Tampa, FL -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/20/2017 --The 2017 Florida Automated Vehicles (FAV) Summit held November 14-15 in Tampa Florida brought together hundreds of thought leaders, policymakers, and engineers from around the world to not only showcase and discuss new technologies and policy issues. The FAV Summit provided a forum to conceptualize new ideas and for partnerships to be created.

At the 2017 FAV Summit, Kratos Defense Unmanned Systems Division in partnership with Royal Truck and Equipment demonstrated the Autonomous Truck Mounted Attenuator (ATMA) to an international audience. Representatives from Chevron Traffic Services, Auckland, New Zealand, and Washington State DOT both rode in the autonomous vehicle as it performed a "Leader-Follower" operation. Leader-Follower operation is where a human-driven lead vehicle transmits navigation data through a Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) wireless communication link to the driverless ATMA which utilizes the transmitted information to navigate its intended path completely unmanned.

The ATMA, also known as the Autonomous Impact Protection Vehicle (AIPV), is a first-of-its-kind work zone vehicle designed to advance safety for roadway maintenance crews. Customarily positioned behind road construction crews to protect workers from the traveling public, the ATMA/AIPV increases work zone safety by removing the driver from a truck designed as a mobile crash barrier.

The idea of the ATMA/AIPV was initially conceived at the Florida Automated Vehicles Summit three years ago and has since been deployed in Colorado, in partnership with Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), as well as in the United Kingdom, in partnership with Colas Ltd.

"The Florida Automated Vehicles Summit has always been a great venue for networking with industry stakeholders and the sharing of ideas to advance the future of transportation," said Maynard Factor, the Director of Business Development for the Kratos Defense Unmanned Systems Division. "We are excited to see the idea of the ATMA/AIPV become a reality and proud that we can contribute to advancing the safety of roadside workers worldwide with our driverless technology."

According to the Federal Highway Administration FHWA, in work zones in 2015, there was a crash every 5.4 minutes, 70 crash-related injuries every day, and 12 crash-related fatalities every week. Aligning with the FHWA vision of – zero deaths and serious injuries on the Nation's roadways, the ATMA/AIPV developed by Kratos Defense is quickly becoming a game-changing solution for contributing to this vision by improving safety and efficiency in the work zone.

About Kratos Defense Security Solutions
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. develops transformative, affordable technology for the Department of Defense and commercial customers. Kratos is changing the way breakthrough technology for these industries is brought to market through proactive research and a streamlined development process. Kratos specializes in unmanned systems, satellite communications, cyber security/warfare, microwave electronics, missile defense, training and combat systems.

For more information about the company, http://www.kratosusd.com/.

About Florida Automated Vehicles (FAV) Summit
Brings industry leaders together to address technologies, operations, and policy issues of automated, connected, electric and shared (ACES) mobility, operations, law, infrastructure, functional design, cyber security, ethics, aftermarket products, enabling technologies, and public policy. The FAV Summit showcases live connected and automated technologies which provide a visualization of the positive impacts these technologies will have on Florida roadways. The FAV Summit is hosted by Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority, Center for Transportation Research at USF and FDOT.

Learn more about the FAV Summit, https://FAVSummit.com.