About I-24 MOTION

The I-24 Mobility Technology Interstate Observation Network (MOTION) will equip a six-mile section of I-24 in the Nashville-Davidson County Metropolitan area with over 300 ultra-high definition cameras. Those images are converted into a digital model of how every vehicle behaves with unparalleled detail. This is all done anonymously using Artificial Intelligence (AI) trajectory algorithms developed by Vanderbilt University.

Vehicle trajectory data allows us to uncover new insights into how traffic flow influences individual vehicle behavior. This groundbreaking understanding of traffic is more important than ever due to the increasing automation capability of individual vehicles, which are beginning to influence traffic flow through their interactions with conventional vehicles. By unlocking a new understanding of how these vehicles influence traffic, vehicle and infrastructure design can be optimized to reduce traffic concerns in the future to improve safety, air quality, and fuel efficiency.

The purpose of I-24 MOTION is to provide an environment for testing advanced traffic management and automated vehicle technologies in real freeway traffic. Automakers and suppliers are investing billions of dollars in adding connectivity and automation features to vehicles, forever changing safety and mobility. These technologies are often developed in the laboratory or closed-course settings. Testing in traffic captures the variability of real-world conditions and human behavior. Complementary congestion management technologies are being installed by TDOT along this same section of interstate as part of the I-24 SMART Corridor project.

Infrastructure

Tall road-side poles and multiple high-resolution cameras

Steel road-side poles are spaced along the roadway to maintain a continuous view of vehicles across the facility. The poles are tall enough so larger vehicles don’t block the view of smaller ones. Each pole hosts multiple high-resolution (4K) cameras to cover the full roadway from above. The video feeds are transmitted over a fiber optic network for processing off-site.

Data processing

Anonymous vehicle space-time data, driven by deep learning

The 300 video feeds from I-24 MOTION will be processed by a custom software suite that includes state-of-the art computer vision algorithms. These techniques use deep learning (a form of artificial intelligence) to identify vehicles and determine their position on the roadway. The type of vehicle is also collected, but all vehicle data is anonymous and contains no personal information.

This processing can deliver vehicle positions at over 30 measurements per second. Cutting-edge 3D image processing discerns the footprint of each vehicle to achieve high positional accuracy.

Read about the I-24 MOTION project and the I-24 SMART Corridor project from TDOT.

Read our most recent conference paper: “Interstate 24 MOTION open road testbed”, by Will Barbour, Derek Gloudemans, Meredith Cebelak, Brad Freeze, and Dan Work

Read the original conference paper: “Interstate-24 MOTION: closing the loop on smart mobility”, by Derek Gloudemans, Will Barbour, Nikki Gloudemans, Matthew Neuendorf, Brad Freeze, Said ElSaid, and Dan Work

For questions about the project please contact:

Primary Contact:

Lee J. Smith, P.E.
Interim Traffic Operations Division Director
Email: Lee.J.Smith@tn.gov

Other Contacts:

Meredith Cebelak Ph.D., P.E.
Tennessee TSM&O Department Leader
Gresham Smith
Email: meredith.cebelak@greshamsmith.com

Dan Work, PhD
Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Vanderbilt University
Email: Dan.work@vanderbilt.edu