Readiness Report
2.1 Virginia Department of Transportation
3.3 Current Incidents Web Page
1. Introduction
This document describes the readiness of all systems and participants to initiate the Phase I demonstration period of the Camera Phone Proof-of-Concept Project (CPP).
In the initial project schedule, this document was intended to take a snapshot of the readiness of the systems and participants before the initiation of the Phase I demonstration, at the completion of Task 9 (Configure Hardware, Train Users, and Distribute Hardware). As the camera phone/system configuration, user training, and hardware distribution continued past the initial demonstration period kickoff, this document has expanded to cover both the status of systems and participants at the demonstration period start, and the status of the systems after the completion of the user training and hardware distribution.
2. Participant Status
This section details the readiness of the CPP user participants to initiate the demonstration.
The initial demonstration period kickoff meeting occurred in early August 2006. However, on the morning of the meeting, three separate tractor-trailer road incidents occurred within CPP participant study area, resulting in the absence of nearly every CPP user participant at the meeting. As a result, individual hardware distribution and user training occurred over the next few weeks at various locations as needed.
2.1 Virginia Department of Transportation
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is the project’s largest participant. Nine project camera phones were assigned for VDOT for project use. In addition, a number of VDOT users already had camera phones (personal and/or issued by VDOT) – some initial guidance was given to VDOT concerning the use of those phones for the project.
The email addresses of multiple VDOT Smart Traffic Center (STC) users were added to the CPP distribution list. These users represent the VDOT “dispatch” center in the CPP concept of operations / system description.
Also during the initial demonstration period, VDOT was in the process of purchasing phones for normal VDOT operational use, and wished to select phones that would be compatible with the CPP as well if possible. CapWIN and Mitretek provided technical guidance for this selection.
2.2 Towing Operators
Device distribution and user training for the towing operators occurred in multiple meetings at the individual operators’ dispatch centers.
- Willow Spring Towing & Recovery: received two camera phones; four of their own phones were added to the CPP distribution list and provisioned for the project
- Henry’s Wrecker Service: received one camera phone; two email addresses were added to the CPP distribution list – one of their administrator, and another for a distribution list internal to (and managed by) Henry’s.
- Redman Fleet Services: received one camera phone; at the time of kickoff, dispatch did not have email
- Wards Towing: did not want a project camera phone; two of their own phones were added to the distribution list
- Waggy’s Towing: dispatch email address added to the distribution list
2.3 Virginia State Police
In April 2006, the Virginia State Police (VSP) informed the project that they would not be participating in the demonstration. Efforts were made to re-engage the VSP, however it was decided that we should proceed with the Phase I demonstration without the VSP.
3. System Status
This section details the readiness of the CPP systems and services to initiate the demonstration. It covers the state of the systems and services both at the initial demonstration period kickoff meeting (in early August 2006), as well as the system readiness over the course of the individual hardware distribution and user training, occurring over the following few weeks.
3.1 Camera Phones
Approximately twenty Verizon LG VX-5200 camera phones were acquired for field use for the project. All were configured with an email contact for the CPP distribution list. Step-by-step instructions for taking and sending a picture were produced, distributed in both CDROM and laminated instruction sheet form.
The six phones that had been acquired earlier for evaluation and testing purposes continued to be utilized for testing and development, as well as for demonstration purposes at various project meetings.
In addition, multiple participant user phones (primarily Nextel i860’s) were configured for project use.
3.2 CPP Distribution List
An email distribution list was setup to route all incoming picture messages to all dispatch centers, select camera phones, and project participants: cpp@cpp.capwin.org
At the demonstration kickoff meeting, it was found that while all messages sent by the phones via the distribution list were being received by the dispatch centers’ email accounts, the Verizon camera phones were not receiving the sent picture messages (though, the Verizon development phones continued to receive messages). Due to this problem, the Verizon field use project phones were removed from the distribution list – they would no longer receive pictures sent to the list (however, they could still create and send messages to the list).
The problem was identified to be an issue with the wireless carriers’ firewalls/anti-spam filters. Initial debugging steps were taken to try to diagnose and resolve this issue (header modification, DNS SenderID/SPF settings, etc.). In addition, Verizon was contacted in an attempt to resolve the issue. However, as of the end of the hardware distribution and user training period, no solution had been found to reliably send the messages through.
3.3 Current Incidents Web Page
A web page showing all pictures of incidents sent to the distribution list over the previous 24 hours was created: http://cpp.capwin.org/CPP/index.jsp
At the time of the demonstration kickoff meeting, it was online and fully functional.