Researchers working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) have turned a four-mile section of I-24 into the world’s largest open road testbed to better understand and mitigate traffic.
“When it comes to transportation and mobility in Tennessee, we are at a critical juncture, said Deputy Governor and TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley. “Traffic congestion is now becoming more prominent throughout Tennessee, and not just in urban areas. Addressing these challenges will force us to think critically about solutions. … We are confident that this project and others like it will further strengthen Tennessee’s reputation for being a hub of automotive excellence.”
The CIRCLES Consortium, a federally funded research project consisting of Vanderbilt University, UC Berkeley, Temple University, and Rutgers University-Camden, in coordination with Nissan North America and TDOT, concluded a five-day experiment in late 2022. For the experiment, researchers tested an AI-powered cruise control system on 100 specially equipped Nissan Rogue vehicles. The AI technology adjusts speeds based on surrounding traffic.
Preliminary results showed that a single AI-equipped vehicle could influence the speed and driving behavior of up to 20 surrounding cars, causing a positive ripple effect in day-to-day traffic. The CIRCLES Consortium will spend the next several months analyzing data collected.
"This thing is like an MRI, when the rest of the world is looking at traffic with an X-ray," Vanderbilt engineer Dan Work told Axios, adding, “We've got researchers from the other side of the planet coming to see us in Nashville, you know, working on problems here in Middle Tennessee."
“Partnership across universities, government and the private sector is the key to pioneering projects like this one,” said Vanderbilt University Vice Provost for Research and Innovation Padma Raghavan. “From its earliest inception, all the partners in this effort have played vital roles. That trusted collaboration continues as the team analyzes results to seek new insights to address pressing challenges in transportation in Tennessee and beyond.”
This was the first research project conducted on I-24 MOTION, a smart highway equipped with more than 300 4K digital sensors.