Author: Ryan Hall

This week, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced $43.3 million in grants to smart mobility projects in 10 states.  Several Connected Vehicle projects were among those awarded, as part of the Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment (ATCMTD) program.

“This $43.3 million in federal funding will advance innovative technologies that will improve mobility and safety in America’s transportation network,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

FHWA’s ATCMTD program funds early deployments of forward-looking technologies that can serve as national models. This year, the grants will fund projects that use advanced real-time traveler information, vehicle communications technologies, artificial intelligence, regional approaches and bicycle-pedestrian safety features.

OmniAir Member DriveOhio and Ohio Department of Transportation were awarded a $4.4 million grant for Ohio’s I-70 Truck Automation Corridor project.  OmniAir Member North Carolina Department of Transportation received $2.1 million for North Carolina’s Multimodal Connected Vehicle Pilot, which will enable safety messages to be sent to all multimodal users—pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and motorists.

Several other V2X-focused projects also received funding.  $6.8 million was awarded to the Hawaii Department of Transportation for its “Implementing Cellular V2X Technology to Improve Safety and ITS Management” project. Florida Department of Transportation is receiving $10 million to support the I-4 FRAME Project, an advanced Integrated Corridor Management system consisting of next-generation traffic incident management and vehicle-to-infrastructure technologies.

A full list of projects awarded funding is available here.

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Siemens Mobility, Inc. is the third vendor to apply for OmniAir’s new Dual-Use Certification program for Roadside Units (RSU).

OmniAir®, together with its members, is developing the world’s first comprehensive certification program for C-V2X (LTE-V2X PC5) devices.  The Dual-Use Certification program will certify both a Cellular V2X (C-V2X) and Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) radio in a single housing.

Siemens’  Sittraffic ESCoS Roadside Unit RSU was awarded OmniAir Certification for its DSRC capability, and this product will now undergo certification testing through our Dual-use certification program.  OmniAir expects to offer testing and certification for C-V2X devices and Dual-use configurations in the fall of 2020.

OmniAir Certified® devices conform to industry standards and meet minimum interoperability, security, and performance requirements.  OmniAir’s C-V2X Certification program, once available, will provide infrastructure owner-operators and automotive OEMs with the same level of trust and assurance for other OmniAir Certified devices.

“Siemens is providing V2X solutions with their OmniAir Certified DSRC devices throughout testbeds across the United States,” said Jason Conley, Executive Director for OmniAir. We are excited that Siemens is taking advantage of our independent, third-party testing and certification for Dual-Use RSUs. Their confidence in our program will ensure the advancement and continued deployment of  V2X technology.”

OmniAir is taking reservations for Dual-Use RSUs to address the immediate needs of infrastructure owner-operators, which are seeking to invest in Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) capabilities that can accommodate future vehicle connectivity, regardless of the underlying radio technology (DSRC or C-V2X). OmniAir has offered third-party testing and certification for DSRC-V2X devices since 2017.

Additional information about the Dual-Use RSU Certification program and requirements, as well as OmniAir’s other certification programs, is available on our website.

About OmniAir Consortium
OmniAir Consortium is the leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification for ITS, tolling, and Connected Vehicles. OmniAir’s membership includes public agencies, private companies, research institutions, and independent test laboratories. Learn more about OmniAir at www.omniair.org.

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OmniAir Consortium® is excited to announce that the OmniAir Lone Star Plugfest has been rebooted and is scheduled for the week of September 28 through October 2 in Austin, Texas.

OmniAir Plugfest events provide unparalleled value and benefit to the entire Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) ecosystem.  Participants include device manufacturers, chipset and technology component providers,  test tools, test labs, and systems integrators.  Attendees have the opportunity to engageinteroperability, conformance, and security testing with leading test labs and test equipment providers from around the world. 

This week-long testing event will offer bench and field testing for both C-V2X and DSRC devices, including field testing in a live traffic environment, utilizing the Austin Test Bed! This Plugfest will also feature testing against new test cases for C-V2X (PC5) devices. OmniAir is preparing to launch the first comprehensive certification program for C-V2X devices this fall. 

We will have appropriate protocols in place to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of our members, attendees, and staff.   In addition, for the first time, OmniAir will offer virtual participation for device testing for those unable to participate in person due to travel restrictions.  The one-day technical workshop will also be webcast live, allowing attendance from around the world. 

Watch our website for additional details in the coming weeks.

Please consult our website www.omniair.org for further updates, or contact Kate Oldham, koldham@omniair.org.

Register Now!

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OmniAir Consortium®, the leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification for ITS, tolling, and connected vehicles, announces that Gentex Corporation has joined OmniAir® as an Associate Level Member.

Gentex Corporation is a technology company specializing in electro-optical products. It is best known for turning the rearview mirror into an electronic module for the custom delivery of advanced electronic features for automotive Digital Vision, Connected Vehicle and Dimmable Glass.

Gentex has an impressive 93.5% market share of smart-mirrors globally. Currently, 28 different OEMs utilize their products on over 600 vehicle types. Over 50 percent of the mirrors shipped contain advanced electronic features such as displays, cameras, interfaces, and integrated toll transponders.

“OmniAir is excited to add Gentex to our growing list of global automotive suppliers,” said Jason Conley, Executive Director for OmniAir Consortium. “ We look forward to leveraging Gentex’s expertise in tolling and in-vehicle technology to advance OmniAir’s certification programs.”

Gentex introduced its Integrated Toll Module® (ITM®) as a nationwide toll collection technology for factory integration into new vehicles. It uses a mirror-integrated, multi-protocol toll tag to provide motorists with access to toll roads throughout the U.S.

The ITM allows automakers to offer another connected vehicle feature to their customers. By integrating the tolling device into a mirror, it eliminates toll-tag windscreen clutter for regional travelers that must utilize multiple toll accounts.

About OmniAir Consortium
OmniAir Consortium is the leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification for ITS, tolling, and Connected Vehicles. OmniAir’s membership includes public agencies, private companies, research institutions, and independent test laboratories. Learn more about OmniAir at www.omniair.org.

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Anritsu, a global provider of innovative test and measurement technology, has joined OmniAir Consortium as an Associate Level Member.  With over 120 years of experience, the company develops advanced solutions for 5G, M2M, IoT, as well as other emerging and legacy wireline and wireless devices.  Anritsu is also an early leader in developing test systems for Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technologies.

The company was founded in 1895, the year in which Marconi successfully demonstrated the world’s first wireless telegraph. The development of Anritsu has traced the emergence of modern communications, and its history has run concurrently with the evolution of information and communication networks.  Anritsu’s business expansion has occurred chiefly in the information and communication field. The company’s flagship measuring instrument business provides products and services indispensable to the development, manufacture, and maintenance of a range of communication systems as typified in mobile phones and the Internet on a global scale.

“We are delighted to have a global leader like Anritsu as the newest OmniAir Member,” Said Jason Conley, Executive Director for OmniAir Consortium. “Anritsu’s experience and deep expertise in advanced test systems for wireless communications, will help OmniAir in the development of our new certification program for C-V2X devices.”

Anritsu is scheduled to participate, and operate a C-V2X test station, during the OmniAir Lone Star Plugfest in Austin, Texas later this year. OmniAir is developing the world’s first comprehensive certification program for C-V2X devices, which is expected to launch in October.

About OmniAir Consortium

OmniAir Consortium is the leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification for ITS, tolling, and Connected Vehicles. OmniAir’s membership includes public agencies, private companies, research institutions, and independent test laboratories. Learn more about OmniAir at www.omniair.org.

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