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Real Time Adaptive Traffic Management using Radio Sensing

ABSTRACT
Most of the accidents and traffic jams on Indian roads are caused by inefficient traffic
regulation and control systems. This has been one of the major shortcomings of our present transportation
system. The proposed ideas in this paper aim towards developing an Improved (Adaptive) Traffic
Management System. It is a prototype of futuristic traffic regulation system, for developing countries like
India, where there been a tremendous increase in the number of automobiles coming on road. This can be
achieved by using one of the Auto Identification Technologies known as RFID (Radio Frequency
Identification) which has been gaining high commercial applications, since last few years. These RFID tags
which can be attached to vehicles, can store the required data and would be used for detection; when a
vehicle passes through a detector on the road.. Proper data interpretation of number of vehicles in different
lanes by using real-time systems would be used for controlling the time, for which signals are to be made
ON/OFF. The data would be communicated and coordinated between different mini-servers installed at the
junctions. This would also prove an alternative to GPS (Global Positioning System). The word adaptive
suggests that statistical probability can also be applied to determine the probable number of vehicles
traversing a lane at a specific time duration at different times in a day. This would aid in increasing the
efficiency of the control system. This prototype would be very efficient
1. during various traffic peaks at different times of the day,
2. during special festivals (like Diwali , Pooram , Ganeshutsav etc.),
3. during emergencies (making ways for ambulances, police, VIP visits etc).
Also it can account for automatic toll collection, pedestrian controls, turn controls and routing. Altogether it
would
1. greatly reduce the congestion on busy junctions,
2. effectively reduce number of road accidents,
3. improve over the present traffic management system.

Introduction
The transportation systems on roads have undergone radical developments in view of last
many decades. However, simultaneously there has been an exponential increase in the number of
automobiles coming on roads. This necessitates for better traffic control and regulation systems. Lamp
posts, parking arrangement, traffic signals marked the beginning of traffic management techniques. As
traffic increased; multiple intersections, highways, flyovers, bridges proved to be effective solutions for
proper regulation. Next, multiple lanes for different vehicles and for different speed limits also helped in
managing the traffic flow. But the increase in the average speed of automobiles needs continuous
improvement in regulation systems.
Automatic control of traffic signals proved to be a significant landmark development in
this process. In spite of these upgradations, the number of road accidents and traffic congestion is still
enormous, as the statisticians report. At any time especially during the morning and evening rush hours the main streets of cities and suburbs become jammed with motor vehicles. Such traffic is the cause for
delay and anger, among people, travelling to-and-from work and other places. Particularly on holidays and
weekends, highways normally remain congested. Government has been building expressways, trying to
improve public transportation and relieve traffic congestion. Yet getting from place to place in metropolitan
cities is becoming difficult day-by-day, and the main streets of many small towns are overburdened with
traffic. This has also created a nightmarish situation in terms of safety and has rendered the countrys
emergency system, in terms of road safety, very ill-equipped.
Basic traffic rules are increasingly being breached without getting noticed. This tendency
has led to an increase in accidents and loss of lives. Added to this is the apathy shown by the authorities
towards such cases; and many times the culprits are left without being punished, due to lack of proof (as in
case of hit and run accidents). Improved mass transit systems will help relieve congestion, if the available
service is convenient, comfortable, and economical.
Altogether, an urgent need is felt to have intelligent controlling of traffic signals and
enhanced traffic regulation systems. The proposed ideas in this paper aim towards developing such an
Improved (Adaptive) Traffic Management System. It suggests a prototype of futuristic traffic regulation
system, applicable even for developing countries like India, where there has been a tremendous increase in
the number of automobiles touching the roads. The strategy is to use radio sensing techniques, viz. Radio
Frequency Identification (or RFID, in short) for detection of vehicles on lanes. This data would be analyzed
by Real Time Operating Systems by means of necessary algorithms. This would decide the time of
actuation of traffic signals. The direction which has less inflow would be given more time to allow the
inflow of vehicles, also simultaneously taking into consideration, the roads needing more outflow of
vehicles. The aim is to improve efficiency, safety and security of road transport system by smart
automatic traffic control system.

