Seminar: Realizing Benefits at Low Market Penetration of Connected Automated Vehicles

Presented by Prof. Brian Park, UVA:

In this talk, I will present connected vehicles and connected-automated vehicles research demonstrating the potential for improving traffic operations at low market penetrations. The first presentation is a “day one operation” of connected vehicles, the transit signal priority (TSP) case, which works even if only buses are connected vehicles. A key advantage of connected vehicle-based TSP (referred to as TSPCV) is its capability to implement (i) cooperative control, (ii) green reallocation, and (iii) handling multiple buses approaching from conflicting directions. Both simulation-based study results and a proof-of-concept field implementation featuring traffic signal controllers and connected vehicle communications will be presented. The second presentation is motivated by adaptive cruise control (ACC) not being widely used, not taking advantage of connectivity, and human drivers wanting to be in charge. When a human driver speeds up or down depending on their perceived safety in terms of spacing or time headway to their preceding vehicle, the accelerations or decelerations are not optimal due to human nature. Thus, an algorithm called human-in-the-loop connected cruise control (hCCC, “h-triple-C”) is developed. It implements optimal acceleration or deceleration based on (i) the human driver’s intention to speed up or down and (ii) a feedforward signal from its preceding vehicle. The hCCC algorithm was tested using a driving simulator and compared with human drivers. These two presentations showcase exemplary research conducted for the early stages of connected vehicles and connected-automated vehicles, with significant potential for real-world deployment.