KLK131: Pilot Deployment of Plug-and-Play Smart Traffic Signals

Principal Investigator:

Project Objectives:

The result of this project will be to develop and deploy a fully functional Smart APS PnP Pedestrian signal in Moscow. We have three goals for this project:

1. Educate the world of the benefits and potential of PnP distributed signals and sensors (DSSN) for traffic signals,
2. Develop and document the acceptance procedures for this type of traffic controller equipment,
3. Develop and document the plan for integration of the new PnP DSSN into existing ACS traffic controllers.

Task Descriptions:

Year 1 – Task 1: Engineering The development phase consists of developing system specifications for functionality, security, reliability, and packaging for field installation. System specification will be a collaborative effort including representatives of the ECE, Civil, Computer Science, and Psychology (human factors) departments. We will solicit user requirements from the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and the Idaho School for the Blind.

Year 1 – Task 2: Fabrication Hard ware will be manufactured that is field deployable. The equipment will meet local, state and federal electrical and traffic codes. We will work closely with a traffic controller manufacturer to get the required traffic controller software updates to make the necessary traffic controller operating variables accessible to systems outside the controller.

Year 1 – Task 3: Test Planning A verification test plan will be developed to ensure the final installation meets or exceeds regulations and design expectation. Equipment will be developed that will monitor and archive the inputs and outputs of the existing controller and the new PnP DSSN system for verification during the testing phase. A test plan will be designed that allows comparison of the conventional controls and the new PnP DSSN systems. The development and execution of the test plan will be completed with ITD involvement.

Year 2 – Task 1: Deployment The deployment phase will be done in cooperation with ITD to get the PnP DSSN equipment and data recording equipment installed in a traffic controller cabinet. Initially we propose that the equipment be installed at the corner of 6th Street and Deakin Avenue.

Year 2 – Task 2: Integration Since this signal only permits two street crossings, we propose that, subject to ITD approval, both a PnP DSSN signal and a conventional countdown pedestrian signal be installed on the Deakin Street crossing. We are requesting audible APS devices be installed for both directions. Only a single pedestrian button will be installed but the contact will be used to request service on both the PnP DSSN and conventional controller inputs. It is our plan to have a conventional countdown pedestrian signal installed on the 6th Street crossing.

Year 2 – Task 3: Testing The data will be recorded for a period of time that covers a range of pedestrian usage and environmental conditions. A monitor camera may possibly indicate ancillary benefits provided by request confirmation feedback and driver influence on pedestrian behavior. Additional tests using video cameras are planned to determine the effectiveness of remotely operated pedestrian as well as dynamic audible signals for people of low-vision.

Year 2 – Task 4: Evaluation The assessment phase will involve data analysis from all parties involved in the project. Failure rates resulting from non-functioning equipment or signal conflicts will provide hard metrics for MTBF and service availability figures of merit. Users (human factors and representatives of the school of the blind) analyzing video recording will provide assessment of the contribution to pedestrian accessibility and safety. These results will be disseminated through appropriate conferences and journals and masters degree theses.

Milestones

Formulation of design team--9/15/2006

Smart Signals Conference 2006--10/31/2006

Final System Specification--11/31/2006

System test plan--3/31/2007

System fabrication--4/30/2007

Laboratory testing completed--4/30/2007

Engineering Design Expo display--5/1/2006

Budget Information

Student Involvement:

A student design team will consist of two computer or electrical engineering and a civil engineering graduate students as well as ECE senior design students for two years. The PIs and a faculty member knowledgeable in traffic signals will advise these students. Educationally, we expect to have three graduate students earn their masters degrees based upon the work on this project.

Relationship to the NIATT Strategic Plan and to Other Research Projects:

This project results in a demonstration that represents an intermediate step between the existing traffic signal architecture and a fully distributed smart traffic signal. This proposal directly addresses the issue of research as stated in the NIATT Strategic Plan: “We work with industries and research institutions to develop and evaluate new transportation technologies and bring these technologies to the marketplace.” This proposal meets the expectation for both graduate and undergraduate education as covered by the NIATT strategic plan for Education and Research.

The senior design students working on the hardware for the field deployable system and the data logger for monitoring the system performance will form a multidisciplinary team representing electrical, computer, and civil engineering. The students will be exposed to topics outside of their primary areas of study. The electrical engineering students will learn more about traffic operations and design for public infrastructure. Civil engineering students will learn about software based intelligent sensors and controllers. In addition, all of the students will learn about present systems for configuring traffic signals, as well as the new systems developed in this project. We anticipate that this will help create a broader discipline base of students interested in transportation engineering field. This claim is based upon a successful placement of an ECE graduate as an intern at Econolite in the summer of 2006.

Technology Transfer Activities

1. Smart Signals workshops 2006, 2007, and 2008
2. TRB and ITS papers
3. Developing a cooperation agreement with Econolite

Potential Benefits of the Project

The technology used to distribute sensor and signal information by present traffic controllers has not changed significantly since the first controllers in the 1920’s. The PnP DSSN approach to interfacing smart signals and sensors will spur on advanced sensors and signals resulting in safer traffic operations and more efficient use of streets served by signalized intersections.

Project status

Complete

Final Report

KLK131_N08-08