Architectural Model of a Biological Retina Using Cellular Automata

Developments in neurophysiology focusing on foveal vision have characterized more and more precisely the spatiotemporal processing that is well adapted to the regularization of the visual information within the retina. The works described in this article focus on a simplified architectural model based on features and mechanisms of adaptation in the retina. Similarly to the biological retina, which transforms luminance information into a series of encoded representations of image characteristics transmitted to the brain, our structural model allows us to reveal more information in the scene. Our modeling of the different functional pathways permits the mapping of important complementary information types at abstract levels of image analysis, and thereby allows a better exploitation of visual clues. Our model is based on a distributed cellular automata network and simulates the retinal processing of stimuli that are stationary or in motion. Thanks to its capacity for dynamic adaptation, our model can adapt itself to different scenes (e.g., bright and dim, stationary and moving, etc.) and can parallelize those processing steps that can be supported by parallel calculators.

Effects of rainy weather on traffic accidents of a freeway using cellular automata model

The aim of this work is to investigate the influence of rainy weather on traffic accidents of a freeway. The micro-scale driving behaviors in rainy weather and possible vehicle rear-end and sideslip accidents are analyzed. An improved CA model of two lanes one-way freeway is presented, where some vehicle accidents will occur when the necessary conditions are simultaneously satisfied. The characteristics of traffic flow under different rainfall intensities are discussed and the accident probabilities are analyzed via the simulation experiments by using variable speed limit （VSL） and incoming flow control. The results indicate that the measures are effective especially during heavy rainstorms or short-time heavy rainfall. According to different rainfall intensities, an appropriate strategy should be adopted in order to reduce the probability of vehicle accidents and enhance traffic flux as well.

Modeling Passengers Boarding in Aircraft Using Cellular Automata

Aircraft are profitable to their owners as long as they are in the air transporting passengers to their destinations;therefore it is vital to minimize as much as possible their preparation time on the ground.In this paper we simulate different boarding strategies with the help of a model based on cellular automata parallel computational tool,attempting to find the most efficient way to deliver each passenger to her/his assigned seat.Two seat arrangements are used,a small one based on Airbus A320/ Boeing 737 and a larger one based on Airbus A380/ Boeing777-300.A wide variety of parameters,including time delay for luggage storing,the frequency by which the passengers enter the plane,different walking speeds of passengers depending on sex,age and height,and the possibility of walking past their seat,are simulated in order to achieve realistic results,as well as monitor their effects on boarding time.The simulation results indicate that the boarding time can be significantly reduced by the simple grouping and prioritizing of passengers.In accordance with previous papers and the examined strategies,the outside-in and reverse pyramid boarding methods outperform all the others for both the small and large airplane seat layout.In the latter,the examined strategies are introduced for first time in an analogous way to the initial small seat arrangement of Airbus A320/ Boeing737 aircraft family.Moreover,since in real world scenarios,the compliance of all the passengers to the suggested group division and boarding strategy cannot be guaranteed,further simulations were conducted.It is clear that as the number of passengers disregarding the priority of the boarding groups increases,the time needed for the boarding to complete tends towards that of the random boarding strategy,thus minimizing the possible advantages gained by the proposed boarding strategies.

Cellular automata model for traffic flow with safe driving conditions

In this paper, a recently introduced cellular automata （CA） model is used for a statistical analysis of the inner micro-scopic structure of synchronized traffic flow. The analysis focuses on the formation and dissolution of clusters or platoons of vehicles, as the mechanism that causes the presence of this synchronized traffic state with a high flow. This platoon formation is one of the most interesting phenomena observed in traffic flows and plays an important role both in manual and automated highway systems （AHS）. Simulation results, obtained from a single-lane system under periodic boundary conditions indicate that in the density region where the synchronized state is observed, most vehicles travel together in pla- toons with approximately the same speed and small spatial distances. The examination of velocity variations and individual vehicle gaps shows that the flow corresponding to the synchronized state is stable, safe and highly correlated. Moreover, results indicate that the observed platoon formation in real traffic is reproduced in simulations by the relation between vehicle headway and velocity that is embedded in the dynamics definition of the CA model.

