11-03-2014, 04:08 PM
A SEMINAR REPORT ON AUTOMATED HIGHWAY SYSTEMS
[attachment=60058]
INTRODUCTION
AUTOMATED HIGHWAY SYSTEM (AHS):
An Automated Highway System is a vehicle and road based system that can drive a vehicle automatically. This is done using sensors that serve as the vehicle’s eyes, determining lane position and the speed and location of other vehicles. Actuators on the throttle, brake, and steering wheel give the vehicle, the commands. AHS vehicles often have equipment to communicate with other AHS vehicles.
NEED FOR AHS:
Safety
Ninety percent of all vehicle accidents result from driver-related factors such as inattentiveness, inability to respond quickly enough, or bad driving decisions. Over 1 lakh people die annually in motor vehicle accidents in India. Electronic systems that never take over some or all of the driver’s responsibilities are the most promising method of reducing these accidents. Analyses of causes show that highway accidents could be reduced up to 85 percent with the use of electronic collision avoidance technologies.
Efficiency
The number of vehicles on the roads has been increasing at an annual rate of 7-10% in Bangalore alone. Ratio of capacity of road to volume should be less than 1 for smooth traffic flow. But it is more than 1 in Bangalore for most of the roads. And for few roads it has even reached up to 5. Total number of vehicles has crossed 40 lakhs in Bangalore. And at peak hours average speed of vehicles is 15kmph. One solution that engineers are exploring now is an Automated Highway System. By reducing or eliminating driver error and placing vehicles more closely together safely on the roads, capacity of roads could be doubled.
HISTORY
The concept of an Automated Highway has been around for a long time. General Motors displayed a working model of an automated highway at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City. Automated trains have been in use since the 1960s. After the first appearance of commercial computers in 1960s, researchers began to consider potential uses of computers to provide lateral and longitudinal control and traffic management.
USDOT (U.S. Dept. Of Transportation) sponsored for research in the field of AHS and AHS vehicles in late 1970s. Advances in computing technology, microcontrollers and sensors in the 1980s provoked commercial interest in technologies that might enhance driver capability and perception, and both public and private sector researchers examined partially automated products and services. Among others, University of California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways (PATH) program has carried out significant research and development in highway automation since 1980s.
WORKING METHODOLOGY
The components of AHS work together to achieve safe and time effective transportation. The vehicle as shown in the figure 1, has sensors of various kinds. The distance sensor measures the distance of another vehicle moving on the road and the central computer system in the vehicle decides the speed of the vehicle by commanding accelerator pedal actuator with the appropriate signal. In case of very close distances between two vehicles brake actuators may be activated to bring vehicle to a halt. The GPS module on the vehicle continuously sends vehicles position details to the Control Center.
IMPLEMENTATION OF AHS USING INCREMENTAL APPROACH:
In this section the incremental approach will be discussed. This approach adds automated functions one at a time rather than starting with full automated control. Every few years, automakers would provide a new level of intelligence in vehicles. Intelligence would only be an option on some vehicles at first, but could soon become a standard feature on all models. Each level needs to be carefully designed to be compatible with past levels and anticipatory of future levels. One primary assumption is that vehicles of all levels will have communications equipment and a main computer for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-road communications. The computer could be loaded with new software to be compatible with new intelligence levels. The second assumption is that each new level will retain all functionality from the previous levels.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Automated Highways are one of the most promising technologies to reduce traffic accidents and urban traffic congestion. At the doorstep of new technology, engineers and policy makers have some important decisions to make that that has an impact on the future of transportation. The problems such as liability, equity and consumer acceptance will require special attention, but there are no such problems that cannot be solved. The technical issues of mixed traffic or dedicated lanes and intelligence distribution can be solved using incremental deployment.
[attachment=60058]
INTRODUCTION
AUTOMATED HIGHWAY SYSTEM (AHS):
An Automated Highway System is a vehicle and road based system that can drive a vehicle automatically. This is done using sensors that serve as the vehicle’s eyes, determining lane position and the speed and location of other vehicles. Actuators on the throttle, brake, and steering wheel give the vehicle, the commands. AHS vehicles often have equipment to communicate with other AHS vehicles.
NEED FOR AHS:
Safety
Ninety percent of all vehicle accidents result from driver-related factors such as inattentiveness, inability to respond quickly enough, or bad driving decisions. Over 1 lakh people die annually in motor vehicle accidents in India. Electronic systems that never take over some or all of the driver’s responsibilities are the most promising method of reducing these accidents. Analyses of causes show that highway accidents could be reduced up to 85 percent with the use of electronic collision avoidance technologies.
Efficiency
The number of vehicles on the roads has been increasing at an annual rate of 7-10% in Bangalore alone. Ratio of capacity of road to volume should be less than 1 for smooth traffic flow. But it is more than 1 in Bangalore for most of the roads. And for few roads it has even reached up to 5. Total number of vehicles has crossed 40 lakhs in Bangalore. And at peak hours average speed of vehicles is 15kmph. One solution that engineers are exploring now is an Automated Highway System. By reducing or eliminating driver error and placing vehicles more closely together safely on the roads, capacity of roads could be doubled.
HISTORY
The concept of an Automated Highway has been around for a long time. General Motors displayed a working model of an automated highway at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City. Automated trains have been in use since the 1960s. After the first appearance of commercial computers in 1960s, researchers began to consider potential uses of computers to provide lateral and longitudinal control and traffic management.
USDOT (U.S. Dept. Of Transportation) sponsored for research in the field of AHS and AHS vehicles in late 1970s. Advances in computing technology, microcontrollers and sensors in the 1980s provoked commercial interest in technologies that might enhance driver capability and perception, and both public and private sector researchers examined partially automated products and services. Among others, University of California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways (PATH) program has carried out significant research and development in highway automation since 1980s.
WORKING METHODOLOGY
The components of AHS work together to achieve safe and time effective transportation. The vehicle as shown in the figure 1, has sensors of various kinds. The distance sensor measures the distance of another vehicle moving on the road and the central computer system in the vehicle decides the speed of the vehicle by commanding accelerator pedal actuator with the appropriate signal. In case of very close distances between two vehicles brake actuators may be activated to bring vehicle to a halt. The GPS module on the vehicle continuously sends vehicles position details to the Control Center.
IMPLEMENTATION OF AHS USING INCREMENTAL APPROACH:
In this section the incremental approach will be discussed. This approach adds automated functions one at a time rather than starting with full automated control. Every few years, automakers would provide a new level of intelligence in vehicles. Intelligence would only be an option on some vehicles at first, but could soon become a standard feature on all models. Each level needs to be carefully designed to be compatible with past levels and anticipatory of future levels. One primary assumption is that vehicles of all levels will have communications equipment and a main computer for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-road communications. The computer could be loaded with new software to be compatible with new intelligence levels. The second assumption is that each new level will retain all functionality from the previous levels.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Automated Highways are one of the most promising technologies to reduce traffic accidents and urban traffic congestion. At the doorstep of new technology, engineers and policy makers have some important decisions to make that that has an impact on the future of transportation. The problems such as liability, equity and consumer acceptance will require special attention, but there are no such problems that cannot be solved. The technical issues of mixed traffic or dedicated lanes and intelligence distribution can be solved using incremental deployment.