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CHAPTER 7. CONCLUSION
The future ITS workforce has an established need for scaled-down test tools and training materials that can prepare technicians to configure and maintain devices that are available now and make informed procurement decisions for the future. This system design document for the CAVe-in-a-box prototype addresses this knowledge gap by providing the ITS community with a scaled-down test tool for examining data flows as well as a comprehensive assembly and configuration guide.
Through a step-by-step explanation of the process by which CAVe-in-a-box was designed using computer-aided design and assembled into a working prototype, future technicians can understand how to configure and manage their own CAVe-in-a-box as well as the types of considerations that go into any ITS procurement and deployment. By including in-depth explanations of both the hardware and software considerations in ITS design, this document also ensures that a user’s understanding of the CAVe-in-a-box prototype goes beyond the hardware components and encompasses software and device interconnection as well. The toolkit presented in this document can help instructors and researchers in bringing a large-scale CAV environment inside their classrooms and laboratories. This enables a hands-on, cost effective, and flexible teaching and testing tool for anyone interested in CAV.
The initial CAVe-in-a-box design was envisioned for use in laboratories and classrooms where instructors can work with students to advance hands-on and practical training for ITS- and CAV-oriented education. However, the transitional domain of CAVe-in-a-box can leverage technical support to encompass an additional scope in research labs and industry needs. The future of CAVe-in-a-box would allow more streamlined design, supported by the flexible generic design pattern used in the earliest version of the toolkit, which can focus on specific aspects of CAV and ITS research and implementation. While the current design of CAVe-in-a-box continues supporting the needs of an educator to provide real world use cases for different ITS applications, message types, and implementations, the future of CAVe-in-a-box can be tailor-made for specific research needs. Some of the foreseeable research needs are as follows:
- CAVe-in-a-box as an onboarding tool for new hires/interns in an ITS industry. This allows CAVe-in-a-box to house necessary components that make it appropriate for new hires to gain tabletop knowledge of industry-level vehicle messaging and traffic applications.
- CAVe-in-a-box as a sandbox for newer application and technology integration. Newer applications and technologies such as 802.11 bd (Wi-Fi), C-V2X, and 5G new radio (G. Naik, 2019) need to be integrated into the ITS and this toolkit can rise as the generic suite for building newer applications, embedding advanced wireless technologies, and undergoing controlled testing for real world investment. One of the implications of this is enabling multiple wireless network technologies to leverage a heterogeneous network.
- CAVe-in-a-box for industry level validation and certification suite. This discipline allows CAVe-in-a-box to be built with one objective: to suite up for industry level validation and testing so that newer technologies/vendors/markets can be tested rigorously against the existing standards. This allows mandatory standard and protocol adherent requirements to be tested in real time.
Interested parties should refer to their respective vendor manuals for the proper instruction on using chosen equipment. However, the following list provides links to websites where information for V2X Hub documentation can be referenced:
A limited number of CAVe-in-a-box prototypes are available for lease through an equipment loan program hosted at STOL in Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC). For more information on the program, please email CAVSupportServices@dot.gov.
For feedback/comments, please email CAVSupportServices@dot.gov.
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