Stantec Generation AV - AV FAQs

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autonomous vehicle FAQs

GenerationAV is a team of autonomous vehicle and robotics experts focused on the safe delivery of autonomous vehicles to current and future clients of Stantec worldwide, assisting customers on their autonomous vehicle journey, and driving transformation of the future development of how buildings, roads, and infrastructure can prepare for a future with autonomous transportation systems.

The main focus of autonomous vehicles is to allow for safe travel of vehicles without the help of human interaction. This can be done by software and hardware connected with specific sensors, cameras, localization, and other technology to assist in that vehicle’s safe navigation.

 

How do they safely avoid hitting things?

Autonomous vehicles are built with on-board and off-board sensors, cameras, software, and hardware that allow for the autonomous vehicle to see things on its journey and identify the need to stop, slow down or navigate obstacles on its journey.

Autonomous vehicles must be built and deployed to improve the overall safety of the job it is built to do.  The autonomous technology must be robust, redundant, and consistent with the rules and regulations of the market the autonomous vehicles must operate within. Our team has the most combined experience in the Autonomous Vehicle industry.

Our combined team of AV experts will provide guidance and support every step of the way.

We see an exciting opportunity to support your goals of safety, efficiency, and environmentally friendly transportation solutions through the implementation of a project that can lead the way in demonstrating how automated vehicle solutions can be utilized on a wider scale in the future.

Autonomous vehicles can provide many benefits:

  1. Safety is one of the largest focus points in the autonomous market and has the largest benefit.  This is a focus for all members of the community
  2. Consistent or added services can be provided within different markets due to the lack of available people in the workforce allowing autonomous vehicles to pick up those services.  Public transit, street sweepers, and other utility services can provide automated services.
  3. Connected autonomous vehicles can move traffic and products more efficiently.  Improving traffic signals and other digital infrastructure to move vehicles through streets faster and more efficient
  4. Most autonomous vehicles are being used around electric or hybrid type vehicles improving sustainability.  Cities should be looking at electric charging for personal vehicles, fleet vehicles, and public transit vehicles that are automated and electric.
  5. Autonomous vehicles are pushing the market to put more emphasis on accessibility for people with disabilities and reduced mobility.  Accessibility is hugely important in public transportation and should be the cornerstone of how to provide more access to everyone.

Autonomous vehicles can operate in some level of rain and snow. The heavier the moisture the more difficult but in general most autonomous vehicles can operate in light to moderate weather.

Stantec works on many active projects helping customers on their autonomous vehicle journeys.  Contact a Stantec GenerationAV team member to discuss the projects that best align with your project or interest.

Stantec GenerationAV supports organizations that are looking to solve problems or look to the future by leveraging autonomous technology.  Stantec GenerationAV has a playbook that can help you on your autonomous vehicle journey.  The first steps are to sit down with a Stantec GenerationAV team member and to map out what challenges or goals you are trying to achieve and then apply that to the Stantec GenerationAV Playbook Methodology.  A road map can be built to achieve your goals and project plans to support them.  The Stantec GenerationAV team will walk you through each step required in the roadmap to execute your vision with the right technology and solution while staying within your targeted funding or budget.

Sitting down with a Stantec GenerationAV team member can help you address your concerns.  There have been lots of testing and data that show the improved safety with autonomous vehicles.  GenerationAV can share that data with you.  You can also achieve some confidence in executing a pilot of your own with the help of GenerationAV and selecting the right technology for the vision of your autonomous journey.

All of our Stantec GenerationAV team members are excited to work with you.  It is best to reach out to our Business Development team member who can talk with you about your autonomous vehicle journey. Contact Us.

The autonomous vehicle market is an ever-changing environment and there is a lot to understand.  Stantec GenerationAV has built a database of all the AV Suppliers and their capabilities and can create a report for you based on the goals of your autonomous vehicle journey.  Reach out to our Stantec GenerationAV team members to ask about the AV and Technology Report that can be custom created just for your needs.

Obtaining an autonomous vehicle can be tricky.  It is best to have a business case built and know what you’re looking for before you start shopping for an autonomous vehicle.  Once a vehicle or Autonomous vehicle vendor has been identified GenerationAV can assist you in procuring what you’re looking for.   Stantec GenerationaAV’s experience in the market can help you in negotiating for the right vehicles and technology and ensure you are getting the best and fair market value.

