via Mashable

• Tech startup NeXt built a product called HeadsUP!, a visual display that projects often-used cellphone features, such as texting, voice calls, and email, onto the windshield of a car. This allows users to engage with their smartphones without needing to look down, or fumbling with them while driving.
• HeadsUP! enables voice dictation and touch-free swiping to let users interact with the screen.
• NeXt is seeking a patent for the technology, and is asking donors on Indiegogo to pay $299 for the earliest version of its HeadsUP! device.

Click here to read more.

Of course, the biggest question is how much of this new tech will add to driver distraction, a hot topic that often pits tech/gadget makers against the regulators and policy-makers who fret about road safety.

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), the nation’s largest nonprofit association representing the transportation technology industry, is seeking an External Affairs Manager to support the organization’s communications, marketing and legislative outreach activities. ITS America’s membership includes nearly 500 public agencies, private sector companies, and research and academic institutions as well as 27 State Chapter affiliates across 40 states dedicated to advancing the research, development and deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to improve the nation’s surface transportation network. The External Affairs Manager will be responsible for the following activities:

• Plan and manage media, Congressional and stakeholder outreach events;
• Assist in maintaining relationships and managing logistics related to ITS America’s Legislative Steering Committee;
• Plan and manage monthly Smart Solution Spotlight award media events and promotional activities;
• Write and manage the distribution of ITS America’s weekly e-newsletter, the Transportation Technology News;
• Schedule and manage logistics for monthly Congressional Roundtable breakfast or lunch events between ITS America members and Members of Congress;
• Draft press releases, media statements, talking points, marketing materials, member announcements, Web content, social media content and other communications as needed;
• Perform occasional legislative and regulatory research and writing;
• Write, edit and update copy and graphics regularly on www.itsa.org;
• Assist with media outreach and marketing activities for ITS America’s quarterly regional event series;
• Manage logistics and outreach for ITS America’s annual Transportation Technology Showcase and Reception on Capitol Hill;
• Assist with media and marketing activities for major industry events including ITS America’s Annual Meetings and the ITS World Congress;
• Monitor transportation and technology-related news and compile daily press clips for distribution;
• Maintain and expand media, Congressional and stakeholders contacts and distribution lists; and
• Perform other duties as assigned.

The incumbent will report to the Senior Vice President for Government and External Affairs, with day-to-day management provided by the Director of Communications in coordination with the Vice President for Legislative Affairs. Candidates should have at least 2-5 years of relevant experience, extremely strong writing skills with a working knowledge of AP Style, the ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines, and attention to detail. Media relations and event marketing, Congressional relations, and transportation and/or technology policy experience are all a strong plus. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Please submit your resume and at least three writing samples to pfeenstra@itsa.org.

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or veteran status. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. All applications are treated confidentially.

via Autoblog

Google has filed a patent that would see drivers use gestures to control a vehicle, according to a report from Engadget. The system, if it ever arrives in the automobile, would use a depth camera mounted on the roof of the car and a laser scanner. Looks like automotive technology will be taking a giant leap in the days ahead when Google gets it in their driverless cars. One thing that is not noted in the Autoblog article is Google’s recent acquisition of Flutter, a startup that makes a desktop app of the same name that allows users to control other applications using hand gestures.  Information Week offers a few more details: Flutter works by capturing the user’s hand gesture on a computer’s webcam and then translating the gesture, using image processing techniques, into a specific command in supported applications. It can be used, for example, to play and pause songs playing in iTunes on a Mac or Windows computer with just a wave of the hand.

Click here to read more here.

Image courtesy: United States Patent and Trademark Office via Autoblog

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) seeks qualified and ambitious human factors professionals with a strong background in psychology and engineering to assess the system-wide impact of innovative transportation technologies. The ideal candidate is an experienced researcher capable of independently running transportation projects and working in multidisciplinary teams to improve transportation safety through cutting-edge research.

Research projects range from test-track experiments using a single vehicle to large-scale naturalistic driving studies that involve collecting data from hundreds of vehicles on public roadways. Research projects often use VTTI’s internally-developed data acquisition system (DAS). The DAS enables unobtrusive measurement of driver behavior, vehicle operation, and the environment. The collected data are analyzed to address specific research questions that typically focus on existing transportation problems (e.g. crash causation) and/or the performance/development of advanced vehicle systems (e.g. crash warning and autonomous vehicle technologies). Questionnaire, focus group, and survey data collection methods may also be used in these experiments. This position is expected to predominantly focus on research and development relating to driver interaction with automated vehicle systems, such as automated driving systems and automated collision warning/avoidance systems.

