A Distributed On-Line Database System for Transportation Managment Using Cooperating Roadside and In-Vehicle Communication Devices

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

This research tackles the problem of collecting, storing, and using an arbitrarily complete trip table for each vehicle in an urban traffic network, which can be trusted by transportation system operators while simultaneously ensuring traveler privacy. To achieve this goal, each vehicle stores its own travel history, under the consent of the driver, by accepting authenticated information from roadside controllers-persistent traffic cookies-using short-range wireless communication. The authenticated data stored in each vehicle forms a distributed database of historical travel patterns. The central hypothesis of the project is that these historical travel patterns can be used to predict the movement of vehicles currently in the system, which can, in turn, be used for traffic management applications. The project consists of three overlapping research tasks. The first examines the design and performance of the distributed travel database and prediction system using simulation experiments. This task will develop and use a new modeling framework that integrates a microscopic traffic model and a multi-agent, activity-based travel demand model. The second task explores how such predictions can be applied to improve the design, management, and operation of the transportation system. For instance, local traffic controllers can move beyond turning fractions, and instead predict whether and where a platoon will disperse as it moves through the traffic network. Local intersection control schemes can incorporate the global consequences of their control measures. Path flow predictions made by the system can also serve as a direct input to existing dynamic traffic assignment formulations. The third task administers a small survey of traveler attitudes on privacy and utility issues involved in such a system. The results will help ascertain the feasibility of the system and balance the functional requirements with stakeholder and end-user interests in security and privacy. The broader impacts of the research include the following. 1)In teaching, training and learning, the project lends itself to small, discrete projects ideal for completion as undergraduate or graduate class projects ranging from the study of wireless technology to full scale travel simulation. 2)To underrepresented groups, as all travelers could benefit from the optimal use of network capacity resulting from the use of the system. 3)In developing infrastructure for research and education, in that the simulation environment will become a novel resource available to any future student research. 4)From disseminating the results to enhance scientific and technological understanding, via publication of all findings in conference presentations and journal articles, and through a project web site. 5)To the society at large, where the impacts are many and varied. The system hinges upon traveler participation, which turns traffic control away from a command and control paradigm towards one of shared responsibility.