Present Control Systems:


The purpose of traffic signals is to provide an orderly assignment, with minimum delay,
to two or more conflicting traffic movements. The main factors to be considered while installing signals
are: vehicular volumes cross traffic, peak-hour volumes, pedestrian traffic, accident hazard, wide traffic
fluctuation between streets, complicated intersections and progressive signal system. The actuation time of
signals is predefined on the basis of manual statistics and is constant for all time zones of the day,
independent of traffic difference on connecting roads. The table below gives an idea about this:

MINIMUM CYCLE LENGTH FOR GIVEN VOUME


(PASSENGER CARS ONLY)
Under 800
30 second cycle
800 900
35 second cycle
900 1000
40 second cycle
1000 1100
45 second cycle
1100 1200
55 second cycle
1200 1300
65 second cycle
1300 1400
85 second cycle
1400 1500
125 second cycle
Total of highest lane volume on first street and highest volume on second street
during highest hour
Limitations:Due to ever increasing number of automobiles on roads, the present control system seems
inefficient. The fixed-time control signals create a traffic jam, if there is more number of vehicles on one
lane, while very less number on another lane, but both the roads being given equal time for clearance. Thus
it necessitates better and efficient traffic actuated signal-controlling system.
Proposed Strategy:
The idea behind this prototype is that, instead of keeping fixed time duration for a green
signal (as done in the present control systems) , the actuation time (in this prototype) would depend upon
the number of vehicles waiting on, or coming towards a particular lane. This can be achieved in either of
the following two ways:1. To actuate green signal for a longer time in the direction, which has less number of vehicles
present on it.
2. To actuate green signal for a longer time, in the direction that needs more outflow.
Infrastructure required for implementing the system
1. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
RFID is a system of small electronic tags (comprising a tiny chip plus an antenna) , that
transmit a radio signal; radio signal readers and related hardware and software infrastructure. These tags
act as transponders (transmitters/responders), always listening for a radio signal sent by transceivers, or
RFID readers. The data retrieved from the tags can be used to identify the object on which it is
placed(vehicles in our case). This is called Radio Frequency Identification. These tag microchips are so
tiny, that they can be embedded in almost anything to give it a unique ID code. Each tag generally contains
its own unique 64-bit or 128-bit identifier. When the transponder arrives in the vicinity of a reader, the
information held by it is captured and sent through available communication interfaces to either a central
system or a single host computer. A network interface (viz. IEEE 802.11) is to be used to communicate with
the central server
The RFID tags consist of low power integrated circuits. These tags need to transfer data
and also generate power for themselves. Depending upon the amount of data stored by them, and the range
up to which they are required to be active, the tags are designed accordingly. These tags would be securely
placed in all the automobiles, during manufacture as well those already on roads. The tag would be
designed to store the necessary data ( like vehicle registration number, type of vehicle, owners details .etc)

2. Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS):


The data collected by the RFID readers needs to be analyzed, properly interpretated,
which would determine the control time of various signals on a junction. For this purpose, mini servers
would be installed at all the major junctions, who would have maps and topology of the associated lanes
and junctions. The detectors would be connected with these servers. Then these mini-serverss would be
interlinked among themselves, as well as a main-server coordinating the controls over dozens of miniservers in a specified area. The network connecting between adjacent mini-servers can be wired, for
reasons of safety and security. However, wireless network design can also be used for this purpose, if
required.
The number of vehicles, present on a lane of a road, can be detected by placing RFID
readers on opposite side ends of road. The radial range of these readers would be equal to the width of the
roads on which they are located. They would be placed at a distance of about 500m from the corresponding
junction, (or the mini server) they are associated with. This distance has been judged considering the
calculation time of real-time locating systems and algorithms that are to be implemented for this purpose.
Now, when a vehicle passes through within the range of the reader, a 'log' of that vehicle would be created
in that junction server, by way of the detector. This would send the data to the mini-server. The data would
be analyzed over a time period of about a minute, till the detected vehicle reaches the junction. This
analyzed data would be used for calculating the actuation time of signals, and accordingly the signal
controllers would work.
SMART CONTROLLING OF SIGNALS

A common 4-way (double lane) intersection

Consider a common 4-way intersection of roads each having 2 lanes (denoted by A, A B, B, C, C, D, D),
and assuming each lane marked by 3 sub lanes, each representing a possible direction to proceed in, by the
driver. Now according to the present mode, the following combinations of green signals are made ON:
I ) Left Turns: 1, 1, 4, 4 are dont care conditions, since left controls would be green for most of the time,
except when pedestrian signal is made ON.
II ) Parallel Combinations : (2, 2), (5, 5) are parallel combinations, which can be actuated one pair at a
time
III ) Cross Turns: 3, 3, 6, 6 are cross combinations, which can be actuated one at a time.
However, the feasible combination of parallel and cross combination , (say 5 and 3 or 2 and 5 ) is
simultaneously actuated.
Analysis of flow proposed control method:
A Case Study:
1.

