A Workable Solution for Reducing the Large Number of Vehicle and Pedestrian Accidents Occurring on a Yellow Light

Traffic intersections are incredibly dangerous for drivers and pedestrians. Statistics from both Canada and the U.S. show a high number of fatalities and serious injuries related to crashes at intersections. In Canada, during 2019, the National Collision Database shows that 28% of traffic fatalities and 42% of serious injuries occurred at intersections. Likewise, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) found that about 40% of the estimated 5,811,000 accidents in the U.S. during the year studied were intersection-related crashes. In fact, a major survey by the car insurance industry found that nearly 85% of drivers could not identify the correct action to take when approaching a yellow traffic light at an intersection. One major reason for these accidents is the “yellow light dilemma,” the ambiguous situation where a driver should stop or proceed forward when unexpectedly faced with a yellow light. This situation is even further exacerbated by the tendency of aggressive drivers to inappropriately speed up on the yellow just to get through the traffic light. A survey of Canadian drivers conducted by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation found that 9% of drivers admitted to speeding up to get through a traffic light. Another reason for these accidents is the increased danger of making a left-hand turn on yellow. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), left turns occur in approximately 22.2% of collisions—as opposed to just 1.2% for right turns. Moreover, a study by CNN found left turns are three times as likely to kill pedestrians than right turns. The reason left turns are so much more likely to cause an accident is because they take a driver against traffic and in the path of oncoming cars. Additionally, most of these left turns occur at the driver’s discretion—as opposed to the distressingly brief left-hand arrow at busy intersections. Drive Safe Now proposes a workable solution for reducing the number of accidents occurring during a yellow light at intersections. We believe this fairly simple solution will save lives, prevent injuries, reduce damage to public and private property, and decrease insurance costs.

Influence of Vehicle Parameters on Critical Hunting Speed Based on Ruzicka Model

While introducing foreign advanced technology and cooperating with Chinese famous research institutes,the high-speed vehicles are designed and take the major task of passenger transport in China.In high-speed vehicle,the characteristic of shock absorber is an important parameter which determines overall behavior of the vehicle.The most existing researches neglect the influence of the series stiffness of the shock absorber on the vehicle dynamic behavior and have one-sided views on the equivalent conicity of wheel tread.In this paper,a high speed passenger vehicle in China is modeled to investigate the effect of the parameters taking series hydraulic shock absorber stiffness into consideration on Ruzicka model.Using the vehicle dynamic model,the effect of main suspension parameters on critical speed is studied.In order to verify the reasonableness of shock absorber parameter settings,vibration isolation characteristics are calculated and the relationship between suspension parameters and the vehicle critical hunting speed is studied.To study the influence of equivalent conicity on vehicle dynamic behavior,a series of wheel treads with different conicities are set and the vehicle critical hunting speeds with different wheel treads are calculated.The discipline between the equivalent conicity of wheel tread and critical speed are obtained in vehicle nonlinear system.The research results show that the critical speed of vehicle much depends on wheelset positioning stiffness and anti-hunting motion damper,and the series stiffness produces notable effect on the vehicle dynamic behavior.The critical speed has a peak value with the equivalent conicity increasing,which is different from the traditional opinion in which the critical speed will decrease with the conicity increasing.The relationship between critical speed and conicity of wheel tread is effected by the suspension parameters of the vehicle.The study results obtained offer a method and useful data to designing the parameters of the high speed vehicle and simulation study.

Study on Steering Control Strategy for High-Speed Tracked Vehicle with Hydrostatic Drive

Steering control strategy for high-speed tracked vehicle with hydrostatic drive is designed based on analyzing the fundamental steering theories of the hydrostatic drive tracked vehicle. The strategy is completed by the cooperation between integrated steering control unit and pump ＆ motor displacement controller. The steering simulation is conducted by using Simulink of Matlab. It is indicated that this steering control strategy can reduce the average vehicle speed automatically to achieve the driver＇s expected steering radius exactly in the case of en- suring not exceeding the system pressure threshold and no sideslip.