A cellular automata model of epidemics of a heterogeneous susceptibility

In this paper we present a model with spatial heterogeneity based on cellular automata （CA）. In the model we consider the relevant heterogeneity of host （susceptible） mixing and the natural birth rate. We divide the susceptible population into three groups according to the immunity of each individual based on the classical susceptible-infectedremoved （SIR） epidemic models, and consider the spread of an infectious disease transmitted by direct contact among humans and vectors that have not an incubation period to become infectious. We test the local stability and instability of the disease-free equilibrium by the spectrum radii of Jacobian. The simulation shows that the structure of the nearest neighbour size of the cell （or the degree of the scale-free networks） plays a very important role in the spread properties of infectious disease. The positive equilibrium of the infections versus the neighbour size follows the third power law if an endemic equilibrium point exists. Finally, we analyse the feature of the infection waves for the homogeneity and heterogeneous cases respectively.

A Two-Lane Cellular Automata Model with Influence of Next-Nearest Neighbor Vehicle

In this paper, we propose a new two-lane cellular automata model in which the influence of the next-nearest neighbor vehicle is considered, The attributes of the traffic system composed of fast-lane and slow-lane are investigated by the new traffic model. The simulation results show that the proposed two-lane traffic model can reproduce some traffic phenomena observed in real traffic, and that maximum flux and critical density are close to the field measurements. Moreover, the initial density distribution of the fast-lane and slow-lane has much influence on the traffic flow states. With the ratio between the densities of slow lane and fast lane increasing the lane changing frequency increases, but maximum flux decreases. Finally, the influence of the sensitivity coefficients is discussed.

Urban growth scenario projection using heuristic cellular automata in arid areas considering the drought impact

Arid areas with low precipitation and sparse vegetation typically yield compact urban pattern,and drought directly impacts urban site selection,growth processes,and future scenarios.Spatial simulation and projection based on cellular automata(CA)models is important to achieve sustainable urban development in arid areas.We developed a new CA model using bat algorithm(BA)named bat algorithm-probability-of-occurrence-cellular automata(BA-POO-CA)model by considering drought constraint to accurately delineate urban growth patterns and project future scenarios of Urumqi City and its surrounding areas,located in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China.We calibrated the BA-POO-CA model for the drought-prone study area with 2000 and 2010 data and validated the model with 2010 and 2020 data,and finally projected its urban scenarios in 2030.The results showed that BA-POO-CA model yielded overall accuracy of 97.70%and figure-of-merits(FOMs)of 35.50%in 2010,and 97.70%and 26.70%in 2020,respectively.The inclusion of drought intensity factor improved the performance of BA-POO-CA model in terms of FOMs,with increases of 5.50%in 2010 and 7.90%in 2020 than the model excluding drought intensity factor.This suggested that the urban growth of Urumqi City was affected by drought,and therefore taking drought intensity factor into account would contribute to simulation accuracy.The BA-POO-CA model including drought intensity factor was used to project two possible scenarios(i.e.,business-as-usual(BAU)scenario and ecological scenario)in 2030.In the BAU scenario,the urban growth dominated mainly in urban fringe areas,especially in the northern part of Toutunhe District,Xinshi District,and Midong District.Using exceptional and extreme drought areas as a spatial constraint,the urban growth was mainly concentrated in the"main urban areas-Changji-Hutubi"corridor urban pattern in the ecological scenario.The results of this research can help to adjust urban planning and development policies.Our model is readily applicable to simulating urban growth and future scenarios in global arid areas such as Northwest China and Africa.

