Current Research Projects
| Title | Date of start | Planned end date | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPR-4811: Simulating Current and Future EV Growth Scenarios in Indiana | 10/16/2023 | 12/31/2026 | The project integrates current and future demand scenarios developed from SPR-4706 to understand supply side impacts of EV growth using metrics related to travel patterns, demand at charging stations, trip lengths, charging station usage and return on investment. |
| SPR-4815: Development of Dashboards and Procedures for Using Connected Vehicle Data to Prioritize Investments in EV Related Infrastructure | 8/1/2023 | 3/31/2026 | Dashboards and reporting procedures will be developed to be used to assess growth of EV adoption in the state. |
| SPR-4856: Receiver, Vehicle, and Roadway Systems for a DWPT Roadway Testbed | 9/1/2023 | 5/31/2026 | This project supports the installation of a 1/4 mile long dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) testbed on northbound US- 231 in West Lafayette. At the end of this project, INDOT will have a fully functional pilot DWPT system constructed and tested. |
| SPR-4905: Feasibility Study on the Development of Indiana’s Connected and Automated Vehicle Roadmap and Strategic Plan | 8/1/2024 | 11/30/2025 | Providing INDOT with insight into industry CAV development plans, guiding infrastructure investment and policy decisions. The culmination of this effort will be a strategic CAV roadmap for Indiana that embodies the state's commitment to safety, efficiency, and innovative progress. |
SPR-4942: EV Charging Needs and Demand for Multifamily Dwellings in Indiana | 12/16/2024 | 12/15/2026 | Using data generated and insights from SPR-4706 to explore EV charging needs and variances among Indiana residents, this project will study a variety of housing types to model future demands. |
| SPR-5006: Stakeholder Engagement in Indiana's Electrification Ecosystem and Infrastructure Readiness Assessment | TBD | TBD | The project will address the question: What policies, coordination mechanisms, and regulatory frameworks must INDOT and other government agencies establish to support Indiana's rapidly evolving electrification ecosystem while ensuring safety, reliability, and economic competitiveness? |
| SPR:-5007: Performance Evaluation and Development of Cost-Effective DWPT Roadways | TBD | TBD | In the initial Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer Testbed (DWPTT) instantiation, the significant cost driver was the inverters used to supply power. The team has developed a new paradigm for DWPT systems where each inverter can power multiple transmitter coils. Additionally, the team will study and demonstrate the DWPT system use for light- and medium-duty vehicles. |
Published Research Projects
| Title | Date | Detail | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
SPR-4637 | May 2023 | Work zone safety is a high priority for transportation agencies across the United States. High speeds in construction zones are a well-documented risk factor that increases the frequency and severity of crashes. It is therefore important to understand the extent and severity of high-speed vehicles in and around construction work zones. This study uses CV trajectory data to evaluate the impact of several work zone speed compliance measures, such as posted speed limit signs, radar-based speed feedback displays, and automated speed enforcement on controlling speeds inside the work zone. This study also presents several methodologies to characterize both the spatial and temporal effects of these control measures on driver behavior and vehicle speeds across the work zones. |  |
SPR-4509 | Jan. 2023 | Phase-I identified energy EV charging deserts in Indiana for long-distance trips. SPR-4509 Phase-II further examines the charging stations' impact on EV long-distance trips in Indiana. Using an agent-based simulation model, the number of charges, vehicle miles traveled, energy used during the trip, and energy used during charging were estimated for nine different cases. High EV daily charging demand areas in Indiana were shown in ArcGIS based on multiple scenarios of different charging station construction phases and EV market penetration rates. |  |
SPR-4638 | Sept. 2022 | INDOT uses hundreds of digital cameras along populated Indiana highways in order to monitor highway traffic conditions. The videos from these cameras are currently observed by human operators looking for traffic conditions and incidents. However, it is time-consuming for the operators to scan through all video data from all the cameras in real-time. The main objective of this research was to develop an automatic and real-time system and implement the system at INDOT to monitor traffic conditions and detect incidents automatically. The Transportation and Autonomous Systems Institute (TASI) of the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and the INDOT Traffic Management Center have worked together to research and develop a system that monitors the traffic conditions based on the INDOT CCTV video feeds. The proposed system performs traffic flow estimation, incident detection, and the classification of vehicles involved in an incident. The goal was to develop a system and prepare for future implementation. |  |
SPR-4322 | Aug. 2021 | INDOT manages and maintains over 28,000 miles of roadways. Maintenance of the roadways includes pavement repair in the summer and snow removal and de-icing in the winter. The prioritization of assets during winter storm events is crucial and impacts travel and safety. The objective of this project was to identify and develop tools INDOT could provide its operators to effectively perform winter operation de-icing activities. This project examined application methods and data to provide analytics and make data-driven decisions for state-wide deployment and operations. Discovery of calibration metrics partnered with fleetwide telematics enabled the development of analytic dashboards that allowed real-time evaluations and adjustments to be made during winter operation activities. These tools will allow the agency to better treat and enhance safety for road users. |  |
SPR-4314 | June 2021 | This study explored early-level research considerations for electrified roadways that led to further conceptualization and construction of a dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) testbed in later projects SPR-4607 and SPR-4856. |  |
SPR-4308 | March 2020 | Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are increasingly used for a variety of applications related to INDOT’s mission including bridge inspection, traffic management, incident response, construction and roadway mapping. This document provides an overview of UAS applications that may be appropriate for INDOT, as well as a description of the regulations that affect UAS operation. |  |
SPR-4706 Electric Vehicles: Public Perceptions, Expectations, and Willingness-to-Pay | August 2024 | The primary objective of this project was to understand Indiana residents’ perspectives on electric vehicles (EVs), including adoption incentives and barriers, awareness of adoption incentives, charging preferences, and general travel patterns. A secondary objective was to establish a framework for identifying EV users, detailing their trips, and generating predictions for EV adoption and usage. To achieve these objectives, a stated preference survey was conducted. |  |
SPR-4607 Full-Scale Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer and Pilot Project Implementation | March 2024 | Considering the challenges hindering the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and heavy-duty electric vehicles (HDEVs), the integration of dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) technology into roadways has gained interest. By embedding DWPT components into pavement, electrical power can be delivered to an EV or HDEV as they are in motion. This research and associated construction project for a testbed continued in SPR-4856. |  |