The state of Arizona announced on Oct. 11 the formation of the Institute for Automated Mobility (IAM) to advance the safe deployment of automated vehicles.
The institute is a public-private partnership whose founding members include Intel Corp., the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.
“The Institute for Automated Mobility is the culmination of many months of groundbreaking collaboration between Intel, ASU, and public agencies in Arizona,” said Doug Davis, senior vice president at Intel Corp. “We look forward to working with industry partners, the state, and the universities on safety technologies, standards and policies – such as responsibility sensitive safety (RSS) – as we collectively aim for autonomous transportation solutions that are safe and impactful.”
Intel played a key role in defining the structure and mission of IAM as a founding partner, and has research efforts already underway related to self-driving car safety and standards. Intel will work with all partners offering Mobileye’s Responsibility Sensitive Safety (RSS) model as a starting point for building their solutions. RSS is already deployed by Baidu in its Project Apollo and Apollo Pilot Programs for Automated Driving. The model is an open and transparent technology neutral model for the safety of AV decision making that can serve as a foundation for IAM research
The Institute will focus on the liability, regulatory and safety implications of automated vehicles and will work to develop standards and best practices for the industry to follow. The group is already working on liability and regulatory research as well as plans for an enclosed 2.1-mile safety test track.
At full build out, IAM will consist of facilities designed for complex research and testing scenarios, with a simulation lab as well as technology-neutral physical infrastructure offering multiple route configurations, intersections, signage, and traffic signals. A Traffic Incident Management center designed and run by the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Arizona Department of Public Safety will integrate law enforcement and first responders with automated vehicle technologies unlike any other location in the country.
“The safety of automated vehicles is essential to establish trust with consumers and governments so that we can all enjoy the multifold benefits they will deliver,” said Jack Weast, senior principal engineer at Intel and vice president of automated vehicle standards at Mobileye. “By investing in the research of technology-neutral solutions, policies and standards for safety, Intel and the Institute for Automated Mobility will help build that trust.”
Note: Companies interested in joining IAM as partners may contact [email protected] or visit azcommerce.com/IAM.