The successful applicant will perform work involving conventional human factors research practices, however the work includes a variety of complex features such as working with fluctuating requirements, cycles of field and/or office work, and developing and implementing novel approaches to evaluating transformative transportation technologies. The employee will contribute to the conceptualization of research and proposal development with principal investigators. With assistance, the successful applicant will manage the day-to-day operations of research projects including: literature reviews, research design, research execution, data analysis, report writing, presentations, and publications.

Experience with human factors research in transportation or related fields and expertise in statistical analyses is preferred. Proficiency with data collection and working knowledge of analysis software packages is desired. The applicant must be interested in improving transportation safety and be willing to work on multiple projects in a fast paced research environment. VTTI provides opportunities for professional advancement and a pay for performance structure.

Assignments include:

• Aid in the development of proposals
• Research and assist in the composition of literature reviews
• Assist with the conceptualization and creation of work plans, protocols, and procedures
• Review and critique research plans and reports
• Coordinate and collaborate with subcontractors and interface with stakeholders
• Manipulate and analyze data
• Interpret results and develop robust conclusions
• Write research reports
• Present research findings
• Travel to research sites (requirement fluctuates but will generally be <15%)

Directions given and received:

Receive instructions on project objectives, feedback on proposed research plans, and project logistics from principal investigators and project managers. May supervise or coordinate the work of graduate research assistants, students, technicians, and others who assist in specific assignments. Must be able to work effectively independently as well as within multidisciplinary project teams as appropriate.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a Human Factors specialization or equivalent. Candidates with a lesser degree and significant experience in lieu of master’s degree will also be considered.
• Experience in transportation or related field is desired
• Thorough understanding of experimental design and methods
• Proficiency with descriptive and inferential statistical analysis techniques
• Basic understanding of electrical and mechanical systems
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Willingness to work in a fast-paced flexible research environment
• Proficiency with programming languages including Matlab and SQL is desired.

Click here to learn more and to apply

The USA Today carried an update on the Connected Vehicle technology test program underway in Michigan.  The federally-funded program carried out by University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute explores safety gains that can be achieved using dedicated short-range communications technology to help cars communicate with one another to prevent accidents.  The video below shows how this technology works.  Also, you can read the accompanying article here.

Image Courtesy: www.usajobs.gov

The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) is looking for experienced Technology Policy Analysts to support the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center’s  Advanced Transportation Technologies Center.   RITA coordinates the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) research programs and is charged with advancing rigorous analysis and the deployment of cross-cutting technologies to improve our Nation’s transportation system.  The positions are located in the Kendall Square area in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The Volpe Center seeks multiple Technology Policy Analysts, GS-0101-11/12 and GS-0101-13 in the Technology Innovation and Policy Division, (RVT-91) within the Advanced Transportation Technologies Technical Center.   This division provides the technical and analytical support for research initiatives and decision-making at all levels of government and industry supporting all modes of transportation.  The Technology Policy Analysts primary duty is to participate as a member of a team that conducts research and applies analytical methodologies on a broad set of topics as a means of developing, comparing, and evaluating policy options in support of successful transition of technologies (e.g., connected vehicles, automated vehicles, new transportation applications, or vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, among others) from research into adoption and use.

The ideal candidate will have experience working in an environment with little policy precedence and where policy options have to be developed and created concurrently and iteratively with transportation related technology development.  This position is not focused on application of existing policies to IT or other systems, but is focused on the objective and rigorous development of new policies for new and emerging transportation technologies.

If you know someone interested in this position with relevant experience and a demonstrable record of proven results please encourage them to apply.  We are looking for a diverse pool of qualified candidates.

The announcement is posted to the Public and to Merit Promotion eligible applicants onhttp://www.usajobs.gov/.   Please know that Merit Promotion announcements are the vehicle through which Federal employees generally apply for Federal positions.

Application deadline:  July 11, 2013

GS-13-Open to Public:    https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/346367000

GS-13 Open to Status: (Merit Promotion) https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/346367700

GS-11/12 Open to Public:  https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/346366700

GS-11/12 Open to Status: (Merit Promotion) https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/346366200

Informational briefing: Friday, June 28, 2013, from 11:00-11:30  in conference room 1-4-33A at the Volpe Center, Cambridge MA (conference call no. 1-877-336-1839/access code 6481986).  Ryan Harrington, Chief, Technology Innovation and Policy Division will hold an information session at this time to describe the job and to answer any questions interested candidates may have.  Mary Hughes from Human Resources will be there to answer questions about the application process.

Please direct any questions to Mary Hughes, Volpe Human Resources, at 617-494-2526.

The Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office (JPO) is looking for a Transportation Specialist to serve as program manager and technical expert responsible for the development and direction of the Multimodal ITS Research and Deployment portions of the Department’s ITS program.