Developing a Business Ecosystem around Autonomous Vehicle Infrastructure in Indiana

INDOT will soon be embarking on infrastructure planning to accommodate autonomous vehicles. This new technology affords the ability to impact economic value creation across the supply chain in Indiana, as well as foster economic development in Indiana to support these emerging technologies. This proposal will be a first cut towards exploring the development of a strategy to realize this potential. Our proposal will consist of two phases. Phase 1: A focus on industry choices and plans that can inform INDOT choices. Phase 2: A focus on INDOT’s internal decision making, risk tolerance, and choices regarding infrastructure projects

Synthesis Study: Facilities (Enterprise Development, Sponsorship/Privatization)

The Indiana Department of Transportation maintains 17 rest area locations with 28 separate rest area facilities located on interstates for driver safety and convenience. Although the rest areas provide many benefits to the traveling public, the rest areas do not earn direct profits. Moreover, the Indiana Department of Transportation is increasingly challenged by inadequate funding from taxes generated on the interstates. Constrained by Title 23, that prohibits the commercialization and the privatization of the rest areas, the state of Indiana has a high interest in sustainable sources of revenue at the rest areas that would be able to promote the states and facilities tourism and commerce. The benefits that can be recognized by taking up this project are (i) higher revenues for the INDOT (ii) cost savings wherever possible (iii) environmental benefits (iv) better services and safety measures for overnight travelers (v) partnerships with local businesses

Cost-Effectiveness of Constructing Minimal Shelter to Store INDOT Equipment (Weather Protection)

Currently vehicles used by INDOT are more likely to be subject to maintenance and repair than to replacement. The extent of wear and tear on the vehicles is likely to be impacted by the lack of covered storage in all districts. There are many different levels of covered storage—from tent-like structures to completely covered garages to temperature-controlled environments—each of which has different associated costs. But the associated reduction in equipment wear, speed of startup of equipment, and perhaps better mileage may all reflect savings to INDOT. This project evaluates INDOT’s expected return on investment to create covered areas for equipment (vehicles, other assets), while also assessing the cost difference between vehicles left in covered versus uncovered areas. This project can be used to benchmark certain lot sizes of equipment in order to decide whether or not implementing an indoor storage facility is efficient given the harsh conditions that the equipment may be facing during certain periods of the year. The information can be used to see the impact of weathering on snowplow trucks, the maintenance costs that can be reduced, and the payback period of building a shelter facility

Forecasting Freight Logistic Needs and INDOT Plans

This project focused on forecasting freight logistics needs and developing and analyzing capacity plans for INDOT to consider. The forecast timeframe ranges from the 2020 to 2045; the commodities considered are those used in the FHWA framework. We considered five SSP (Shared Socio-Economic Pathways) scenarios that are in sync with those used by the IPCC (International Protocol for Climate Change). We also use the IPCC forecasts of world GDP and FHWA forecasts to develop county-level freight forecasts by commodity. A survey of industry participants, primarily in manufacturing, suggests that Indiana industries are tied to the rest of the country and the world for supply of inputs as well as for demand markets. Finally, we focus on three different industries—the recreational vehicle (RV) industry in Elkhart County, the furniture industry in Dubois County, and the Honda plant in Decatur County—to illustrate the impact of bill of materials and growth forecasts on forecasted congestion and potential capacity mitigation. Our results suggest that proactive capacity planning can enable INDOT to anticipate and ease congestion and ensure continued economic competitiveness for Indiana industries

New Constraints on Cosmic Reionization from the 2012 Hubble Ultra Deep Field Campaign

Understanding cosmic reionization requires the identification and characterization of early sources of hydrogen-ionizing photons. The 2012 Hubble Ultra Deep Field (UDF12) campaign has acquired the deepest infrared images with the Wide Field Camera 3 aboard Hubble Space Telescope and, for the first time, systematically explored the galaxy population deep into the era when cosmic microwave background (CMB) data indicates reionization was underway. The UDF12 campaign thus provides the best constraints to date on the abundance, luminosity distribution, and spectral properties of early star-forming galaxies. We synthesize the new UDF12 results with the most recent constraints from CMB observations to infer redshift-dependent ultraviolet (UV) luminosity densities, reionization histories, and electron scattering optical depth evolution consistent with the available data. Under reasonable assumptions about the escape fraction of hydrogen ionizing photons and the intergalactic medium clumping factor, we find that to fully reionize the universe by redshift z~6 the population of star-forming galaxies at redshifts z~7-9 likely must extend in luminosity below the UDF12 limits to absolute UV magnitudes of M_UV\sim -13 or fainter. Moreover, low levels of star formation extending to redshifts z~15-25, as suggested by the normal UV colors of z\simeq7-8 galaxies and the smooth decline in abundance with redshift observed by UDF12 to z\simeq10, are additionally likely required to reproduce the optical depth to electron scattering inferred from CMB observations.Comment: Version accepted by ApJ (originally submitted Jan 5, 2013). The UDF12 website can be found at http://udf12.arizona.ed

