Sources_Sought_RT_IDIQ_2018-10-30.docx

Solicitation Number:

MC-RRR-19-0000004

Notice Type:

Sources Sought Notice

NAICS Code 541712

Title:

Research and Technology to Promote Safety of Commercial Motor Vehicles, Drivers, and Carriers

Synopsis:

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is seeking new and innovative ideas to support their Research and Technology (R&T) Programs. The agency will consider original and creative solutions to achieve the agency’s goal of reducing commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries. The FMCSA’s Research and Technology (R&T) program is key to reaching the agency’s goal.

The Analysis Research and Technology (ART) Office conducts a wide range of human factors and related research involving a variety of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver, vehicle, roadway, and environmental issues, including those associated with conventional, advanced, and automated in-vehicle technologies designed to assist drivers and influence their ability to avoid crashes. The Office develops knowledge about how driver characteristics and capabilities interact with vehicle systems, the roadway (e.g., road type and other vehicles) and the environment (e.g., weather, daytime/nighttime) to influence the safety, effectiveness, and ease of use of these systems. Such research has a broad focus, including experimental studies of driver performance, measurement of on-road driver behavior and performance, driver outreach (education and training), evaluating driver behavior and performance in crash likely situations in simulators, evaluations of the safety benefits and disadvantages of system designs in real-world use and the application of cutting edge technology to address a wide range of traffic safety and related issues. Other research pertains to issues related to driver qualifications, health, and training.

The Office is responsible for the identification, testing, and technology transfer activities for technologies that improve CMV safety and efficiency. The Office focuses on innovative solutions that assist roadside inspectors within the U.S. and at international border crossings, safety investigators conducting compliance reviews, and onboard safety systems for trucks and buses. The Office’s program also engages in real-world field testing which offers the best opportunity to assess the costs and potential benefits of new technology solutions. For example, FMCSA has conducted successful field testing of real-time electronic fuel-efficient driving feedback and related safety impacts, truck platooning technology, truck blind spot detection technology, electronic screening systems for trucks at international border crossings, safety enhancements to large truck stability controls, new mobile CMV safety applications for roadside inspectors as well as motor coach passengers, and wireless roadside inspections.

Future human factors and other safety-related research will likely include development of advanced technologies that can assist drivers in detecting and responding to potential crash situations as well as systems that can be used to deter unsafe driving behaviors. The contractor may be asked to perform research to enable the safe operation of highly automated commercial vehicles on the Nation’s transportation system to improve safety, prevent crashes, and efficiently move passengers and commerce. The contractor may be asked to secure data from third parties to better understand the safety impact of new technologies.

The contractor will conduct empirical and analytical human factors and behavioral research to include vehicle and roadside systems and issues of interest that may include, but not be limited to, the following:

Automated Vehicle Technologies Automated Driving Systems Antilock Brakes Electronic Stability Control Vehicle Sensors Vehicle Rollover In-Vehicle Information Systems Event Data Recorders/Black Boxes Electronic Onboard Recorders Vehicle Suspension Vehicle Handling Tires Braking including Automatic Emergency Braking Truck Ergonomics Driver Response Measurement and Instrumentation Driver Fatigue Monitoring Driver Distraction Monitoring Sleeper Berth design Advanced Technologies Simulator Research and Support (e.g., Validation, Scenario Development) Technology Assessment Device Acquisition, Demonstration and Preliminary Evaluation

- Interactions with automobiles

- Infrared-based screening systems

- Electronic screening systems

- Virtual weigh stations

The work covered under this contract may include providing ancillary support to other ongoing work by providing field, simulator or laboratory data where required. The contractor should have resources and expertise available to perform several types of field data collection, including: 1) Field surveys (e.g., the contractor may be asked to determine the number of in-use vehicles equipped with a particular technology of interest, 2) Field evaluations (e.g., may include measurement of driver behavior and performance while using specific technologies on-the-road, in a real-world, “naturalistic” setting; 3) Simulator evaluations (e.g., may include measurement of driver behavior and performance under high demand settings); 4) Field demonstrations (e.g., demonstrating a new technology or the implementation of a new systems evaluation tool); and 5) Management and utilization of FMCSA’s internal data collection and processing systems.

To support the various types of experimental and human factors studies to be conducted under this contract will require designated staff, as appropriate, to have proficiency and capability in such areas as:

· Experimental design

· Statistical analysis

· Data reduction

· Construction of well-designed table shells prior to data collection

· Design final report lay-out by chapters and appropriate tables

· Conducting tests and experiments in laboratory, test track, off-road, on-road and simulator settings

· Measuring driver behavior and performance

· Reporting study progress and results

· Design and produce all components of the Information Collection Requests required under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

· Literature searches and critical reviews

· Computerized/automated data collection techniques

· Design and construction of driver behavior/performance measurement instrumentation

· Software development to support data collection, analysis and presentation

· Selecting, testing and recruiting subjects for testing

· Preparing analyses and reports to obtain approval to use subjects in experiments

The contractor shall have readily available and be familiar with the use, maintenance and application of facilities and equipment necessary to support the work specified herein. Where appropriate, this would include fabrication of necessary hardware/instrumentation and development of supporting software. Examples of such facilities and equipment would include:

· Instrumentation for measuring driver performance in on-road, real-world settings

· Access to test track for driver performance measurements

· Vehicles for use in subject testing In-vehicle video camera systems

· Facilities to mock-up test apparatus, such as vehicle bucks, roadway objects, mirror configurations, and lighting systems

· Laboratory facilities for testing subjects under highly controlled conditions

· Computers and software for automated data collection, analysis, storage and retrieval

· Capability for wireless transmission of data, status and control/update functions for remote data acquisition systems (e.g., instrumented vehicles)

Instructions:

Interested parties are invited to submit a technical capability statement which clearly demonstrates their ability to meet the governments requirement as summarized above. There is a 10-page limit. Responses must be submitted via email to Steve.Fuller@dot.gov. Reference in the subject line of the email MC-RRR-19-0000004. Responses must be received by 12:00 p.m. Est on December 14, 2018.