Applications of Vehicle-to-Vehicle Wireless Technologies to Vehicle Control
Investigators:	Dr. Francois Dion and Yu Liu, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dates:	January 2004 - Present

Over the past decade, advances in computer and communication technologies have fueled interests in applications of advanced technologies for improving the safety and performance of surface transportation networks. In many cases, the envisioned applications rely on an ability to communicate information between vehicles. Examples of wireless-based applications that have been proposed include in-vehicle driver information systems, adaptive cruise control systems, and collision warning and avoidance systems. Current emerging applications include more specifically the ability of vehicles to exchange information between them as well as with roadside infrastructure through the use of dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) and ad-hoc communication networks.

In most cases, the proposed wireless-based technologies and applications were developed individually without considering the possible interactions between them. Although the various studies that have been conducted on each application appear to have correctly reflected their individual influences on human driver behavior and traffic flow, the combined effects of several systems operating simultaneously still remain unclear. One problem associated with the use of information from adjacent vehicles is how to determine the validity of each piece of information received given potential transmission delay in heavy communication network loadings. In such a case, the simultaneous need for various applications in broadcasting information may cause temporary communication bottlenecks affecting the quality and pertinence of information transmitted to other vehicles. The main objective of this research is therefore to determine data filtering and vehicle control algorithms that will take into consideration data quality within the decision-making process.

• Y. Liu, F. Dion, and S. Biswas (2005). State-of-the-Art of Dedicated Short-Range Wireless Communications for Intelligent Transportation System Applications. Accepted for publication in Transportation Research Record.
• S. Biswas, R. Tatchikou, and F. Dion (2005). Vehicle-to-Vehicle Wireless Communication Protocols for Enhancing Highway Traffic Safety. Accepted for publication in IEEE Communications Magazine.
• S. Biswas, R. Tatchikou, and F. Dion (2005). Vehicle-to-Vehicle Packet Forwarding Protocols for Cooperative Collision Avoidance. Accepted for presentation at IEEE Globecom 2005 conference, St. Louis, MO, November 2005.