Estimation of Vehicle Speed Based on Wheel Speeds from ASR System in Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles

Three major methods currently in the use of determining vehicle speed based on wheel speeds, the minimum wheel speed, minimum wheel speed corrected by slope method and the Kalman filter method, are analyzed, with merits and defects of each approach stated. Through simulations, the Kalman filter method based on minimum wheel speed shows improved accuracy, in addition to better adaptivity to vehicle reference speed. It also can be used to acceleration ship regulation （ASR） in part-time four-wheel drive vehicles.

Combined Prediction for Vehicle Speed with Fixed Route

Achieving accurate speed prediction provides the most critical support parameter for high-level energy management of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.Nowadays,people often drive a vehicle on fixed routes in their daily travels and accurate speed predictions of these routes are possible with random prediction and machine learning,but the prediction accuracy still needs to be improved.The prediction accuracy of traditional prediction algorithms is difficult to further improve after reaching a certain accuracy;problems,such as over fitting,occur in the process of improving prediction accuracy.The combined prediction model proposed in this paper can abandon the transitional dependence on a single prediction.By combining the two prediction algorithms,the fusion of prediction performance is achieved,the limit of the single prediction performance is crossed,and the goal of improving vehicle speed prediction performance is achieved.In this paper,an extraction method suitable for fixed route vehicle speed is designed.The application of Markov and back propagation(BP)neural network in predictions is introduced.Three new combined prediction methods,all named Markov and BP Neural Network(MBNN)combined prediction algorithm,are proposed,which make full use of the advantages of Markov and BP neural network algorithms.Finally,the comparison among the prediction methods has been carried out.The results show that the three MBNN models have improved by about 19%,28%,and 29%compared with the Markov prediction model,which has better performance in the single prediction models.Overall,the MBNN combined prediction models can improve the prediction accuracy by 25.3%on average,which provides important support for the possible optimization of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle energy consumption.

MODELING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SPEED GOVERNOR FOR THE HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE ENGINE

A speed control analysis for an in-line gasoline fueled internal combustion （IC） engine is presented for the purpose of alleviation of high frequency oscillations in engine revolutions. A dynamic cylinder-by-cylinder model is proposed, base on slider-crank mechanism, which is extended to develop a digital governor providing a high fidelity estimation of rotary speed oscillation for hybrid vehicle engines. A modified PID controller that P and I gain is placed in feedback path is also described for hybrid electric vehicle （HEV） engine speed regulation, By comparison between measured and estimated signals, it is demonstrated that a good agreement has been achieved and the governor behaves an excellent damping speed ripple.

Vehicle routing problem with time-varying speed

Vehicle routing problem with time-varying speed ( VRPTS) is a generalization of vehicle routing problem in which the travel speed between two locations depends on the passing areas and the time of a day. This paper proposes a simple model for estimating time-varying travel speeds in VRPTS that relieves much burden to the data-related problems. The study further presents three heuristics ( saving technique,proximity priority searching technique,and insertion technique) for VRPTS,developed by extending and modifying the existing heuristics for conventional VRP. The results of computational experiments demonstrate that the proposed estimation model performs well and the saving technique is the best among the three heuristics.

Image-Based Vehicle Speed Estimation

Vehicle speed is an important parameter that finds tremendous application in traffic control identifying over speed vehicles with a view to reducing accidents. Many methods, such as using RADAR and LIDAR sensors have been proposed. However, these are expensive, and their accuracy is not quite satisfactory. In this paper, a video-based vehicle speed determination method is presented. The method shows satisfactory performance on standard data sets and gives that error rate of velocity estimation is within 10%.

