Search Results (6)

Although deep learning techniques have potential in vehicle behavior prediction, it is difficult to integrate traffic rules and environmental information. Moreover, its black-box nature leads to an opaque and difficult-to-interpret prediction process, limiting its acceptance in practical applications. In contrast, ontology reasoning, which can utilize human domain knowledge and mimic human reasoning, can provide reliable explanations for the speculative results. To address the limitations of the above deep learning methods in the field of vehicle behavior prediction, this paper proposes a front vehicle behavior prediction method that combines deep learning techniques with ontology reasoning. Specifically, YOLOv5s is first selected as the base model for recognizing the brake light status of vehicles. In order to further enhance the performance of the model in complex scenes and small target recognition, the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) is introduced. In addition, so as to balance the feature information of different scales more efficiently, a weighted bi-directional feature pyramid network (BIFPN) is introduced to replace the original PANet structure in YOLOv5s. Next, using a four-lane intersection as an application scenario, multiple factors affecting vehicle behavior are analyzed. Based on these factors, an ontology model for predicting front vehicle behavior is constructed. Finally, for the purpose of validating the effectiveness of the proposed method, we make our own brake light detection dataset. The accuracy and mAP@0.5 of the improved model on the self-made dataset are 3.9% and 2.5% higher than that of the original model, respectively. Afterwards, representative validation scenarios were selected for inference experiments. The ontology model created in this paper accurately reasoned out the behavior that the target vehicle would slow down until stopping and turning left. The reasonableness and practicality of the front vehicle behavior prediction method constructed in this paper are verified. Full article

Cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITSs) are mass-produced and sold in Europe, promising enhanced safety and comfort. Direct vehicle communication, known as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, is crucial in this context. Drivers receive warnings about potential hazards by exchanging vehicle status and environmental data with other communication-enabled vehicles. However, the impact of these warnings on drivers and their inclusion in accident reconstruction remains uncertain. Unlike sensor-based warnings, V2X warnings may not provide a visible reason for the alert, potentially affecting reaction times and behavior. In this work, a simulator study on V2X warnings was conducted with 32 participants to generate findings on reaction times and behavior for accident reconstruction in connection with these systems. Two scenarios from the Car-2-Car Communication Consortium were implemented: “Stationary Vehicle Warning—Broken-Down Vehicle” and “Dangerous Situation—Electronic Emergency Brake Lights”. Volkswagen’s warning concept was utilized, as they are the sole provider of cooperative vehicles in Europe. Results show that V2X warnings without visible reasons did not negatively impact reaction times or behavior, with average reaction times between 0.58 s (steering) and 0.69 s (braking). No significant distraction or search for warning reasons was observed. However, additional information in the warnings caused confusion and was seldom noticed by subjects. In this study, participants responded correctly and appropriately to the shown false-positive warnings. A wrong reaction triggering an accident is possible but unlikely. Overall, V2X warnings showed no negative impacts compared with sensor-based systems. This means that there are no differences in accident reconstruction regarding the source of the warning (sensors or communication). However, it is important that it is known that there was a warning, which is why the occurrence of V2X warnings should also be saved in the EDR in the future. Full article

Despite the advancement of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving systems, surpassing the threshold of level 3 of driving automation remains a challenging task. Level 3 of driving automation requires assuming full responsibility for the vehicle’s actions, necessitating the acquisition of safer and more interpretable cues. To approach level 3, we propose a novel method for detecting driving vehicles and their brake light status, which is a crucial visual cue relied upon by human drivers. Our proposal consists of two main components. First, we introduce a fast and accurate one-stage brake light status detection network based on YOLOv8. Through transfer learning using a custom dataset, we enable YOLOv8 not only to detect the driving vehicle, but also to determine its brake light status. Furthermore, we present the publicly available custom dataset, which includes over 11,000 forward images along with manual annotations. We evaluate the performance of our proposed method in terms of detection accuracy and inference time on an edge device. The experimental results demonstrate high detection performance with an mAP50 (mean average precision at IoU threshold of $0.50$) ranging from $0.766$ to $0.793$ on the test dataset, along with a short inference time of $133.30$ ms on the Jetson Nano device. In conclusion, our proposed method achieves high accuracy and fast inference time in detecting brake light status. This contribution effectively improves safety, interpretability, and comfortability by providing valuable input information for ADAS and autonomous driving technologies. Full article