Improve and Gain Efficiency in Winter Operations

This report analyzes the current service level of winter operations in Indiana and explores opportunities to optimize performance. We analyze data regarding winter operations managed by INDOT and provide specific quantified estimates of opportunities to improve efficiency while also managing costs. For our exploration, we use data provided by INDOT sources, qualitative insights from interviews with INDOT personnel, literature survey data and benchmarking information, salt and supplier data analysis, and simulation. As part of our research, we developed a simulation model to visually represent the impact of alternate management of trucks for snow removal and a dashboard to understand the impact. Our analysis suggests the following: (1) opportunities exist to coordinate salt delivery by suppliers and combine local city salt purchases with INDOT’s purchases to save costs, (2) adjusting routes will reduce deadhead, (3) understanding truck maintenance and truck locations improves performance, and (4) incorporating critical locations into snow route planning will meet service thresholds. These insights provide implementable recommendation initiatives to improve winter operations performance. The simulation tool developed in this project simulates various weather events to draw insights and determine appropriate resource allocations and opportunities for improving operational efficiency. The report thus provides a quantifiable approach to winter operations that can improve the overall service level and efficiency of the process

Heavy Fleet and Facilities Optimization

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is responsible for timely clearance of snow on state-maintained highways in Indiana as part of its wintertime operations. For this and other maintenance purposes, the state’s subdistricts maintain 101 administrative units spread throughout the state. These units are staffed by personnel, including snow truck drivers and house snow removal trucks and other equipment. INDOT indicated a need to carry out value engineering analysis of the replacement timing of the truck fleet. To address these questions, this study carried out analysis to ascertain the appropriate truck replacement age, that is different across each of the state\u27s three weather-based regions to minimize the truck life cycle cost. INDOT also indicated a need for research guidance in possible revisions to the administrative unit locations and optimal routes to be taken by trucks in each unit in order to reduce deadhead miles. For purposes of optimizing the truck snow routes, the study developed two alternative algorithmic approaches. The first uses mathematical programming to select work packets for trucks while ensuring that snow is cleared at all snow routes and allowing the users to identify optimal route and unit location. The second approach uses network routing concepts, such as the rural postman problem, and allows the user to change the analysis inputs, such as the number of available drivers and so on. The first approach developed using opensolver (an open source tool with excel) and the second approach coded as an electronic tool, are submitted as part of this report. Both approaches can be used by INDOT’s administrative unit managers for decision support regarding the deployment of resources for snow clearing operations and to minimize the associated costs

Evaluation of Current Technologies for Training, Web Apps, and New Technologies

This report details the activities conducted to assess the feasibility of using new technology tools for safety training. Utilizing established research studies, risk frameworks, and vendor quotations, we compared the different attributes of training methods such as Traditional Training (classroom/presentations), LMS (Learning Management System) based gamification, Computer Simulation, Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR). The anticipated benefits include improved training program development, higher interactivity and long-term retention, and the chance to reduce work zone risk. The project was divided in three phases, and the following are our four key takeaways. (1) Quality of Safety Training: Benchmarking training practices provided strong evidence that participative programs, such as role plays, demonstrations of safety devices, and risk mapping are some of the best practices. Additionally, training engineers on work zone design, auditing, and recording safe work zones can influence project attributes, such as the length and duration of work zone. Including all these aspects during the project planning phase has a greater chance of influencing work zone safety. (2) Effectiveness of New Technology Tools: Our vendor outreach project phase allowed us to determine the different attributes in training course development and customer experience using new technology tools. Established research studies provided significant support to our hypothesis that new technology tools are more effective and interactive compared to traditional learning. (3) Risk-Based Approach to Training: Analyzing the risk index for work zone attributes indicate the degree of risk that a worker faces while performing a task characterizing those attributes. We concluded that implementation of new technology tools should be planned based on this risk index and optimization model. This will ensure better worker performance and perception of the course content in alignment with the severity of that work attribute. (4) Optimizing Selection of Training Tools for Tasks: We provide an optimization model to choose the optimal mix of training tools to attain the desired level of risk reduction. The tool is spreadsheet-based and shows the benefit of using a portfolio of modules across training tools, each targeted at attaining the desired risk reduction by attribute for a task. By using the risk reduction due to training tools from the literature, the cost data from vendors and task characteristics, this tool can enable INDOT managers to manage risk cost efficiently

Last Mile Delivery and Route Planning for Freight

This report analyzes anticipated list mile challenges in Indiana by using a scenario-based approach to develop forecasts of GDP growth and thus freight growth across industry clusters in Indiana counties; potential congestion implied by this growth; and a proactive plan to add capacity to alleviate the congestion. We use a quantitative approach to aggregate ramp level flows, industry cluster locations, county layout, and economic activity to develop our recommendations. We develop forecasts through the year 2050 based on long-term planning approaches used by other states (California, Ohio, and Utah). We use data from global databases that consider different possible geo-political scenarios and regulatory choices to scale it down to county-level impact. At the same time, we track industry cluster locations within each county, ramps from interstates, and distances to travel within the counties to reach freight destinations. The result is a report that combines macro trends with micro detail to develop potential capacity bottlenecks