OmniAir Begins VAD Qualification Test Round in Support of USDOT Safety Pilot

OmniAir has begun the final round of Connected Vehicle Program Vehicle Awareness Device (VAD) testing with outdoor/field testing occuring September 18-21, 2012.  The purpose of the Qualification Round is to take DSRC devices and run them through a layered test approach that includes a physical medium and format check, a subsystem transmission pattern and other selected operational checks while the device is operating in a moving vehicle, including the ability to sign messages.

Testing includes radio and message level interface testing, as well as minimum performance testing (radio range and positioning accuracy).  Devices must comply with the VAD specification and internal antenna requirements.

Initial environmental testing is done at OmniAir test facilities in Baltimore, MD.  Field tests occur at a private test track in Millville, NJ.  Other OmniAir members involved include Southwest Research Institute, Concurrent Technology Corporation, 3M (formerly Federal Signal), and Security Innovations.

The goal of the program is to be able to reliably qualify VAD devices for use in the Connected Vehicle Safety Pilot Program underway now in Ann Arbor, MI and to support procurement needs of affiliated test beds in the future.  The UMTRI-managed Safety Pilot consists of a 2,800-vehicle test of connected vehicle technology performance.

Data collected from the multi-month test will be used to inform a potential NHTSA regulatory recommendation in late 2013.  For more information email info@omniair.org