Georgia’s I-85 Is Getting Intelligent Transportation Technology Powered by Panasonic to Improve Safety, Cut Congestion and CO2 Emissions

August 8, 2019 /3BL Media/ — Today the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and The Ray announced a joint project with Panasonic to test a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) data ecosystem that will enable Georgia’s growing deployment of connected roadways. This ambitious partnership seeks to trial technology along the 18-mile stretch of Interstate 85 in Troup County, Georgia called The Ray that can then be implemented across the state to improve roadway safety, reduce traffic congestion, and improve organizational efficiency.

By leveraging the “CIRRUS by Panasonic” data management platform, GDOT will gain trial access to a V2X ecosystem that constantly receives actionable information along The Ray and transmits critical roadway information between state traffic roadway operators and vehicles equipped with V2X technology.

“We look forward to working with Panasonic and The Ray as we continue preparing our road network for an increasingly automated future,” said John Hibbard, GDOT Operations Division Director.

By 2022, it is estimated that there will be 105 million connected vehicles on the road “talking” to each other and the roads, producing the nation’s largest data stream up to 150 petabytes annually¹, which is equal to 15,000 years of television content. In anticipation of the positive safety implications, GDOT has already installed hundreds of roadside units across the metropolitan Atlanta region. GDOT secured FHWA grant funding allowing its installation of connected vehicle technology to expand to 1,700 of the most heavily traveled intersections in metro Atlanta.

Connecting Vehicles to Everything Makes Safer, More Efficient Roadways

The CIRRUS by Panasonic V2X platform enables state DOTs to leverage the real-time, location-specific data to improve roadway safety, ease congestion, identify maintenance needs and roadway interruptions. With an open development platform, the Panasonic system can further enable advanced mobility solutions such as autonomous driving and freight platooning, and is built to capture the long tail of innovation with an endless number of transportation applications utilizing V2X technology.

The GDOT-The Ray pilot with Panasonic is a two-year program, with the Panasonic system installed and deployed through the end of 2019; GDOT and The Ray will conduct demonstrations of its data management capabilities and various use cases through 2020.

“It all comes down to safety,” said Harriet Langford president and founder of The Ray. “The data and details we will be able to gather and analyze from this system will allow transportation safety experts to study and understand vehicle crashes in a completely new way; kind of like having an airplane black box. In the future, we may even be able to intervene during or before dangerous conditions arise. That’s what this is all about. Ending highway fatalities.”

“We are excited to join Georgia DOT and The Ray in bringing a connected vehicle data ecosystem to the most tech-savvy stretch of roadway in Georgia,” said Jarrett Wendt, executive vice president Panasonic Corporation of North America. “Our CIRRUS by Panasonic platform collects critical data and processes it into key insights in real-time, and we look forward to demonstrating its positive effect for safer travel in Troup County and beyond.”

¹Statista Connect Car Report 2018

About The Ray

The Ray is a proving ground for the evolving ideas and technologies that will transform the transportation infrastructure of the future, beginning with the corridor of road that is named in memory of Ray C. Anderson (1934-2011), a Georgia native who became a captain of industry and was recognized as a leader in green business when he challenged his company, Atlanta- based Interface, Inc., to reimagine the enterprise as a sustainable company—one that would pursue zero environmental footprint. Chaired by Ray’s daughter Harriet Langford, The Ray is an epiphany of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation. Learn more at www.theray.org.

About the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT)

Georgia Department of Transportation plans, constructs and maintains Georgia’s state and federal highways. We’re involved in bridge, waterway, public transit, rail, general aviation, bike and pedestrian programs. And we help local governments maintain their roads. Our transportation network connects our interstates, state highways, county roads and city streets. Georgia DOT is committed to providing a safe, seamless and sustainable transportation system that supports Georgia’s economy and is sensitive to its citizens and its environment. Learn more at www.dot.ga.gov.

About Panasonic Corporation of North America

Newark, NJ-based Panasonic Corporation of North America is committed to creating a better life and a better world by enabling its business-to-business customers through innovations in Sustainable Energy, Immersive Entertainment, Integrated Supply Chains and Mobility Solutions. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation. One of Interbrand’s Top 100 Best Global Brands of 2018, Panasonic is a leading technology partner and integrator to businesses, government agencies and consumers across the region. Learn more about Panasonic’s ideas and innovations at www.na.panasonic.com/us and @PanasonicUSA on all social media channels.