Kapsch TrafficCom (Kapsch) is the first manufacturer to submit its RIS-9260 roadside unit (RSU) for dual-use certification by the OmniAir Consortium, the global industry association promoting interoperability and certification for intelligent transportation systems, tolling, and connected vehicles.
The Kapsch RIS-9260 is used in connected vehicle (V2X) applications and can operate within either or both the DSRC and C-V2X protocols as dual-mode/dual active. It is already OmniAir-certified for DSRC operation.
The Kapsch dual-mode/dual-active RSU offers customers a versatile product that can be implemented in a variety of urban or highway applications including vehicle priority, pedestrian or driver warning systems, and wrong-way driving alerts.
The dual-mode/dual-active capabilities protect customer investment against future FCC regulation changes by accommodating V2X connectivity regardless of the underlying radio protocol. They also enable automotive OEMs the ability to choose which short-range radio communication to use.
The RIS-9260 has already been successfully deployed in the United States and Canada. In Calgary, Alberta the units are used at 12 intersections in the city’s downtown metropolitan area, where they pair with emergency vehicle (EV) onboard units to trigger green traffic lights when EV sirens are active. This allows the EVs to speed through the cleared intersections and save vital time, and in some cases, ultimately lives.
In Florida, the RIS-9260 is deployed in the state’s District 7 Pinellas County Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) Corridor at 23 signalized intersections and two onsite installs on the Florida Department of Transportation campus. The RSUs correspond with Kapsch in-vehicle on-board units and the Kapsch corridor management software to provide emergency vehicle preemption, transit signal priority, basic safety message collection, and to facilitate the eWalk pedestrian safety application.
Additionally, in 2018 Kapsch installed 100+ RIS-9260 units along the I-70 Mountain Corridor highway in Colorado to support the world’s first dual-mode V2X deployment. The units were tested with snow plows and test vehicles to demonstrate safety and mobility use cases largely standardized by SAE J2735 and SAE J2945. This was a joint collaboration with Panasonic, Qualcomm, Ford, and the Colorado Department of Transportation to productize C-V2X while also proving the viability of dual-mode functionality and capabilities.
“Our V2X products offer our customers a comprehensive range of potential connected vehicle solutions and applications,” says Chris Murray, president of Kapsch TrafficCom North America. “This variety is enhanced by the versatility of our dual-mode technology, which protects customer investment and ensures additional V2X integrations that will continue to develop in the future.”