Multi-point Contact of the High-speed Vehicle-turnout System Dynamics

The wheel-rail contact problems, such as the number, location and the track of contact patches, are very important for optimizing the spatial structure of the rails and lowering the vehicle-turnout system dynamics. However, the above problems are not well solved currently because of having the difficulties in how to determine the multi-contact, to preciously present the changeable profiles of the rails and to establish an accurate spatial turnout system dynamics model. Based on a high-speed vehicle-turnout coupled model in which the track is modeled as flexible with rails and sleepers represented by beams, the line tracing extreme point method is introduced to investigate the wheel-rail multiple contact conditions and the key sections of the blade rail, longer nose rail, shorter rail in the switch and nose rail area are discretized to represent the varying profiles of rails in the turnout. The dynamic interaction between the vehicle and turnout is simulated for cases of the vehicle divergently passing the turnout and the multi-point contact is obtained. The tracks of the contact patches on the top of the rails are presented and the wheel-rail impact forces are offered in comparison with the contact patches transference on the rails. The numerical simulation results indicate that the length of two-point contact occurrence of a worn wheel profile and rails is longer than that of the new wheel profile and rails; The two-point contact definitely occurs in the switch and crossing area. Generally, three-point contact doesn’t occur for the new rail profile, which is testified by the wheel-rails interpolation distance and the first order derivative function of the tracing line extreme points. The presented research is not only helpful to optimize the structure of the turnout, but also useful to lower the dynamics of the high speed vehicle-turnout system.

Speed Control Method of Electric Vehicle for Improving Passenger Ride Quality

This paper proposes the new speed control method of electric vehicles by generating the longitudinal speed pattern for improving the ride comfort against the longitudinal acceleration/deceleration. Since the longitudinal acceleration/deceleration of EVs causes the discomfort of passengers, reducing such bad effect of acceleration/deceleration acting on passengers is very important for not only the ride comfort of passengers but also vehicle running safety. The proposed method is applying the general optimal control theory and it generates the speed pattern for improving the passenger ride quality based on evaluating the variations of acceleration and the jerk which is time derivative of the acceleration. The effectiveness of the present method is demonstrated through numerical experiments compared with some conventional methods.

Using Anonymous Connected Vehicle Data to Evaluate Impact of Speed Feedback Displays, Speed Limit Signs and Roadway Features on Interstate Work Zones Speeds

Annually, there are over 120,000 crashes in work zones in the United States. High speeds in construction zones are a well-documented risk factor that increases the frequency and severity of crashes. This study used connected vehicle data to evaluate the spatial and temporal impact that regulatory signs, speed feedback displays, and construction site geometry had on vehicle speed. Over 27,000 unique trips over 2 weeks on a 15-mile interstate construction work zone near Lebanon, IN were analyzed. Spatial analysis over a 0.2-mi segment before and after the posted speed limit signs showed that the regulatory signs had no statistical impact on reducing speeds. A before/after analysis was also conducted to study the impact of radar-based speed feedback that displays the motorists’ speed on a sign below a regulatory speed limit sign. Results showed a maximum drop in median speeds of approximately 5 mph. Speeds greater than 15 mph above the speed limit dropped by 10% - 15%. The reduction in speeds began approximately 1000 feet ahead of the sign and results were found to be statistically significant. The analysis also revealed that larger speed drops inside the work zone were due to geometric constraints that required additional driver workloads, especially during shoulder width changes and lane shifts. The results from this study will be helpful for agencies to understand driver behavior in the work zones and to identify proper speed limit compliance techniques that significantly reduce driver speeds in and around work zones.

