Dynamic Traffic Control

Yishai Goldstein & Nahum Nir

Computer Science & EngineeringHebrew University

Present Traffic Situation

The Goals

• To minimize annoyances in the driving experience

• To help the driver reach his or her destination quickly

Methods for Achieving Goal

• Improve traffic lights

• Improve signs

Dynamic Traffic Lights

General Algorithm

Aggravation

• When a car does not drive smoothly it will “accumulate” aggravation

• This aggravation can be represented as some number

• Each car starts off with some aggravation

Traffic Light Algorithm

• The more aggravation there is at a stop light – the more likely the stop light is to turn green

• No one waits forever

• Emergency vehicles may be provided with a switch for “infinite aggravation”

Ant Colony

• Many non-intelligent individuals

• Intelligent System

• Pheromones - Aggravation

Inside The Algorithm

• Junctions, Cars and Ants

• Decision Making−Junctions−Ants

Simulation

• Scale, jams, and JAVA jams

SimulationProof of the system

Dynamic Directional Signs

Signs Today• Example:

• Problem:

Different routes maybe preferable, depending on the present traffic

• Solution:

Have signs change dynamically according to present traffic, just as our traffic lights.

Traffic Sign Algorithm

• Same infrastructure (Hardware)

• Internet routing

• Dijksra’s algorithm for shortest path

• Path measured by cars

Product Presentation

Seeing the traffic signs in action

Map

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User Interface Overview• The user - driver, will be exposed

to traffic lights and directional signs, just as a driver is today

• Drivers will not need to learn a new system

• They will not even need to be aware that the system had been changed

Problems & Solutions

Is Big Brother Watching?

• No information of specific vehicle is used (unlike cell-phones)

• Extra information can be added if needed

Four wheels good, two legs bad

• What about pedestrians?−When cars have a red light –

people have a green light−Push buttons can be added at

crosswalks

• Not all cars must participate for system to work

Competitors

• Present system in Jerusalem−Camera based−Requires human staff at all

times−Predefined scenarios only

• Pelephone−General directions not specific−No handling of lights

Future Improvements

• Driver can request a specific route−Special screen inside car−Connection to PDAs

• Traffic report

• Statistics accumulator

Thank You

Technical Overview

Hardware

• Intersection Computer

• Sensors

• Traffic Lights

• Traffic Signs

• Network

• Car Transmitter

Transmitters

• One in each car

• Aggravation builds in one byte of temporary memory

• Connected to speedometer

• Internal clock

• No need for permanent memory