An extended cellular automata model with modified floor field for evacuation

The floor field model has been widely used in evacuation simulation research based on cellular automata model. However, conventional methods of setting floor field will lead to highly insufficient utilization of the exit area when people gather on one side of the exit. In this study, an extended cellular automata model with modified floor field is proposed to solve this problem. Additionally, a congestion judgment mechanism is integrated in our model, whereby people can synthetically judge the degree of congestion and distance in front of them to determine whether they need to change another exit to evacuate or not. We contrasted the simulation results of the conventional floor field model, the extended model proposed in this paper, and Pathfinder software in a same scenario. It is demonstrated that this extended model can ameliorate the problem of insufficient utilization of the exit area and the trajectory of pedestrian movement and the crowd shape of pedestrians in front of exit in this new model are more realistic than those of the other two models. The findings have implications for modeling pedestrian evacuation.

Cellular automata modeling of pedestrian＇s crossing dynamics

Cellular automata modeling techniques and the characteristics of mixed traffic flow were used to derive the 2-dimensional model presented here for simulation of pedestrian’s crossing dynamics. A conception of “stop point” is introduced to deal with traffic obstacles and resolve conflicts among pedestrians or between pedestrians and the other vehicles on the crosswalk. The model can be easily extended, is very efficient for simulation of pedestrian’s crossing dy- namics, can be integrated into traffic simulation software, and has been proved feasible by simulation experiments.

A Vector-based Cellular Automata Model for Simulating Urban Land Use Change

Cellular Automata(CA) is widely used for the simulation of land use changes. This study applied a vector-based CA model to simulate land use change in order to minimize or eliminate the scale sensitivity in traditional raster-based CA model. The cells of vector-based CA model are presented according to the shapes and attributes of geographic entities, and the transition rules of vector-based CA model are improved by taking spatial variables of the study area into consideration. The vector-based CA model is applied to simulate land use changes in downtown of Qidong City, Jiangsu Province, China and its validation is confirmed by the methods of visual assessment and spatial accuracy. The simulation result of vector-based CA model reveals that nearly 75% of newly increased urban cells are located in the northwest and southwest parts of the study area from 2002 to 2007, which is in consistent with real land use map. In addition, the simulation results of the vector-based and raster-based CA models are compared to real land use data and their spatial accuracies are found to be 84.0% and 81.9%, respectively. In conclusion, results from this study indicate that the vector-based CA model is a practical and applicable method for the simulation of urbanization processes.

Three-dimensional cellular automata based particle flow simulations of mechanical properties of talus deposit

Based on three-dimensional cellular automata （CA）, a new stochastic simulation model to simulate the microstructures and particle flow of talus deposit is proposed. Ill addition, an auto-modeling program CARS is developed, with which nunaerical simulations can be conducted conveniently. For the problem of simulating mechanical behaviors of talus deposit, spatial anangement or sphere shapes should be considered. In the new modeling method, four sphere anangement models are developed for the particle flow simulation of talus deposit. Numerical results show that the talus deposit has the mechanical characteristics of typical stress-strain curves, as other rock-like materials. The cohesion of talus deposit decreases with increasing rock content, while the internal friction angle increases with increasing rock contents. Finally, numerical simulation is verified with the results of field test.

Modelling vehicular interactions for heterogeneous traffic flow using cellular automata with position preference

This paper proposes and validates a modified cellular automata model for determining interaction rate （i.e. number of car-following/overtaking instances） using traffic flow data measured in the field. The proposed model considers lateral position preference by each vehicle type and introduces a position preference parameter fl in the model which facilitates gradual drifting towards preferred position on road, even if the gap in front is sufficient. Additionally, the model also improves upon the conven- tional model by calculating safe front and back gap dynamically based on speed and deceleration properties of leader and follower vehicles. Sensitivity analysis was carried out to determine the effect of β on vehicular interac- tions and the model was calibrated and validated using interaction rates observed in the field. Paired tests were conducted to determine the determining interaction rates validity of the model in Results of the simulations show that there is a parabolic relationship between area occupancy and interaction rate of different vehicle types. The model performed satisfactorily as the simulated interaction rate between different vehicle types were found to be statistically similar to those observed in field. Also, as expected, the interaction rate between light motor vehicles （LMVs） and heavy motor vehicles （HMVs） were found to be higher than that between LMVs and three wheelers because LMVs and HMVs share the same lane. This could not be done using conventional CA models as lateral movement rules were dictated by only speeds and gaps. So, in conventional models, the vehicles would end up in positions which are not realistic. The position preference parameter introduced in this model motivates vehicles to stay in their preferred positions. This study demonstrates the use of interaction rate as a measure to validate micro- scopic traffic flow models.