Speed prediction models for car and sports utility vehicleat locations along four-lane median divided horizontal curves

Sites with varying geometric features were analyzed to develop the 85 th percentile speed prediction models for car and sports utility vehicle(SUV) at 50 m prior to the point of curvature(PC), PC, midpoint of a curve(MC), point of tangent(PT) and 50 m beyond PT on four-lane median divided rural highways. The car and SUV speed data were combined in the analysis as they were found to be normally distributed and not significantly different. Independent parameters representing geometric features and speed at the preceding section were logically selected in stepwise regression analyses to develop the models. Speeds at various locations were found to be dependent on some combinations of curve length, curvature and speed in the immediately preceding section of the highway. Curve length had a significant effect on the speed at locations 50 m prior to PC, PC and MC. The effect of curvature on speed was observed only at MC. The curve geometry did not have a significant effect on speed from PT onwards. The speed at 50 m prior to PC and curvature is the most significant parameter that affects the speed at PC and MC, respectively. Before entering a horizontal curve, drivers possibly perceive the curve based on its length. Longer curve encourages drivers to maintain higher speed in the preceding tangent section. Further, drivers start experiencing the effect of curvature only after entering the curve and adjust speed accordingly. Practitioners can use these findings in designing consistent horizontal curve for vehicle speed harmony.

Inverse speed analysis and low speed control of underwater vehicle

Inverse speed is a reversible maneuver.It is a characteristic of underwater vehicle at low speed.Maneuverability in the vertical plane at a speed lower than inverse speed is different from one at higher speed.In the process of underwater working for observation,AUV's cruise speed is always low.Therefore,the research on inverse speed is important to AUV's maneuverability.The mechanism of inverse speed was analyzed,and then the steady pitching equation was derived.The parameter expression of track angle in vertical plane was deduced.Furthermore,the formula to calculate the inverse speed was obtained.The typical inverse speed phenomenon of the flat body and the revolving body was analyzed.Then the conclusion depicts that,for a particular AUV with flat body,its inverse speed is lower than that of revolving body.After all the calculation and the analysis,a series of special experiments of inverse speed were carried out in the simulation program,in the tank and in the sea trial.

Parametric analysis of wheel wear in high-speed vehicles

In order to reduce the wheel profile wear of highspeed trains and extend the service life of wheels, a dynamic model for a high-speed vehicle was set up, in which the wheelset was regarded as flexible body, and the actual measured track irregularities and line conditions were considered. The wear depth of the wheel profile was calculated by the well-known Archard wear law. Through this model, the influence of the wheel profile, primary suspension stiffness, track gage, and rail cant on the wear of wheel profile were studied through multiple iterafive calculations. Numerical simulation results show that the type XP55 wheel profile has the smallest cumulative wear depth, and the type LM wheel profile has the largest wear depth. To reduce the wear of the wheel profile, the equivalent conicity of the wheel should not be too large or too small. On the other hand, a small primary vertical stiffness, a track gage around 1,435-1,438 mm, and a rail cant around 1：35-1：40 are beneficial for dynamic performance improvement and wheel wear alleviation.

A new robust fuzzy method for unmanned flying vehicle control

A new general robust fuzzy approach was presented to control the position and the attitude of unmanned flying vehicles(UFVs). Control of these vehicles was challenging due to their nonlinear underactuated behaviors. The proposed control system combined great advantages of generalized indirect adaptive sliding mode control(IASMC) and fuzzy control for the UFVs. An on-line adaptive tuning algorithm based on Lyapunov function and Barbalat lemma was designed, thus the stability of the system can be guaranteed. The chattering phenomenon in the sliding mode control was reduced and the steady error was also alleviated. The numerical results, for an underactuated quadcopter and a high speed underwater vehicle as case studies, indicate that the presented adaptive design of fuzzy sliding mode controller performs robustly in the presence of sensor noise and external disturbances. In addition, online unknown parameter estimation of the UFVs, such as ground effect and planing force especially in the cases with the Gaussian sensor noise with zero mean and standard deviation of 0.5 m and 0.1 rad and external disturbances with amplitude of 0.1 m/s2 and frequency of 0.2 Hz, is one of the advantages of this method. These estimated parameters are then used in the controller to improve the trajectory tracking performance.

