Vehicle communication system reduces delays and emissions at intersections
Maneuver Coordination Using V2I to Improve Traffic Efficiency at Intersections
Networking and Internet Architecture
Summary
City traffic often gets stuck at intersections, causing delays and pollution. The authors studied a system where smart cars talk to a nearby computer to decide who goes first without traffic lights. They created a method to schedule cars efficiently and tested it with computer simulations. Their system helps cars move faster and pollute less compared to normal intersections and previous methods.
What this means in practice
- •For urban traffic controllers: Manage intersections with vehicle communication systems to reduce wait times and vehicle emissions without traffic lights.
- •For automotive software developers: Develop vehicle control software that cooperates with edge computing to optimize intersection crossing order and smooth traffic flow.
Authors
Lorenzo Farina, Marco Rapelli, Barbara Mavì Masini, Claudio Casetti, Alessandro Bazzi
Abstract
Traffic efficiency and air pollutants are major issues in urban transport systems, as they are critical points for traffic flows and people living in urban areas, respectively. In response to this challenge, connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) have garnered increasing attention, with the potential to address the above challenges through cooperative maneuvering and real-time communication. In this paper, we consider an intersection served by a multi-access edge computing (MEC) where CAVs communicate with a controller to pass the intersection without the need of signals and without stopping unless in presence of heavy congestion. For this purpose, we propose a first-in-first-scheduled (FIFS) algorithm, and we specify the communication protocol for its practical implementation. The solution is validated through simulations with varying traffic densities, showing that it provides significant gains in travel time and emissions compared to both uncontrolled intersections, with or without traffic lights, and a benchmark solution derived from the literature.