Consider a situation, where there is more number of vehicles on parallel combination of 2 and 2.
Then the green signal allowing flow to these two paths would be actuated for a longer time till
atleast 90% clearance takes place.
2. Suppose there is traffic on A and B, then the required outflows are (2,3),(5,6). However 3 and 5
lead to inflow in the same direction (i.e. D). Hence there is a greater probability that more number
of vehicles would be intending to go towards D. And signals allowing inflow to D would be
actuated for a longer duration.
However, if it is realized that inflow to D is less than expected sum of traffic on A and B (which
would be calculated by the adjacent mini-server) decision would change to allow inflow to either
C or A.
3. Consider above diagram, suppose there are less vehicles on lane D. Then signals allowing inflow
to D would be made ON for a comparatively longer amount of time. Also if lane A has more
traffic on it, then green signal allowing outflow from A would be actuated for a longer time.
In case of a possible deadlock, say if there is little difference between the numbers of
vehicles on two lanes, only one of which can be actuated at a time, the decision of the algorithm would
depend on the following factors :
1.
2.
3.

The lane that gives outflow to another lane which has lesser number of vehicles already present on
it
The lane having higher number of heavy vehicles , will be given preference to reduce the fule
wastage during the waiting period.
Once the green signal is actuated, it would remain in that mode, till atleast 90% of the vehicles
have cleared the path.

Adaptive System:
Since traffic flow on a particular road is not unreliable, traffic variations and statistics
would be similar on different days of the week, except during weekends, which will have their own
statistics. Thus a statistical database of number of vehicles on the roads intersecting at a junction would be
made, from the available data in the servers, over a period of one week and results would be updated on a
weekly basis. This controlling would be done by the mini-server associated with that junction. Also these
calculations would be shared between adjacent servers and would be coordinated by the main server,
controlling over dozens of mini-servers.
In case, there is such a deadlock that the available algorithm cannot decide the future
action, the system would be designed to automatically switch to NORMAL mode, whereby the present
fixed time duration system would come into action, without any problem to the traffic flow.

Supplementary Services:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Automatic Toll Collection can be implemented using this system.


It would be difficult to break the traffic rules by the drivers; and also the traffic police have to fine
that driver-as the log was created in server which will be cleared only after the driver is fined.
The log may also be stored for future reference, in case it is required by police, searching for some
vehicle used by criminals,
Unidentified cars, or cars not approved by RTOs, cannot be driven on streets.
PUC Certification can be strictly enforced,(certification details can also be stored on RFID tags),
thus minimizing the pollution.
When an ambulance, police vehicle or VIPs car passes through a lane, it would be identified by
the mini-server and this information would be coordinated between all the forthcoming junction
servers, to allow maximum clear path for their motion. This would help in saving precious lives.
This system using radio sensing would prove to be a best alternative for costly GPS system and
services, as log of all the vehicles on the roads would be available on servers.

Results:
The (adaptive) traffic regulation system is efficient, safe and secure. The real-time
controlling ensures faster traffic flow on the roads. This also reduces the average waiting time of a vehicle
due to red signal. Consequently, this also proves to be an effective fuel conservation method. Especially
during office hours or other peak timings; few lanes have more number of vehicles than other. Thus, their
real-time analysis would reduce time wastage and increase productivity of important people like the CEOs,
engineers, doctors, etc. The coordinated traffic-signaling systems, turn controls and pedestrian controls will
help to minimize the road accidents too.

Discussions:
Proper simulation of road traffic on particular roads would help in determining the
parameters to be considered by the algorithms, in actuating the time controls of the signals. Once the
system is implemented, it can be constantly upgraded and better algorithms can be designed to solve the
dead locks; and increase the accuracy of data interpretation. Government initiative and support is essential
for the large scale implementation of these systems. To cut down the cost of software designing, for this
purpose, use of open source code program (viz. Linux) can be adopted. Simultaneously, mass
commercialization of RFID technology would reduce the cost of infrastructure required as a part of this
'intelligent' transportation system.

References:
1. Automobile Traffic Control Systems, Lionel M Rodgers and Leo G Bands
2. Traffic Flow Fundamentals, Adolf D May (Prentice Hall Publication)
3. pg. 265 "Microcomputer Application within urban transportation environment" - Proceedings of national
conference on microcomputers in USA
4. Bar Codes: Technology and Applications - A S Bhaskar Reddy

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