Traffic & Parking Control Company Inc. (TAPCO) has launched its new Connected Vehicle Interface unit at the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Annual Meeting, which is taking place this week (August 20-23) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Wisconsin-based TAPCO is one of the USA’s largest manufacturers, distributors and service providers of traffic and parking control products, which has been manufacturing and distributing a wide range of traffic and parking safety systems since 1956.
TAPCO designs and delivers reliable, cutting-edge traffic safety enhancements, including a world-renowned line of LED-enhanced BlinkerSign systems and pedestrian crossing products. The company has now taken the first steps to prepare its comprehensive Intelligent Warning Systems product suite for use in connected vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) deployments.
TAPCO’s new Connected Vehicle Interface is an innovative enhancement option that will upgrade the company’s new and existing AC and solar-powered Intelligent Warning Systems products, allowing them to integrate with connected vehicle-ready infrastructure.
The Connected Vehicle Interface communicates with Smart City Road Side Units (RSUs) to relay Intelligent Warning System activation data to connected vehicles via dedicated short-range communication (DSRC), 4G or 5G cellular telecommunications networks, providing drivers with instant in-vehicle alerts.
The Connected Vehicle Interface transfers system data through integration with local advanced traffic management systems (ATMS), providing officials with activation trends, status information, and actionable insight into each connected system.
“As connected vehicles and smart city infrastructure continue to evolve, we decided now was the right time to ensure that all our Intelligent Warning Systems have the capability to be connected vehicle ready,” said Jon Zick, director of engineering and marketing at TAPCO.
“The Connected Vehicle Interface enables us to tap into existing RSUs to enhance driver responsiveness to our Intelligent Warning Systems. This innovation signals to our customers that we’re dedicated to advancing our technology in step with the needs of smart city and connected infrastructure.”
