International Conference on Transportation and Development 2019
Validation of Traffic Simulation Model Output Using High-Resolution Video by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Publication: International Conference on Transportation and Development 2019: Innovation and Sustainability in Smart Mobility and Smart Cities
ABSTRACT
Traffic simulation models can provide a cost-effective and flexible alternative to evaluate the various roadway designs and traffic management alternatives. To do so, we first need to ensure that the models are appropriately calibrated to reflect the existing conditions. The use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has gained particular attention in the transportation infrastructure industry. On a nationwide scale, there has been a trend to incorporate UAV in traffic operations such as traffic monitoring and infrastructure management activities which include bridge and roadway inspections. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of utilizing UAV to validate traffic simulation model outputs. To that end, two simulation models of an intersection in Auburn, Alabama, were developed using Synchro and VISSIM simulation software. The high-resolution video and photographic data collected by UAV were employed to validate that the models reflect the existing traffic operations at the study intersection. Simulation models were calibrated and compared with results obtained from drone videos. The results showed that UAVs have the potential to improve the validation procedure of traffic simulation by providing complete pictures of traffic movements at entire intersections.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Wesley Zech in the Department of Civil Engineering at Auburn University, AL, for sharing UAV videos used in this study.
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Published In
International Conference on Transportation and Development 2019: Innovation and Sustainability in Smart Mobility and Smart Cities
Pages: 135 - 147
Editor: David A. Noyce, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin–Madison
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8258-2
Copyright
© 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Aug 28, 2019
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