Station Model for Rail Transit System Using Cellular Automata

In this paper, we propose a new cellular automata model to simulate the railway traffic at station. Based on NaSch model, the proposed station model is composed of the main track and the siding track. Two different schemes for trains passing through station are considered. One is the scheme of ＂pass by the main track, start and stop by the siding track＂. The other is the scheme of ＂two tracks play the same role＂. We simulate the train movement using the proposed model and analyze the traffic flow at station. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed cellular automata model can be successfully used for the simulations of railway traffic. Some characteristic behaviors of railway traffic flow can be reproduced. Moreover, the simulation values of the minimum headway are close to the theoretical values. This result demonstrates the dependability and availability of the proposed model.

Desertification evolution prediction for lake area of Minqin oasis based on integration of GIS and cellular automata

The Minqin oasis is surrounded on three sides by the Tengger Desert and the Badanjilin Desert, and it prevents these two deserts from converging. However, in recent years it has become the worst ecological environment in the Lake area due to deficient water resources, continual declines in the groundwater level and quality （increasing mineralization and salination）, which are causing in- creasing desertification. In this study, Landsat Thematic Mapper （TM） remote images from 1992, 1998, 2002, and 2006 of the Lake area of the Minqin oasis are interpreted to analyze the desertification evolution. A combination of an ArcObjects module and a cellular automata model is used to build a model simulating the desertification dynamics; the forecasting accuracy of this model is shown to reach up to 90%. The desertification situation in 2012 is forecasted by this model, and the results showed that, from 2006 to 2012, the green land area will be reduced by 999.92 hm2 （l.59 percent of the total oasis area）, the desertification land area will be reduced by 3,000.68 hrn2 （4.78 percent of the total oasis area）, and sand land area will increase by 4,000.6 hm2 （6.37 per- cent of the total oasis area）. The sand land is predicted to become more widespread, and more than 18% sand land will be distrib- uted in the center of green land in the Lake area. In other words, more and more abandoned green land （mined farm land） will be transformed into sand land, and this will intensify the desertification.

Stochastic Lattice gas Cellular Automata Model for Epidemics

The aim of this study was to develop and explore a stochastic lattice gas cellular automata （LGCA） model for epidemics. A computer program was development in order to implement the model. An irregular grid of cells was used. A susceptible-infected-recovered （SIR） scheme was represented. Stochasticity was generated by Monte Carlo method. Dynamics of model was explored by numerical simulations. Model achieves to represent the typical SIR prevalence curve. Performed simulations also show how infection, mobility and distribution of infected individuals may influence the dynamics of propagation. This simple theoretical model might be a basis for developing more realistic designs.

Modeling mechanical behaviors of composites with various ratios of matrixeinclusion properties using movable cellular automaton method

Two classes of composite materials are considered: classical metaleceramic composites with reinforcing hard inclusions as well as hard ceramics matrix with soft gel inclusions. Movable cellular automaton method is used for modeling the mechanical behaviors of such different heterogeneous materials. The method is based on particle approach and may be considered as a kind of discrete element method. The main feature of the method is the use of many-body forces of inter-element interaction within the formalism of simply deformable element approximation. It was shown that the strength of reinforcing particles and the width of particle-binder interphase boundaries had determining influence on the service characteristics of metaleceramic composite. In particular, the increasing of strength of carbide inclusions may lead to significant increase in the strength and ultimate strain of composite material. On the example of porous zirconia ceramics it was shown that the change in the mechanical properties of pore surface leads to the corresponding change in effective elastic modulus and strength limit of the ceramic sample. The less is the pore size, the more is this effect. The increase in the elastic properties of pore surface of ceramics may reduce its fracture energy.

