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How it works
In one scheme, the roadway has magnetized stainless-steel spikes driven one
meter apart in its center The car senses the spikes to measure its speed and
locate the center of the lane. Furthermore, the spikes can have either magnetic
north or magnetic south facing up. The roadway thus has small amounts of
digital data describing interchanges, recommended speeds, etc.
The cars have power steering and automatic speed controls, which are
controlled by a computer.
The cars organize themselves into platoons of eight to twenty-five cars. The
platoons drive themselves a meter apart, so that air resistance is minimized. The
distance between platoons is the conventional braking distance. If anything goes
wrong, the maximum number of harmed cars should be one platoon.
Theory
In order to achieve an optimal utilization of the existing transportation system,
the authorities strive to alleviate the prevailing car-caused problems by means
of coordinating physical flows of road traffic. In addition, they take into account
preserving accessibility and environment as well as enhancing road safety.
These processes take place at a given demand for road traffic that is assumed to
be fixed in time and place (i.e., no demand management). As far as the above-
mentioned aims are concerned, we distinguish two classes of involved
information systems.
Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) and
Advanced Traffic Control Systems (ATCS).
Since the administrators of ATMS applications are the road authorities, which
are also responsible for the road infrastructure, an ATMS monitoring system is
obviously based on fixed traffic detectors that are mounted in, above or along
the road infrastructure. We will refer to this type of detectors as infrastructure
based traffic detectors. As a consequence of the network-wide oriented nature of
ATMS, an ATMS monitoring system using fixed, infrastructure based traffic
detectors (e.g. inductive loops) is characterized by rather large detector
spacings (typically of 5 to 10 kilometers. Shorter distances between the
detectors would make such a network-wide monitoring system financially
prohibitive.
1) Implementation:-
We are set to begin testing an intelligent transportation system in Japan
that allows vehicle- infrastructure communication to help reduce traffic
accidents and ease congestion. The system uses information obtained from
nearby vehicles and roadside optical beacons to wirelessly alert drivers to
potential danger from approaching vehicles. It also provides drivers with
fastest-route information with Nissans probe server collecting city wide traffic
data from the mobile phones of Nissans CARWINGS navigation service
subscribers, taxi services, and vehicle data collected by mobile phone operator
NTT DoCoMo. This information is then sent to the drivers navigation screen
where it is displayed as real-time maps showing the traffic flow and density.
Screen shots and diagrams here.
Fig no.2.Actual Smart vehicle system
The test, which is being conducted to evaluate the receptivity of drivers to such
a system, run from Oct. 1, 2006 until the end of March 2009 in Kanagawa
Prefecture, about 25 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. About 10,000 drivers, who
must be subscribers to Nissans CARWINGS navigation service, participated in
the test.
The trial tested the following components of the system:
Vehicle alert
This system alerts drivers to the presence of vehicles moving too fast at blind
intersections. For example, if the system determines that a car is approaching a
driver too fast from the left, a buzzer will sound and a voice recording will call
out: Car approaching from left. At the same time, an image of an approaching
vehicle will appear on the drivers CARWINGS navigation screen. The system
will also alert a driver when is detects that he or she approaching a stop sign or
red traffic light too fast.
Speed alert
This system warns drivers when they are speeding in a school zone. As soon as
a driver passes the speed limit in the area, a buzzer will sound and a voice
recording will warn: School ahead. Watch your speed. An image of a school
zone sign will also appear on the drivers navigation screen.
Dynamic route finder
This system informs drivers of the quickest route to their destination using
probe data collected from mobile phones of CARWINGS subscribers, including
taxi owners, as well as vehicle data collected by mobile phone operator NTT
DoCoMo. All of the data is sent to Nissans probe server where it is collectively
processed into traffic information. The data is then sent to the drivers
navigation screen where it is displayed in the form of real-time maps showing
the traffic flow of a greater coverage of roads compared to VICS (Vehicle
Information and Communications System), a public service providing similar
information via FM multiplex broadcasting, as well as radio wave and infrared
beacons
2) Methodology:-
Nissans intelligent transportation system (ITS) , which employs vehicle-to-
infrastructure communication to enable synchronized communication between
vehicles and traffic light signals, is about to begin the next test-phase. Nissan is
installing the advanced traffic signal infrastructure within its Nissan Technical
Center in Kanagawa to collect real-world vehicle data from several hundred
employee cars participating in the project. The new advanced traffic system is
designed to reduce accidents as well as ease traffic congestion, leading to
improved on-the-road fuel consumption.
Fig no.4.Vehicle alert
The test-phase conducted within Nissans premises is representative of real-
world traffic conditions, where relevant data from vehicles can be collected and
analyzed under a closely-monitored environment. The vehicle-data input and
corresponding traffic-signal output from the intersections is computed by an
advanced traffic light system specifically installed for the test program.
Two intersecting main roads, one running east-west for two kilometers and the
other running north-south for one kilometer, each with multiple intersections
and crosswalks, provide the basic parameters for the ITS experiment. Nissan
has installed standard traffic lights and roadside optical beacons along these
test-roads. Traffic data can be collected from the employee cars and shuttle
buses without any on-board vehicle-modification. However, for specific data to
support the development of the navigation program under testing, several
hundred employee cars will be equipped with the Vehicle Information and
Communications System units.
ADVANTAGES:-
1. Help reduce pedestrian accidents: Traffic signals place priority on crossing
pedestrians
Based on the traffic-volume conditions, the system will calculate to optimize the
timing lapse between crossing pedestrians and the change in traffic-signal. At
times, pedestrians tend to ignore prohibitive red traffic signals at road-crossings
when they do not observe any vehicles within sight, which is a common cause
of accidents. The current test program will contribute to Nissans research
findings on ways to avoid such accidents.
