Atlanta, Georgia, smart city laboratory Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners is working with local Kennesaw State University (KSU) to research smart mobility technologies.
 
The first collaboration will be focused on open-source DSRC dedicated short-range communications units to advance vehicle-to-everything (V2X) research. Curiosity Lab is a 5G enabled autonomous vehicle and smart city living laboratory located in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, a northern suburb of Atlanta.
 
Nicknamed the Owl Box, KSU’s open-source DSRC units can track data such as how fast vehicles are moving, roadway specifications and GPS data. The units are designed to be inexpensive and will feature open-source software to create opportunities for start-ups, entrepreneurs, municipalities and road authorities to test and explore emerging V2X technologies.
 
KSU researchers selected Curiosity Lab as one of its primary test locations for the DSRC units due to the lab’s autonomous vehicle test track and commitment to supporting and facilitating innovation. In a future world where vehicles, roadways, traffic signals, phones and buildings will independently and automatically communicate with one another, it will be critical to understand capabilities, opportunities and limits of technology.
 
“The information gathered by DSRC units such as our Owl Box and the creation of V2X technologies will improve the condition and safety of roads and cities across the globe,” said Billy Kihei, research professor at KSU. “Creating an open-source option and working with Curiosity Lab, we want to make this technology affordable and readily available to developers to create their own applications. The potential is unlimited. We want to unleash innovation.”
 
The centrepiece of the lab is a 2.4km test and demo track that provides a real-world environment to explore emerging technologies. Additional infrastructure includes a network operations centre, smart poles, DSRC units, dedicated fibre and a 2300 square metre technology incubator.
 
“Curiosity Lab’s autonomous vehicle track, active 5G and strong partner network provides a unique opportunity for Kennesaw State to test this emerging technology in a real-world setting,” said Betsy Plattenburg, executive director of Curiosity Lab. “Not only will the lab help KSU ensure its DSRC units are ready for broader use, the lab’s collaborative environment will help to get broad exposure for this developing technology helping to accelerate its deployment.”
 
KSU offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its approximately 38,000 students. With 13 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, KSU is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. The university draws students from throughout the region and from 92 countries across the globe.