Costs can really differ depending on the technology or solution that you’re looking for on your autonomous journey.  Talk to a Stantec GenerationAV team member to talk through with you what cost expectations could be depending on what you’re looking for.

You can never start too early to prepare for autonomous vehicles.  As you look at buildings and infrastructure investments in your community it is important to understand how autonomous vehicles can impact those investments and understand how to plan for those projects.   Now is the best time to start understanding where the autonomous vehicle market is right now and how it can help your community.

Stantec has hired experienced experts in the AV field. The team of consultants is ready to help you have first-hand knowledge of what needs to be done for success. The options for AV use span many industries including Autonomous Vehicles for Mining,  Autonomous Vehicles for Airports,  Autonomous Vehicles for Ports, and Autonomous Vehicles for Cities to name a few.

Cities and counties should be looking at Federal, State, and local funding to start looking at opportunities to set up a pilot program.  There are Infrastructure and Smart Grants out there that can assist in financial support.  Stantec GenerationAV can assist cities in building their business and can assist in going after grants and federal funds with the funding experts within Stantec.

Buildings, streets, curbs, sidewalks, traffic signals, intersection design, and signage among other items all have to be analyzed for the arrival of a community of autonomous vehicles.  These design changes will impact the movement of autonomous, connected, and non-connected vehicles and will shape the flow of traffic as well as sidewalk robots.  Curb Management is already a huge topic that needs to be addressed with vehicle parking, public transit, delivery vehicles, bicycles, scooters, and TNC’s fighting for curb space.  Autonomous vehicles can help simplify some of the Curb Management with the assistance of some planning and some technology.

Stantec GenerationAV looks at the community in a holistic manner and factors in not just the autonomous vehicle but all the other moving parts in a community that will interact with those autonomous vehicles.  Stantec GenerationAV with help from its Stantec engineers in various market areas are tackling these challenges, building plans to connect these communities and building a roadmap for communities to achieve a more connected and autonomous community.

It is important to look at the issues your community is facing and then see if there are automated technologies that can help solve those problems.  It is also important to look at your existing infrastructure and see if there are areas that need to be invested in to help prepare for autonomous vehicles and to get ready for them.

Public outreach and internal city government surveys are important processes to understand what services or solutions the community is looking for.  This can help understand where to start on your autonomous vehicle journey.  These outreach opportunities and surveys can really help a community learn about what is important to the community and where to spend needed money.

Obtaining an autonomous vehicle can be tricky.  It is best to have a business case built and know what you’re looking for before you start shopping for an autonomous vehicle.  Once a vehicle or Autonomous vehicle specification has been identified Stantec GenerationAV can assist you in discovering the right vendor for your needs.  Stantec GenerationaAV’s experience in the market can help you in negotiating for the right vehicles and technology and ensure you are getting the best and fair market value.

All of our Stantec GenerationAV team members are excited to work with you.  It is best to reach out to our Business Development team member who can talk with you about your autonomous vehicle journey.

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Learn more about our Journey

There is no size limit for starting your autonomous vehicle journey.  It is important for you to understand what your community is looking for and the problems you would like to try and solve and then identify funding around how to pilot that idea.  What we find is that smaller cities may have less financial resources but they are able to make quicker decisions and can put great pilot programs in place more efficiently on a smaller scale.  Larger cities have larger funding but have to spend more time trying to find the best autonomous journey because the demand is higher.

Costs can really differ depending on the technology or solution that you’re looking for on your autonomous journey.  Talk to a Stantec GenerationAV team member to talk through with you what cost expectations could be depending on what you’re looking for.

We have an extensive safety verification process that includes a series of safety assessments, training, and monitoring throughout the planning and deployment process. One of our partners, dRISK, plays a big part of our safety verification by finding the current edge cases and predicting future edge cases in the operating environment. Learn more about our Safety here.

dRISK uses traffic and collision data to identify a complete range of edge cases within the AV’s operating environment (ODD) and generates a full map of risk. The AV can then be trained through simulation to safely handle or avoid those unsafe scenarios. Learn more about dRisk.