Fig no.7.School proximity sensors
In principle, when traffic conditions are lighter in the daytime, the pedestrian
signal remains on green while the driver signal is maintained on red. When a
vehicle approaches and stops at the light, the vehicle-system communicates with
the traffic light beacon, which then allows the signal to switch to green. This
system emphasizes the safety of the pedestrians by ensuring the pedestrian has
the right-of-way each time.
When a driver slows down accordingly on approaching an intersection, the
system again synchronizes the timing of the green signal with the approaching
vehicle to minimize the need for repeated stops and acceleration, thus
improving on-the-road fuel consumption under city-driving conditions. The test
program will also include a virtual school zone*2, which will appear as a
warning alert to speeding vehicles on its on-board navigation display.
APPLICATIONS:-
Electronic toll collection:-Electronic toll collection (ETC) makes it possible for
vehicles to drive through toll gates at traffic speed, reducing congestion at toll
plazas and automating toll collection. Originally ETC systems were used to
automate toll collection, but more recent innovations have used ETC to enforce
congestion pricing through cordon zones in city centers and ETC lanes.
Until recent years, most ETC systems were based on using radio devices in
vehicles that would use proprietary protocols to identify a vehicle as it passed
under a gantry over the roadway. More recently there has been a move to
standardize ETC protocols around the Dedicated Short Range Communications
protocol that has been promoted for vehicle safety by the Intelligent
Transportation Society of America, ERTICO and ITS Japan.
While communication frequencies and standards do differ around the world,
there has been a broad push toward vehicle infrastructure integration around the
5.9 GHz frequency (802.11.x WAVE).
Via its National Electronic Tolling Committee representing all jurisdictions and
toll road operators, ITS Australia also facilitated interoperability of toll tags in
Australia for the multi-lane free flow tolls roads.
Other systems that have been used include barcode stickers, license plate
recognition, infrared communication systems, and Radio Frequency
Identification Tags.
Emergency vehicle notification systems:-The in-vehicle eCall is an emergency
call generated either manually by the vehicle occupants or automatically via
activation of in-vehicle sensors after an accident. When activated, the in-vehicle
eCall device will establish an emergency call carrying both voice and data
directly to the nearest emergency point (normally the nearest E1-1-2 Public-
safety answering point, PSAP). The voice call enables the vehicle occupant to
communicate with the trained eCall operator. At the same time, a minimum set
of data will be sent to the eCall operator receiving the voice call.
The minimum set of data contains information about the incident, including
time, precise location, the direction the vehicle was traveling, and vehicle
identification. The pan-European eCall aims to be operative for all new type-
approved vehicles as a standard option. Depending on the manufacturer of the
eCall system, it could be mobile phone based (Bluetooth connection to an in-
vehicle interface), an integrated eCall device, or a functionality of a broader
system like navigation, Telematics device, or tolling device. eCall is expected to
be offered, at earliest, by the end of 2010, pending standardization by the
European Telecommunications Standards Institute and commitment from large
EU member states such as France and the United Kingdom.
CONCLUSION:-
Automated Highway Systems did not replace people; they just allowed
another market to evolve. Remember that we designed the Automated Highway
Systems to solve the problem of Traffic congestion.
Hence we see that the automated highway system is very
helpful in traffic, on right turns, on congested roads, for commercial vehicle, for
lonely road transport by helping the driver and reducing chances of accident
helping users a better driving.
FUTURE SCOPE:-
From discussions with experts around the world, a first-generation of vehicle-
highway automation is coming into focus, in which automated vehicles operate
on today's roads with no extensive infrastructure modifications required. Early
co-pilot systems would evolve to auto-pilots gradually. These vehicles would
operate at spacings a bit tighter than commuter flows of today, with traffic flow
benefits achieved through vehicle-cooperative systems as well as vehicle-
infrastructure cooperation.
The vehicles may cluster in 'designated lanes' which are also open to normal
vehicles, or may be allowed on high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to increase
their proximity to one another and therefore get the benefits of cooperative
operations (access to HOV lanes also creates a powerful incentive for
consumers to invest in these systems). Stabilization of traffic flow and modest
increases in capacity are seen as the key outcomes.
Once this level of functionality is proven and in broad use, a second generation
scenario comes into play which expands to dedicated lanes, presumably desired
by a user population with a high percentage of automation-capable vehicles.
With growing use, networks of automated vehicle lanes would develop, offering
the high levels of per-lane capacity achievable through close-headway
operations.
Now, depending on who you talk to, this type of evolution could take a while.
First generation vehicle-highway automation for passenger cars is at least 10
years away, with estimates for second generation implementation hovering
around 2025. Although many years away, this time horizon is definitely not too
far out for transportation planners to consider the advent of such capability in
their long-range planning processes. But if you have the inclination, a vehicle
with automated capability could be available from a car dealer near you much
sooner.
Semi-automated bus systems are now being developed for Eindhoven in the
Netherlands and the French cities of Clermont-Ferrand and Rouen. In the states,
automatic guidance is a key component of the Bus Rapid Transit concept being
advanced by the Federal Transit Administration. Over a dozen US transit
agencies are involved in the BRT Consortium, and several are actively
considering automated guidance for precision docking (to improve efficiency in
passenger loading) and exclusive lane operation in narrow, confined corridors.
Implementation of automated guidance is underway in Las Vegas and is
expected to begin soon in Eugene, Oregon, Hartford, Conn. and Cleveland,
Ohio
Another pioneer in automated public transport is Toyota, which has developed
the Integrated Multimodal Transport System (IMTS). Demonstrated at Demo
2000 last December in Japan, the IMTS uses AHS technology to operate several
buses in close-headway platoons, all under automated control. The system is
slated to begin service this year, serving transit needs at a major theme park in
Japan.