KLK710: Street Deployment of Pedestrian Control Smart Traffic Signals

Principal Investigators

Richard Wall; James Frenzel and Brian Johnson

Project Objectives

The proposed research meets the objectives set forth in the UTC Strategic Plan 2008-2010 Strategy 1.4: “Take a revolutionary approach to interfacing traffic controllers to field devices such as signal displays and detectors based on distributed traffic control hardware system that supports all potential users of FHWA’s Vehicle Infrastructure Integration initiative.” Specifically, this research addresses issues identified by the first two example activities. 1. Develop new pedestrian control system using distributed network technology in collaboration with Econolite Control Products. 2. Develop technology for low-vision pedestrians through our partnership with the Idaho Commission for the Blind and the Idaho School for the Blind.

This proposal also supports the UTC Strategic Plan 2008-2010 Strategies 3.1 through 3.3 that: Expand community of faculty regularly interacting on transportation problems, increase opportunities to engage undergraduate and graduate students in transportation problems. This is achieved through: 1. involving Electrical and Computer Engineering Department faculty in TRB, IEEE ITS, and ITE conferences. 2. collaboration with transportation researchers form the Department of Civil Engineering and Department of Computer Science. Strategies 3.2 and 3.2 are accomplished by forming a cohesive design team consisting of ECE graduate students, ECE senior design undergraduate students, and NIATT interns to instantiate hardware and test the smart signals concepts.

Past Work

The 2006-2007 senior design team did not make the expected progress; hence limited testing of the equipment was completed. The following are the results of testing of that design effort:

• Remote pedestrian button did not work.
• Smart signal countdown timer and walk-wait signal had erratic operation and could not report operating status to independent monitor.
• Independent system monitor was able to detect signal status of conventional traffic lights but not of the smart signals pedestrian signals.
• Independent system monitor was unable to log data to laptop PC.
• Local pedestrian button was functional, but it is uncertain if the design could be replicated.
• Smart signals network using IEEE 1451 technology was functional.
• Ability to detect smart signals failures was tested.
• Device testing was not completed in an installation ready environment. Equipment was not packed for field installation.
• Environmental testing was not completed.
• Multiple pedestrian displays were not tested, leaving the issue scalability in question.

Task Descriptions

Task 1: Establish a peer review panel to advise and evaluate this phase of the Smart Signals research. It will be determined how this group will communicate with the research team and the frequency of interaction. The team will be supplied with an objective and procedure to achieving that objective to evaluate. The responses of the peer review group will be collected and accessed. The reviewers' comments will be distributed to the peer review group and the researchers will respond to those comments. It is anticipated that this iterative format will encourage discussion and a rich exchange of ideas.

The panel will consist of representatives and stake holders from the following groups.

• Federal Highway Administration
• Idaho Transportation Department, Central Office and District 2
• Ada County Highway District
• Moscow Public Works
• Traffic equipment manufacturers
• Computer Science – Network Security
• niversity of Idaho Disabled Student Services
• University of Idaho Office of Environmental Health and Safety
• Transportation Research Board

Task 2: Complete redesign and unit testing equipment pictured in the figure above, excluding the traffic signal lights and the maintenance laptop constitutes the equipment installed in the TS1 traffic controller cabinet. The equipment in front of the light blue field is the equipment being redesigned and tested under this proposal. There are five major components of the Smart Signals Pedestrian The first four (the Ped Smart Signals controller, the safety critical monitor, the four Smart Ped Signals, including pedestrian call button,and the Remote Pedestrian unit) are all required for correct functionality of the Smart Signals controls. The System Performance Monitor is needed only for assessing performance and is no longer required once testing is complete.

Task 3: Unit testing--Each of the five subsystems will be tested for compliance to the requirements listed in Task 3 before integration. Interfaces with other equipment will be synthesized during this phase. The main purpose is to verify operations with minimum interactions and to document individual device performance and characteristics.

Task 4: Equipment installation in TS1 Controller Cabinet--The TS1 traffic controller cabinet will be configured exactly as shown in the figure above. The controller and CM will be configured to operate as an actuated traffic signal that replicates the operation of the controller presently at the 6th and Deakin Street intersection. Railroad preemption and loop detector calls will be activated using the technician test buttons in the laboratory traffic cabinet. Two traffic lights and four Smart Pedestrian Signals will be used as well .

Task 5: System Testing--Testing of this system will be confined to functional correctness and timeliness of signal operations. Due to the lack of quantifiable metrics for accessing pedestrian safety, testing will focus on the accuracy and reliability of intended operations of the following parts of the smart signals pedestrian control: the ASC 3 controller, smart signals network equipment and the independent system monitor. To meet the NTCIP performance compliance, the system must detect output conflicts or system malfunctions with in 450ms of the failure. Our system will be designed for minimum of 200 ms response with 100ms resolution of system status.

1. Remote pedestrian button:
a. This device is being redesign during the summer of 2007 to include new processor technology as well as GPS and embedded electronic compass technology. The new design promises to be more compact and power efficient.
b. Testing of the new design will consists the following:
i. Range tests to validate that the remote pedestrian button will be in communications with the smart signals network over 110 percent of the intersection area.
ii. Call activation tests will document number of missed calls and false calls over a 24 hour period for when the remote pedestrian button is activated at a fixed range of corresponding to mid intersection once each 180 seconds.
iii. Call feedback acknowledgments will be documented for the same duration and operating conditions as specified in 1.b.ii.