The development of more sustainable urban transportation is prompting the need for better energy management techniques. Connected electric vehicles can take advantage of environmental information regarding the status of traffic lights. In this context, eco-approach and departure methods have been proposed in the literature. Integrating these methods with regenerative braking allows for safe, power-efficient navigation through intersections and crossroad layouts. This paper proposes rule- and fuzzy inference system-based strategies for a coupled eco-approach and departure regenerative braking system. This analysis is carried out through a numerical simulator based on a three-degree-of-freedom connected electric vehicle model. The powertrain is represented by a realistic power loss map in motoring and regenerative quadrants. The simulations aim to compare both longitudinal navigation strategies by means of relevant metrics: power, efficiency, comfort, and usage duty cycle in motor and generator modes. Numerical results show that the vehicle is able to yield safe navigation while focusing on energy regeneration through different navigation conditions. Full article

The visibility in a foggy environment has a significant impact on driver behavior and traffic flow status, especially for whole closed highways with long distances between entrances and exits. Foggy days are very likely to cause congestion and even secondary traffic accidents, which seriously affect the reliability of freeway operation. In order to explore the influence of a fog environment on freeway traffic jams, firstly, this paper was based on the analysis of the impact of visibility on foggy days. Light fog, medium fog and heavy fog were classified as one scenario, while dense foggy weather was set separately as an extreme scenario without considering lane change. Furthermore, it used the SIR model of infectious disease for reference, and combined with the cellular automata (CA) model, the car-following model and lane-changing rules in different scenarios were set based on safe driving distance and speed for two scenarios. Finally, the key parameters of CA-SIR were calibrated, such as congestion propagation, recovery probability, vehicle braking, and lane-changing probability. The simulation analysis showed that with the decrease in visibility and vehicle speed, the phenomenon of congestion propagation was more prominent, but the causes of queuing phenomenon were different. A low speed limit was the main reason for traffic jams in the light fog condition. In the medium fog condition, the frequency of traffic jams was related to the random braking probability of the visibility. In heavy fog conditions, the congestion area gradually moved upstream with the passage of time. Moreover, in the dense fog condition, the congested area gradually moved upstream with the passage of time; however, vehicles were more likely to accompany each other, and the congested area traveled downstream synchronously with the passage of time and did not dissipate easily. Therefore, in a foggy environment, the best speed limit should be better established under different visibilities, the flow of highway traffic should be strictly controlled if necessary, and in worse situations than high-density traffic in low visibility, to avoid the spread of congestion, the intermittent release of different lanes is suggested to be implemented. Full article

In order to reduce the energy consumption caused by the frequent braking of vehicles at signalized intersections, an optimized speed trajectory control method is proposed, based on braking energy recovery efficiency (BERE) in connection with an automated system for vehicle real-time interaction with roadside facilities and regional central control. Our objectives were as follows; firstly, to establish the simulation model of the hybrid energy regenerative braking system (HERBS) and to verify it by bench test. Secondly, to build up the genetic algorithm (GA) optimization model for the deceleration stopping of the HERBS. Then, to obtain signal light status and timing information to be the constraints; the BERE is to be the optimized objective, resulting in optimization for the speed trajectory under the deceleration stopping condition of a single signalized intersection. Finally, vehicle simulations in ADVISOR software are utilized to validate the optimization results. The results show that the BERE during deceleration stopping at a single signalized intersection after the speed trajectory optimization is 36.21% higher than that of inexperienced drivers, and 7.82% higher than that of experienced drivers. Full article