COUPLING VIBRATION OF VEHICLE-BRIDGE SYSTEM

By applying the sinusoidal wave mode to simulate the rugged surface of bridge deck,accounting for vehicle-bridge interaction and using Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, a coupling vibration model of vehicle-bridge system was developed. The model was solved by mode analyzing method and Runge-Kutta method, and the dynamic response and the resonance curve of the bridge were obtained. It is found that there are two resonance regions, one represents the main resonance while the other the minor resonance, in the resonance curve. The influence due to the rugged surface, the vibration mode of bridge, and the interaction between vehicle and bridge on vibration of the system were discussed. Numerical results show that the influence due to these parameters is so significant that the effect of roughness of the bridge deck and the mode shape of the bridge can't be ignored and the vehicle velocity should be kept away from the critical speed of the vehicle.

Experimental Study on Rotation Resistance Coefficient of Motor Bogie for Type A Vehicle

Rotation resistance coefficient is an important operating parameter for vehicle bogies, which influences the dynamic behavior of vehicles directly. A research on the rotation resistance coefficient of type A vehicle motor bogies was conducted by means of theoretical calculation, dynamic simulation, test certification, and so on. Result of the simulation analysis shows that the rotation resistance coefficient relates to air springs stiffness and negotiated curve radii, and it varies proportionally with the change of air springs horizontal stiffness. The greater the rotation angle is, the greater the factor becomes. The certifications made under the operating conditions(e.g., different air spring status, different rotation speeds) indicate that the rotation resistance coefficient increases with the increase of the rotation speed. The anti-yaw dampers can contribute to the rotation resistance torque acted on bogie, and the greater the rotation speeds are, the greater the torque generated by the anti-yaw dampers is. The results suggest that the theoretical analysis and dynamics simulation are in accordance with the results from the bogie bench tests, which meet the requirements in EN14363 and the indicators in vehicles safe operation.

Experimental Evaluation of the Attenuation Effect of a Passive Damper on a Road Vehicle Bumper

To mitigate the degree of damage to passengers caused by automobile collisions, a friction damper was built and used in experimental tests to test its effectiveness in impact energy attenuation. The study revealed that energy absorption capacity of a bumper can be improved with the addition of a friction damper. The results revealed that the addition of the friction damper to an automobile bumper to give a bumper-damper system could attenuate about 32.5 % more energy than with the bumper alone. It can be concluded that the effectiveness of automobile bumpers to withstand impact of vehicles by absorbing the kinetic energy from the impact can be improved with the use of a passive friction damper. That is, a passive friction damper system could be used to attenuate more road vehicle impact energy in collisions.

Review of the Effectiveness of Vehicle Activated Signs

This paper reviews the effectiveness of vehicle activated signs. Vehicle activated signs are being reportedly used in recent years to display dynamic information to road users on an individual basis in order to give a warning or inform about a specific event. Vehicle activated signs are triggered individually by vehicles when a certain criteria is met. An example of such criteria is to trigger a speed limit sign when the driver exceeds a pre-set threshold speed. The preset threshold is usually set to a constant value which is often equal, or relative, to the speed limit on a particular road segment. This review examines in detail the basis for the configuration of the existing sign types in previous studies and explores the relation between the configuration of the sign and their impact on driver behavior and sign efficiency. Most of previous studies show that these signs have significant impact on driver behavior, traffic safety and traffic efficincy. In most cases the signs deployed have yielded reductions in mean speeds, in speed variation and in longer head-ways. However most experiments reported within the area were performed with the signs set to a certain static configuration within applicable conditions. Since some of the aforementioned factors are dynamic in nature, it is felt that the configurations of these signs were thus not carefully considered by previous researchers and there is no clear statement in the previous studies describing the relationship between the trigger value and its consequences under different conditions. Bearing in mind that different designs of vehicle activated signs can give a different impact under certain conditions of road, traffic and weather conditions the current work suggests that variable speed thresholds should be considered instead.