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Online ISSN 1751-9578 Print ISSN 1751-956X

IET Intelligent Transport Systems

Volume 3, Issue 3, September 2009

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Volume 3, Issue 3

September 2009

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  • Selected papers from AATT 2008

    • Editorial: Selected Papers from the ‘10th Applications of Advanced Technologies in Transportation’ Conference
      Evaluation and installation guidelines for advance warning signal systems
      • Author(s): G.G. Schultz  and  A.P. Jensen
      • Source: IET Intelligent Transport Systems, Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 247 –256
      • DOI:  10.1049/iet-its.2008.0057
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 247 –256 (10)
        Several intelligent transportation system (ITS)-based methods have been identified across North America to provide advance warning for end-of-green indication at high-speed signalised intersections. One of these is the installation of an advance warning signal (AWS) system. In the state of Utah, the Utah Department of Transportation installed AWS systems at three locations in the Salt Lake Valley to provide advance warning to drivers on the change in signal indication from green to yellow and, ultimately, to red. The current installations were determined to be successful based on speed variability and safety criteria, thus introducing the need to develop proposed guidelines for installation and to identify future system locations. The purposes of this study are to outline guidelines for ITS-based AWS installation and to present an evaluation procedure for comparison of candidate sites. The methodology and procedure summarised can be used by other governing agencies to fulfil similar needs in their respective jurisdictions.
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      Towards the development of intelligent navigation support systems for group shipping and global marine traffic control
      • Author(s): A. Kawaguchi ; M. Inaishi ; H. Kondo ; M. Kondo
      • Source: IET Intelligent Transport Systems, Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 257 –267
      • DOI:  10.1049/iet-its.2008.0080
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 257 –267 (11)
        Computerised navigation is a developing technology in a branch of autonomous and intelligent engineering systems. It aims to enhance safety and security at sea and to improve the reliability of ship-to-ship operations and global marine traffic control. A recently standardised automatic identification system (AIS) takes full advantage of GPS-based real-time positioning and timing information of ships. The use of the AIS is steadily growing to meet the needs of the merchant shipping and fishing industries. Nevertheless, a significant decrease in the number of ship accidents and hazardous incidents in open waterways has yet to occur. The work gathered in this paper is to establish a proactive means to prevent marine accidents by the use of the full potential of the AIS. Specifically, this paper describes the development of an AIS synthesis-capable navigation support system enhanced with a degree of intelligence built from a physical model suitable to capture the dynamics of group-based navigation of ocean-going vessels. The system envisioned is to provide adequate decision-making support for group shipping, especially during the critical maneuvering in restricted areas such as channel passing and harbour approaches. Foundations for and experimental results of this study, including an analysis with the simulated traffic of Tokyo Uraga Channel route, are presented.
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      Securing trade lanes using an autonomous tracking device
      • Author(s): C. Binding ; F. Dolivo ; R. Hermann ; D. Husemann ; A. Schade
      • Source: IET Intelligent Transport Systems, Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 268 –281
      • DOI:  10.1049/iet-its.2008.0068
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 268 –281 (14)
        This study describes the experience of building a highly autonomous, secure, container tracking device using commercial, off-the-shelf, hardware to optimise and secure global trade lanes. We describe the motivation for the project and the hardware and software architectures. Our approach to power conservation is discussed, including a key decision algorithm to detect the loading of a container onto an ocean-going vessel. The paper concludes with findings and insights from various field-tests.
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      Using personal global positioning system devices in paratransit
      • Author(s): F. Cevallos ; Q. Yuan ; X. Wang ; A. Gan
      • Source: IET Intelligent Transport Systems, Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 282 –288
      • DOI:  10.1049/iet-its.2008.0078
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 282 –288 (7)