A cellular automata model with probability infection and spatial dispersion

In this article, we have proposed an epidemic model based on the probability cellular automata theory. The essential mathematical features are analysed with the help of stability theory. We have given an alternative modelling approach for the spatiotemporal system which is more realistic from the practical point of view. A discrete and spatiotemporal approach is shown by using cellular automata theory. It is interesting to note that both the size of the endemic equilibrium and the density of the individuals increase with the increase of the neighbourhood size and infection rate, but the infections decrease with the increase of the recovery rate. The stability of the system around the positive interior equilibrium has been shown by using a suitable Lyapunov function. Finally, experimental data simulation for SARS disease in China in 2003 and a brief discussion are given.

ONE-DIMENSIONAL CELLULAR AUTOMATON MODEL OFTRAFFIC FLOW BASED ON CAR-FOLLOWING IDEA

An improved one-dimensional CA ( Cellular Automaton) traffic model was proposed to describe the highway traffic under the periodic boundary conditions. This model was based on the idea of the car-following model, which claims that the motion of a vehicle at one time step depends on both its headway and the synchronous motion of the front vehicle, thus including indirectly the influence of its sub-neighboring vehicle. It? addition, the so-called safety distance was introduced to consider the deceleration behavior of vehicles and the stochastic factor was taken into account by introducing the deceleration probability. Meanwhile, the conditional deceleration in the model gives a better description of the phenomena observed on highways. It is found that there exists the metastability and hysteresis effect of traffic flow in the neighborhood of critical density under different initial conditions. Since this model gives a reasonable depiction of the motion of a single vehicle, it is easy to be extended to the case of traffic flow tinder the control of traffic lights in cities.

Providing a Therapeutic Scheduling for HIV Infected Individuals with Genetic Algorithms Using a Cellular Automata Model of HIV Infection in the Peripheral Blood Stream

The aim of this study is to develop two-dimensional cellular automata model of HIV infection that depicts the dynamics involved in the interactions between acquired immune system and HIV infection in the peripheral blood stream. The appropriate biological rules of cellular automata model have been extracted from expert knowledge and the model has been simulated with determined initial conditions. Obtained results have been validated through comparing with the accepted AIDS reference curve. The new rules and states were added to the proposed model to show the effects of applying combined antiretroviral therapy. Our results showed that by applying RTI and PI drugs with maximum drug effectiveness, comparing with cases in which no treatment was applied, the steady state concentrations of healthy (infected) CD4+T cells were increased (decreased) 53% (41%). Also, the use of cART with maximum drug effectiveness led to a 69% reduction in the steady state level of viral load. At this time, obtained results have been validated through comparing with available clinical data. Our results showed good agreement with both reference curve and the clinical data. In the second phase of this study, by applying genetic algorithms, a therapeutic schedule has been provided that its use, while maintaining the quality of the treatment, leads to a 47% reduction in both drug dosage and the side effects of antiretroviral drugs.

Cellular Automata Models of Traffic Behavior in Presence of Speed Breaking Structures

In this article, we study traffic flow in the presence of speed breaking structures. The speed breakers are typically used to reduce the local speed of vehicles near certain institutions such as schools and hospitals. Through a cellular automata model we study the impact of such structures on giobal traffic characteristics. The simulation results indicate that the presence of speed breakers could reduce the global flow under moderate global densities. However, under low and high global density traffic regime the presence of speed breakers does not have an impact on the global flow. Further the speed limit enforced by the speed breaker creates a phase distinction. For a given global density and slowdown probability, as the speed limit enforced by the speed breaker increases, the traffic moves from the reduced flow phase to maximum flow phase. This underlines the importance of proper design of these structures to avoid undesired flow restrictions.