Stantec GenerationAV has teamed up with Icarus to implement their Icarus Ops digital checklist platform that has years of risk mitigation experience to deliver a proven system that will increase safety by eliminating human error in pre-trip safety protocols and operations. Learn more about Icarus.

Stantec GenerationAV has gathered an industry-leading safety team and tools to provide guidance and support for any organization or community developing, deploying, or managing AVs. We can quantitatively assess risk within all modes of transportation.

Stantec GenerationAV has established a holistic process utilizing and combining the latest procedures and best practices with state-of-the-art tools that apply to all aspects of AV safety.

AV Decide is a subscription-based analytics platform that will help you:

  • Extend your reach to a wide variety of potential clients, building trust with them as they review up-to-date information on your company and products.
  • Stay informed of the latest AV competitor or partner details, vehicle specs, deployments, and more, from passenger and delivery AVs to drones and related tech–all in one location.
  • Read beyond the headlines with SME content/thoughts/commentary/etc. As well as updates on your product and company to increase traffic and reach.
  • Find the information you’re interested in quickly and easily through intuitive search functions, comprehensive datasets, and intelligent tools, all bolstered by a straightforward design.

It seems like new AV options pop up every other day. It’s hard to keep up with the advances and evolution of this industry. Our AV Ecosystem Analysis, AV Landscape, and AV Supplier Assessment reports help you understand the state of the market, the evolving technology, the variety of companies and capabilities, and even the best options for your unique use case.  Which report is right for you depends on where you are in your journey.

It depends on your use case. While major infrastructure overhauls aren’t typically required to introduce and integrate AVs, they’re not plug-and-play either. There are several critical steps to assess the readiness and feasibility of an operating environment, starting with your project conceptualization.

There are so many use cases! You can move people within a downtown core. Or an airport. You can deliver groceries or medicine. You can transport goods across the country. Figure out the problem you’re solving for and then explore the options that help you address it.

Safety is one of the reasons we’re so excited about AV solutions. When we look at our transportation system, up to 94% of traffic crashes are attributed to human error. If we look at an AV future, that means we have the potential to see a huge reduction in the number of crashes and casualties attributed to humans.

We need to trust that AVs are safe in order to achieve this future. How do we do that? At Stantec, with our GenerationAV team, we’ve created a holistic safety assessment process that looks at safety from every single aspect. From assessing the safety readiness of a public agency or AV developer to evaluating the operational design domain for risks, and addressing training for emergency responders and public safety personnel, we cover it all.

It depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. What are the biggest challenges you’re facing? What are the biggest needs? To determine your use case, you first need to determine the answers to those critical questions. Again, AVs aren’t a solution that exist in a vacuum; they need to be rooted in reality and to address an unmet need to be successful. Figure out what that need is and you’ll have your answer.

Before procuring a vehicle from an AV supplier, Stantec GenerationAV has a strategic plan to examine the AV landscape and get you started. We assess your readiness by determining your needs, vision, and goals. Our comprehensive feasibility study details key questions and tasks to uncover the right AV solution for your project. Working with you, we will find the right AV fit—not force it.

Community engagement and education are critical for AV success and need to be done at the beginning of, and throughout any, AV (or mobility) project. People are much more likely to accept and use something that they’ve had a say in and helped bring to fruition.

In the absence of federal standards, some states and provinces have tried to solve the policy and regulatory challenges, with a variety of outcomes. We can help you figure out what’s in place for your location, what you can do today, and what you may need to do tomorrow.

For public agencies, almost certainly. There are a variety of grant programs available to help fund investment in emerging technologies. There may be funding available for private sector clients as well. Our Funding Services team can help us explore the opportunities.

In 2020, we created Stantec GenerationAV™, also known as just Stantec  GenerationAV, as our AV consulting arm focused on accelerating the adoption of autonomous vehicles. Our team of CAV experts has led the way in preparing regions and communities for the transformative change we are experiencing in AV planning and deployment. With more than 65 years of collective experience, including team members with a decade of AV deployment experience, no other team has the depth and breadth of our collective knowledge and experience.

GenerationAV is committed to accelerating advanced technology. Over the last several years, we’ve worked to bring connected and automated vehicle technology solutions to communities around the world, from California to Dubai. We are a team of active contributors and critical thinkers, impactful and conscientious planners, comprehensive deployment advisors, and overall experts in transportation innovations and technologies.