        An innovative solution to improve the current service efficiency in paratransit is introduced. The conventional pickup procedure requires reservations in advance for the paratransit operator to meet passengers at designated locations and missed pickups may occur due to the ambiguity of the address information or the inability of finding a specific location. With the availability of existing mobile global positioning system (GPS) devices, passengers can be located instantly, which ensures a successful pickup. This research explores the potential feasibility of using mobile GPS devices to reduce the number of missed pickups. Two GPS-tracking devices were tested and a prototype was also developed. Under this prototype, the agency dispatcher can see both the vehicle and the passenger and therefore instantly supervise the pickup if any errors occur. As new features can be added to the prototype system and new technologies become available, opportunities for future work are also presented.
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      Location of vehicle identification sensors to monitor travel-time performance
      • Author(s): P.B. Mirchandani ; M. Gentili ; Y. He
      • Source: IET Intelligent Transport Systems, Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 289 –303
      • DOI:  10.1049/iet-its.2008.0074
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 289 –303 (15)
        Traffic agencies are increasingly using automatic toll collection technologies to collect fees on toll roads. Associated with such technologies are toll tags on vehicles that identify the vehicle and its account for charging the appropriate toll, and roadside readers (or overhead readers) that read the toll tags. A by-product of such technologies is the data collected on traffic measures such as travel times from the point when the vehicle is first tagged to the point it leaves the system. That is, the toll reader becomes a traffic sensor that measures travel times of some tagged vehicles and volumes of such vehicles that go from intermediate origins to intermediate destinations. Two problems have been studied on the optimal locations of such automatic vehicle identification (AVI) readers on traffic network using criteria: (i) to maximise the total vehicle-miles monitored, and (ii) to minimise the variance of predicted travel times. Optimisation models are formulated through which it is shown that these problems are NP-hard. Subsequently, greedy heuristics are proposed. Exact optimal solutions, using CPLEX, and approximate solutions, using the heuristics are compared for several small hypothetical networks for a case study dealing with a real application as well as in Harris County, Texas, USA.
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      Threshold- and information-based holding at multiple stops
      • Author(s): G. Bellei  and  K. Gkoumas
      • Source: IET Intelligent Transport Systems, Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 304 –313
      • DOI:  10.1049/iet-its.2008.0072
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 304 –313 (10)
        The objective of this study is the improvement in speed and regularity of transit systems using real-time control strategies, in particular, threshold-based and information-based vehicle holding. This objective is attained by taking into account the inherent uncertainty of transit operation, because of the random travel times and passenger arrivals at stops. A Monte Carlo simulation model of a single transit line is presented, with explicit representation of traffic lights. Both the straightforward threshold-based holding strategy and the strategy based on the availability of real-time information at stops, to take holding decision at single or multiple stops, are represented and compared, taking as a reference the results obtained by a conditional priority strategy at intersections, assumed to be given only by green extension actuated by local sensors. The results are evaluated and compared using performance indicators, coincident with waiting and on board time of transit users and with road traffic delay on transversal roads.
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      Testing a reliable in-vehicle navigation algorithm in the field
      • Author(s): I. Kaparias  and  M.G.H. Bell
      • Source: IET Intelligent Transport Systems, Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 314 –324
      • DOI:  10.1049/iet-its.2008.0075
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 314 –324 (11)
        The results of a field experiment carried out to assess the accuracy and efficiency of a new in-vehicle navigation algorithm, whose aim is to incorporate and consider travel time reliability and route the guided vehicle along uncongested roads, in the absence of real-time traffic information are presented. Using historical travel time profiles deduced from floating vehicle data, the algorithm is implemented in a purpose-developed software tool and tested in the London Congestion Charging Zone. The experiment consists of driving a vehicle along routes computed by the algorithm and comparing the outcome with that of a conventional navigation system installed in a second vehicle. The results indicate that the new algorithm outperforms the conventional system in most cases, thus suggesting that it is a step forward towards a more intelligent navigation system.
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      Applying a vehicle classification algorithm to model long multiple trailer truck exposure
      • Author(s): J.D. Regehr ; J. Montufar ; D. Middleton
      • Source: IET Intelligent Transport Systems, Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 325 –335
      • DOI:  10.1049/iet-its.2008.0066
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 325 –335 (11)
