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Michigan International Speedway could become test track for auto smart systems

Thursday, February 10, 2011

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A few weekends a year, the Michigan International Speedway is a showcase for the latest and greatest in automotive racing technology. Now it's trying to become a hub for automotive technology development year-round.

Excerpt:

In August 2006, Roger Curtis was two months into his job as head of the Michigan International Speedway and sitting in a helicopter hovering over the racetrack's parking lot. Nascar fans trying to exit had created a five-hour traffic jam that snarled below him. Curtis worked with state transportation officials to add lanes and change the flow of traffic, ultimately cutting the delay to 1.5 hours in time for the following race season.

Curtis, 44, now wants to turn the speedway into a test bed for transport innovation. The next generation of roads and automobiles will be more intelligent, talking to each other and wireless-data networks to help keep people safe and traffic flowing smoothly. A smart intersection, for instance, might be able to detect a vehicle about to run a red light and warn other cars, preventing collisions.

Read the rest of the story here.

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