about how States, cities, and the private sector will work together on AV-related digital infrastructure. The objectives of a national framework could be to enhance safety and efficiency by supporting nationwide interoperability and consistency. The issues identified as being most valuable for the framework to address included:

  • Data interfaces
  • Intellectual property, confidential business information, and licensing
  • Liability
  • Data quality and trust in data sources
  • Privacy protections
  • Coordination of resources to support the development of digital infrastructure
  • Prioritization of data sets and digital infrastructure elements
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