Skip to main content

TRC launches smart mobility advanced research and test centre

The US state of Ohio and the Ohio State University are funding the US$45 million Phase 1 expansion of the Transportation Research Center's (TRC) new 540-acre SMART (Smart Mobility Advanced Research and Test) Center. To to be built within the 4,500 acres of the TRC’s independent automotive testing facility and proving grounds, SMART aims to be a hub for testing of automated and autonomous vehicles, designed to enable car manufacturers and suppliers to expand their testing. Phase 1 of the expansion will in
January 27, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The US state of Ohio and the Ohio State University are funding the US$45 million Phase 1 expansion of the Transportation Research Center's (TRC) new 540-acre SMART (Smart Mobility Advanced Research and Test) Center. To to be built within the 4,500 acres of the TRC’s independent automotive testing facility and proving grounds, SMART aims to be a hub for testing of automated and autonomous vehicles, designed to enable car manufacturers and suppliers to expand their testing.

Phase 1 of the expansion will include a flexible platform and infrastructure; a high-speed intersection; a flexible test platform; an urban network of intersections, roundabouts, traffic signals; a rural network including wooded roads, neighbourhood network and a SMART Center support building.

TRC has been testing different types of vehicles and components on its 4,500-acre facility for more than 40 years, including testing automated and autonomous vehicles over the last two decades.  It provides a convenient location to safely test new technologies before their use on city streets and highways in support of Columbus's $140 million 324 US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Smart City project.

Funding efforts are underway for Phases 2 and 3 of the. Phase 2 will focus on the world's first indoor test facility, which will enable rigorous testing of highly automated vehicles in severe weather conditions.  Phase 3 will include a six-lane high-speed highway, with on and off ramps and underpasses, to support the testing of vehicle swarming and truck platooning.

Related Content

  • ACM to lead collaborative study on autonomous truck platooning
    September 26, 2018
    The American Center for Mobility (ACM) will lead a study which seeks to autonomously control a fleet of trucks in Colorado. The two-year project will begin at the end of 2018, followed by a second deployment in Michigan. ACM says it has worked collaboratively to identify and pool resources to help accelerate the safe deployment of autonomous controlled trucks. As part of the programme, tests will be carried out at ACM’s purpose-built facility to assess the reliability of multi-truck convoys travelli
  • UK to trial truck platooning by the end of 2018
    August 25, 2017
    The first truck platooning trials on UK roads are planned to take place by the end of 2018, Transport Minister Paul Maynard has said. Announcing the US$10 million (£8.1million) government funding for trials today, Maynard said advances such as lorry platooning could benefit businesses through cheaper fuel bills and other road users thanks to lower emissions and less congestion. The platooning trials will see up to three heavy goods vehicles, travelling in convoy, with acceleration and braking controlled by
  • FHWA collaborative framework on automated driving systems: an explainer
    September 26, 2023
    USDoT FHWA has put together a collaborative framework to help secure the roll-out of automated driving systems in the US. John Harding of FHWA explains the thinking…
  • U-M offers open-access automated cars to advance driverless research
    November 22, 2016
    The University of Michigan (U-M) is offering use of its new research vehicles as test beds for academic and industry researchers to test self-driving and connected vehicle technologies at its proving ground. These open connected and automated research vehicles, or open CAVs, are equipped with sensors including radar, lidar and cameras, among other features and will be able to link to a robot operating system. An open development platform for connected vehicle communications will be added later. The op