        A vehicle classification algorithm is applied to weigh-in-motion data to model long multiple trailer truck exposure. Long trucks are specially permitted truck configurations, consisting of van trailers or containers, which exceed basic vehicle length limits but operate within basic weight restrictions. Despite widespread use of these trucks for many years, there is a knowledge deficiency about their exposure. The algorithm provides the core dataset for modelling long-truck exposure in terms of the volume of trips, and their weight and cubic characteristics. It is embedded within a modelling approach in which exposure is an explanatory variable needed for predicting transportation system impacts related to long-truck operations. These impacts are considered latent variables, which are represented by observable performance indicators. Integration of trucking industry intelligence into the model enables the interpretation of patterns and anomalies in the data. Illustrative model results are provided and the model is validated by testing the reasonableness of its response against expected results, given actual transportation system conditions. An illustrative application demonstrates the model's capability to help predict impacts in the road safety context. Although the results and application pertain to long trucks, the model structure and definition are generic and valid for any trucking sector.
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      Economy of information in congested transport systems
      • Author(s): A. Stathopoulos  and  T. Tsekeris
      • Source: IET Intelligent Transport Systems, Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 336 –344
      • DOI:  10.1049/iet-its.2008.0061
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 336 –344 (9)
        Emerging communication and information technologies increasingly enable users of transport systems to determine their own whereabouts and help support their trip scheduling and rescheduling decisions by providing timely information on traffic conditions. The authors investigate the linkages between behavioural attitudes of users towards risk and valuation of information, by utilising decision-theoretic and risk management principles and extensive-form game trees. Several examples are provided to demonstrate the increase in expected value and steps that should be encountered in the provision of travel information, with particular emphasis on multi-modal transport systems with congestion effects.
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      Application of automated video analysis for behavioural studies: concept and experience
      • Author(s): A. Laureshyn ; H. Ardö ; Å. Svensson ; T. Jonsson
      • Source: IET Intelligent Transport Systems, Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 345 –357
      • DOI:  10.1049/iet-its.2008.0077
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 345 –357 (13)
        Lund University, Sweden, is developing a video analysis system for making long-term behavioural studies, primarily in complex urban environments. Road users are detected using the KLT (Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi) interest point tracker. Trajectories are estimated using foreground–background segmentation, whereas speed is estimated using the shape analysis of interest points. The extracted trajectories are further used for behavioural analysis. The authors present the experience from an ongoing study in Stockholm city, where the task was to find out if allowing two-way bicycle traffic on one-way streets had negative effects on safety. The video analysis system was applied to detect biking in the ‘wrong’ direction and analyse traffic conflicts between cyclists and other road users. The manual observations done in parallel allowed validating the accuracy of system performance.
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      Risk analysis of intelligent transportation system investments
      • Author(s): A.M. Khan
      • Source: IET Intelligent Transport Systems, Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 358 –368
      • DOI:  10.1049/iet-its.2009.0009
      • Type: Article
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      • p. 358 –368 (11)
        Improvements to urban transportation in terms of user service, environmental effects and cost efficiency can be achieved through careful planning and application of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Since public and/or public–private joint venture funds are used as investments in these systems and the results cannot be predicted with certainty, it is prudent to subject such investments to risk analysis. This study reports a methodological framework for the risk analysis of ITS applications in urban transportation with focus on public transit. The role of advanced technology in shaping public transit systems at the strategic, tactical and operational levels is acknowledged. Evaluation and capital budgeting methodological improvements, particularly risk analysis, are described for ITS capital investment socio-economic analysis. Bayesian and Monte Carlo simulation approaches are illustrated for assessing risk in ITS investments, including feasibility of additional information acquisition in order to enhance knowledge of uncertain factors.
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