iATL, automotive technology laboratory celebrates five-year anniversary
The pace of change in the past five years has been astonishing
Press Release, 10 January 2025
The first technology lab to bring together automakers, cellular network operators, traffic technology companies, semiconductor manufacturers and Departments of Transportation to develop connected vehicle applications celebrates its fifth anniversary this year.
During its day-to-day operations, the Infrastructure Automotive Technology Laboratory (iATL™) has acted as the development center for over 50 connected vehicle projects, including the following:
- Developed and implemented the first use of traffic signal priority for school buses, reducing unscheduled stops by 40% and creating a safer atmosphere on the bus
- Partnered with Audi to demonstrate C-V2X warnings for school safety zones and communications between vehicles and school buses, improving safety for disembarking students
- Integrated school zone flashing beacons and emergency vehicle notifications with Waze, HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud®, and several 511 apps to provide safety alerts to drivers
- Developed the first cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) school zone safety beacon, using Qualcomm chipsets
- Developed the Intelligent Left Turn to warn drivers when other vehicles are approaching an unprotected left turn, resulting in a 25% reduction in crashes
- Successfully integrated Optical and GPS emergency vehicle preemption, enabling agencies to upgrade from older, less effective line-of-sight optical technology
- Deployed the first 5G connected vehicle traffic signal used by an autonomous shuttle for signal priority
The iATL’s first year in operation also saw the beginning of the iATL Partner Alliance, a group of public and private organizations that are connected to the lab or support the development and deployment of connected vehicle technology. Over the past five years, the Alliance has grown to include over 50 members, including partners from major mobile network operators, chipset manufacturers, automakers, and technology companies.
“The pace of change in the past five years has been astonishing,” said Bryan Mulligan, President of Applied Information and Executive Director of the iATL. “When we founded the iATL, we had no idea what the next five years would have in store. But we knew that if we approached the challenges and potential of connected vehicles with the right attitude and the right partners, we could make major changes to the transportation space. Now, connected vehicle technology is becoming increasingly common on our roadways, and it will only become more significant now that the FCC has ruled to approve the use of 5.9 GHz radio spectrum for connected vehicle uses.”
With its partners, the iATL has hosted a number of connected vehicle demonstrations for organizations such as ITS Southeast and 5GAA, including 5GAA’s first face-to-face meeting in the United States after the pandemic. This summer, the facility will be one of the off-site locations for ITS World Congress
The iATL opened on January 10, 2020 to provide a space where public-private partnerships could advance connected vehicle technology. The 4,400 square foot facility includes dozens of different types of electronic devices that control everything from traffic signals to school zone safety beacons to electronic crosswalks. Automakers and others can develop interactive safety apps that engage with the devices in the lab and on roadways within a 5-mile radius outfitted with connected infrastructure.
