Ohio DOT, Otto Initiate ‘Smart Mobility Corridor’
Otto’s self-driving tractor pulls an Ohio DOT-owned tanker along U.S. 33 northwest of Columbus. The state will install sensors and fiber-optic cable along the route to support further autonomous and connected-vehicle testing. Photos: Ohio DOT
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Otto’s self-driving tractor pulls an Ohio DOT-owned tanker along U.S. 33 northwest of Columbus. The state will install sensors and fiber-optic cable along the route to support further autonomous and connected-vehicle testing. Photos: Ohio DOT
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The State of Ohio is investing $15 million to install advanced highway technology along its “Smart Mobility Corridor” – a 35‑mile stretch of U.S. 33 northwest of Columbus. It was used Wednesday, Nov. 30 for a demonstration run by Otto, a developer of self-driving vehicle technology .
Gov. John Kasich announced the project today at a ceremony in suburban Dublin. He said the state’s partnership with leading automotive research centers and local governments in the region will create an ideal proving ground to safely test innovative technologies that will change the way people and products are transported in Ohio and across the world.
After the event, Otto’s self-driving tractor pulled an Ohio Department of Transportation tanker trailer from Dublin to East Liberty. A driver was in the cab, ready to take over if anything went amiss, but it didn’t, ODOT said. Otto also plans to run its truck on the Ohio Turnpike later this week.
“Some of the world’s foremost automotive researchers are working here in Ohio, at both ends of this corridor, and this project provides them with the perfect location and state-of-the-art infrastructure for safely testing autonomous and connected vehicle technologies,” Kasich said.
“Ohio has been at the heart of automotive manufacturing and innovation since the industry’s earliest days. Those ties strengthen with each passing year and innovations developed here will continue to build on our state’s historic role as a world leader in transportation technology,” he said.
The Smart Mobility Corridor, 35 miles of four-lane, limited access highway, will be equipped by the ODOT with high-capacity fiber optic cable to instantaneously link researchers and traffic …Read the rest of this story
