Traffic Light Simulation

1. Lynn Jepsen Traffic Light Simulation

2. Introduction and Background • Try and find the most efficient way to move cars through an intersection at different traffic densities • Want to see waiting time and queue length go down • Green light usage needs to go up • Many traffic simulations out there, but none that I have seen with a learning light

3. What it looks like • Simulation that obeys most “rules of the road” • Graph of efficiency variables

4. Simulation • Cars on each lane take up a certain number of spaces and have a certain speed at each instant • Speed and space is update every .1 sec along with graphics • Speed up when object in front is getting farther away but with a max. accel. • Slow down for red and most yellow lights • Use Java to show graphics

5. Light Algorithm • Uses previous data (traffic density, efficiency variables, cycle length, and ratio) • Picks best cycle length (length of one cycle in intersection) and ratio(ratio of green light time in each direction) from previous data that has the same traffic density

6. Results and Conclusions • The simulation looks realistic • Light algorithm does cause slightly fewer backups, but could be improved further • Before light algorithm - >