SBIR-STTR Award

Anonymous Traffic Probes for Travel Time and O-D using Bluetooth IDs
Award last edited on: 4/17/2012

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOT
Total Award Amount
$849,806
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
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Principal Investigator
Nicholas J Ganig

Company Information

Traffax Inc

5001 College Avenue
College Park, MD 20740
   (301) 710-6267
   traffax@traffaxinc.com
   www.traffaxinc.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 05
County: Prince Georges

Phase I

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: ----    Completed: ----
Phase I year
2009
Phase I Amount
$99,957
Traffax Inc. proposes a system based on Bluetooth point-to-point communications to anonymous detect vehicles, establish travel times, and develop accurate Origin & Destination (O-D) matrices. Preliminary research performed at the University of Maryland Center for Advanced Transportation Technology, Indiane Department of Transportation, and Purdue University identified the use of consumer devices containing Bluetooth data communication capabilities as possible anonymous traffic probes. Preliminary experiments indicated that between 5% and 7% of the traffic stream contained a Bluetooth device that could be detected and used as an anonymous traffic probe. Building on this research Traffax prooses to (1) quantify the accuracy with which travel time can be estimated, (2) quantify the penetration rate of Bluetooth devices through controlled sampling at Automated-Traffic Recorder locations, (3) develop software to protect privacy incorporating open source and GNU PGP algorithms, (4) establish the relationship between penetration rate and accuracy of O-D and travel time and (5) demonstrate the utility of this method for monitoring freeways and arterials. This will lay the groundwork for an effective and needed tool for a variety of applications which had not been possible without this technology.

Phase II

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: ----    Completed: ----
Phase II year
2011
Phase II Amount
$749,849
Building upon the successes of an SBIR Phase I project, Traffax Inc. in cooperation with Purdue University proposes in Phase II a large scale deployment of Bluetooth Traffic Monitoring (BTM) technology to exercise real-time capability and continued exploration of BTM arterial specific applications. Whereas the first phase concentrated on resolving several key issues and demonstrating utility in small isolated projects, the second phase will showcase a broad-based integrated system deployment that provides real-time traffic monitoring across multiple jurisdicitions, road-types, and possibly multiple modes. Unlike phae I in which most small scale demonstrations recorded data for later analysis, phase II will target real-time systems and monitoring applications. The hardware development goals include designing systems capable of operating autonomously without mains power or a wired network. Such an approach will test claims of cost effective ubiquitous travel time measurements anywhere, as well as discover and resolve any integration issues associated with a large-scale deployment. The focus area is a tri-state corridor spanning Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia. Phase II will also build upon the Phase I partnership with Purdue University by performing a series of arterial management case studies and producing an accompanying guidebook.