Stantec GenerationAV recognizes the many gaps that exist in the market today. We’re focused on developing products, processes, and partnerships that can help our partners and clients implement this world-changing technology. One way we do this is through our AV Deployment Playbook. It is composed of six tested and vetted phases, each thoughtfully outlined to guide practitioners from creating their vision to monitoring and evaluating their operations.

Phases range from Getting Started and Feasibility to Acquisition and Implementation, all the way to Operations and Monitoring and Evaluation, the Playbook clearly and comprehensively outlines the steps to deploy any AV system in any environment. It includes templates, checklists, and tools, saving time and helping clients accelerate their path toward deployment. GenerationAV uses a standard approach to address and respond to your specific needs.

Our team typically reviews the following aspects of supporting Infrastructure and ITS when establishing CAV service path and environment:

  • Pavement markings, traffic signs, and accommodations
  • Traffic and interaction path with taxiways
  • Route complexity regarding path-relevant objects, including ramp and airfield staff, ground service equipment, aircraft, and other vehicles
  • Connectivity assessment
  • Traffic Signal controllers, cabinets, and indicators if any
  • The presence of coordinated traffic signal systems either closed loop or centrally managed from a Traffic Management Center (TMC)
  • Density of roadside along the determined route appurtenances to be recognized by AV on-board image processing
  • Availability of mapping and mapping requirements
  • Safety and security need baseline and necessary modifications

Automated Vehicles are a smart technology solution that are helping campuses, airports, cities, warehouses, mines, and more increase efficiency and optimize their operations. They can be used to move people or goods, with benefits related to safety, efficiency, and the environment. The intent of this project is to provide a better understanding of the available solutions and the principles required to help guide BAC on the pathway to autonomy.

Our ultimate goal is to help usher in a new era of safety, sustainability, and efficiency.  With expertise in planning, designing, and implementing smart mobility solutions, we connect and advance communities across the globe.

If you follow the link to our Learning Center, you will be prompted to sign-in or register. If you are a first time user, please click the register link at the bottom of the sign-in screen. Fill out the required fields, accept the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions, and then click the register button. Remember to record your username and password so you can sign in again.

Yes, we do require registration for all courses, even our free ones. We need registered users so that we can understand how best to help you in the future, if you run into any issues or have questions. Each user’s information is not utilized individually, but collectively. Your actions provide insights into our site to know what is working well and how we can improve it.

No, there is no fee to register in our Learning Center.

We’d love to make all our courses free because we are passionate about the topics of discussion and want to educate everyone who wants to learn more about AVs. However, some courses provide greater detail and insights into GenerationAV’s process. In lieu of hiring our experts for consulting services, we are providing you short and concise, yet comprehensive and detailed, information to help you along your own AV journey.

The surveys are optional to fill out, but are greatly appreciated. We compile the results and feedback and use them to improve future courses and content. Also, if there are any technical issues with the course itself, we can use the surveys to correct those quickly.

Yes, if the expert’s contact information is provided in the course itself, please feel free to contact them directly. If you can not find their contact information, please email us at generationav@stantec.com and we can direct you to the appropriate expert.

No matter where you are in your AV education, the Learning Center has something for you. We know everyone starts their AV journey at a different point, so we have provided general courses for those in the consideration process as well as more detailed, technical courses for groups who want to evaluate or employ a readiness survey.

We offer varying levels of educational AV courses on our Learning Center. You might just want to use the information learned here to feel more confident in your understanding of AVs. Or you might want to use the information to spread your education to others within your organization, company, or community. With many free courses, we encourage you to spread the word and accelerate your peers’ AV education as well as your own. If you feel you have learned all you can from our Learning Center and are ready for more, please reach out to us at generationav@stantec.com to see how we can help you accelerate AV in your environment.

Yes, each course includes a Certificate of Achievement for you to submit for PDH or CE. However, the courses are not pre-approved as hours towards licensing requirements, and it is the responsibility of the learner to take the appropriate actions to receive approval from their state/provincial licensing body. Please see the “note” at the bottom of your certificate for this disclaimer.