2. Countdown Timer:
a. The smart controller for the countdown pedestrian signals will be modified for correct operations with the independent system monitor.
b. Testing of the redesign smart pedestrian signal will consists of the following:
i. Accuracy of countdown will be tested by monitoring the phase time of the ASC3 front panel display and the appropriate green signal light using the independent system monitor.
ii. Safe-fail operation of the pedestrian will be measured using standard electronic period measuring and oscilloscope test equipment. Faults will be introduced at random points in the traffic signal’s cycle and the time to detect a fault condition will be documented. (This test is completed in conjunction with the Independent System Monitor testing. See section 3.b below. )
ii. Synchronization of the flashing of pedestrian signals will consist of visual observation. If no difference between the on and off periods of two signals is observable by the human eye, the flashing will be considered to be synchronized. In addition, electronic instrumentation will be connected to the output signals of both displays to measure the synchronism with microsecond resolution.

3. Independent System Monitor
a. Normally the CM or the MMU is responsible for correct traffic controller operation. The theory behind the operation of these devices assumes (correctly or not) that the state of the system can be correctly established by monitoring the outputs of the load switches. Smart signals network controls uses the distributed control technologies and the scope of control is no longer contained within the physical limitations of the traffic controller cabinet. The philosophy if the path to integration for smart signals technology is to allow for mixed operations of conventional traffic controls with smarts signals devices. The independent is the same as the CM or MMU except it uses an independent mode of communications to collect the data from the various points of control and instrumentation that included the control nodes external to the cabinet as well as the outputs from the load switches.
b. Tests of the of the independent system monitor are as follows:
i. The ability to detect and a discrepancy of operations with 100ms resolution. These tests will be generated by inducing false network messages that place the smart pedestrian signal in conflict with traffic phases as detected et the load switch outputs.
ii. Log all operations of change of traffic controller outputs (for both conventional and smart signals) and service request calls within 100ms resolution. This operation will be validate by putting the traffic controller into fixed timed operation and recording all events for an appropriate interval of time.
iii. The memory requirements for data logging of the system will allow for four hours of continuous operations assuming output changes at the rate of ten events per second.

4. Smart Signals Systems Operation
a. In response to industry advisors, the IEEE 1451 standard network is being replaced by UDP network messaging that uses published NTCIP objects wherever possible. The functional correctness and timely operations of smart signals will be determined by the logged data of independent system monitor described in part 2.iii above.
b. Safe-fail operations will be tested by placing the smart pedestrian signals into intentional modes by disconnecting the network connections, injecting false messages, and generating false smart signal outputs. The detection and operations as well as the timing that results from each failure mode are to be documents.

Task 7: University of Idaho Expo Demonstration--The graduate and undergraduate students will demonstrate the complete operational traffic control system at the 2008 Engineering Expo as well as prepare a poster describing the functionality of the system.

Task 8: System Documentation---The documentation will be in four formats: Report of test procedures and results, an operations manual that describes the use, installation and maintenance of smart signals devices, device descriptions and theory of operation, and a how-to manual of the needed objects and traps to allow any manufacturers TS2 controller to be used with Smart Signals Devices.

Task 9: Dissemination of Results--The primary means of disseminating the results of this research will be disseminated through appropriate conferences and journals and masters degree theses. Reports generated in Task 8 will be sent to all members of the peer review panel in electronic form and become part of the NIATT archives.

Milestones
 

Budget Information

UTC funds committed to this project: $85,099.

Student Involvement

A student design team will consist of three graduate students in computer and/or electrical engineering, senior design students, and one or more NIATT interns. 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. The budget also provides for travel funds to take 3 graduate students to the TRB annual meeting in Washington, DC. It is one of our goals to cultivate an interest in traffic signals among electrical and computer engineering students to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration.

Technology Transfer Activities

By focusing on a very specific part of the signalized intersection, with the aid of an industrial partner, we hope to make the first commercially available smart pedestrian signal that provides safety and accessibility for handicapped as well as able-bodied pedestrians. We are currently working with Econolite Control Products, Campbell Company, Dr. Michael Graham, Administrator Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind. We plan to pursue opportunities for furthering the work of smart signals by expanding the base of cooperation with pedestrian signals and traffic controller manufacturers to incorporate aids for the visually and mobility impaired. This plan includes manufacturer involvement in research and senior design projects, publishing technical papers at TRB, ITE and IEEE ITS conferences and in IEEE ITS journals, presentations at the Smart Signals Workshop. Additionally, we plan to involve the Idaho Transportation department (ITD) in our research activities by soliciting research support.

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 smart signals 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. The new approach represents an enabling technology that has high potential to significantly improve safety and access for pedestrians and vehicles at signalized intersections. The information that is easily distributed around the intersection using the smart signals approach can be communicated effectively with vehicles and other elements of the highway infrastructure to provide a critical link in the FWHA safety initiatives VII and CICAS. The ability to identify entities requesting service at the intersection allows traffic controllers to more quickly respond creating a safer environment for all users. The distributed smart signal approach that is being developed by this research provides the expandable architecture to allow additional information that is required for fine tuning traffic controls for more efficient and effective traffic systems operations.

Project status

Active

Final Report