Reducing the cost of evaluating

cyber-physical transportation

systemsJoseph Chow, Ph.D., P.E.Canada Research Chair in Transportation Systems EngineeringRyerson UniversityToronto, ON, Canada

Western Canada Connected Vehicle Workshop, Apr 14, 2015

Context

• Cyber-physical systems (CPS): (from Wikipedia) “a system of collaborating computationalelements controlling physical entities”

• Examples in transportation?

▫ Connected vehicles

▫ Autonomous vehicles

▫ Internet of Things

▫ Smart Cities

▫ …

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Technology enabled by CPS?

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a b c

d e

(a) UberX, (b) Kutsuplus, (c) Toronto Bike-share, (d) ZEV-NET, (e) UK pilot AV fleet

How to evaluate CPS-based intelligent

transportation system designs?

• E.g.

▫ algorithm 1 vs algorithm 2?

▫ data structure 1 vs data structure 2?

▫ process flow 1 vs process flow 2?

▫ operating policy 1 vs operating policy 2?

▫ user demographic 1 vs user demographic 2?

▫ coalition 1 vs coalition 2?

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ITS evaluation

System design

Computer simulation or model

“in-situ” prototype

Deployment

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The gap from one to the next may be WIDE

How expensive?

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Technology Costs Technology Costs

Automated vehicle identification

equipment/system

$42K-$84K Information service provider software $273K-

$547K

Automatic passenger counting system $830-$8.3K Integration for auto, scheduling, run

cutting, or fare payment

$224K-

$498K

Autonomous tracking unit $290-$700 Intersection inductive loops $7.5K-

$13.3K

Cargo monitoring sensors and gauges $110-$230 Lane control gates $66K-$100K

CCTV video camera $8K-$16K LED countdown signal $261-$361

Cell-based communication equipment $140-$240 Mainline (high speed) weigh-in-

motion scale

$50.9K-

$212.3K

Communications interface (emergency

vehicle)

$300-$2K Parking monitoring system $16K-$35K

Corridor inductive loops $2K-$6K Pedestrian detection – microwave $500

Database and software for billing and

pricing

$10K-$15K Portable traffic management system $66K-$83K

Driver and vehicle safety sensors,

software

$700-$1.5K Pre-emption/priority transponder $60

Dynamic message sign $41K-

$101K

Rail crossing train detector $11K-$14K

Dynamic message sign – portable $16K-$21K Ramp meter $21K-$42K

Electronic cargo seal disposable $8-$21 Remote traffic microwave sensor on

corridor

$8K-$11K

Electronic cargo seal reusable $29-$36 Security package (transit vehicle) $3.3K-$6K

Electronic cargo seal reader $200-$1.2K Signal controller and cabinet $7K-$12K

Electronic fare box $500-$1K Signal pre-emption processor $200-$400

Electronic toll reader $2K-$4K Signal pre-emption/priority emitter $400-$1.8K

Environmental sensor station (weather) $25K-$42K Software for lane control $25K-$50K

Fixed lane signal $4K-$5K Software for tracking and scheduling $10K-$34K

GPS for vehicle location $400-$2K Tag readers $1K-$3K

High-speed camera $6K-$8K Transit status information sign $4K-$8K

Highway advisory radio $15K-$36K Trip computer and processor $100-$110

Informational kiosk $9K-$20K Vehicle location interface $10K-$15K

Information service provider hardware $18K-$27K

Cost estimates from RITA (2011)

Standardization

may help…

Service Bundles

Traveller Information

Traffic Management

Public Transportation Management

Electronic Payment

Commercial Vehicle Operations

Emergency Management

Advanced Vehicle Safety Systems

Information Management

Maintenance and Construction Management

Logical Architecture Processes

1-Manage Traffic

2-Manage Commercial Vehicles

3-Provide Vehicle Monitoring and Control

4-Manage Transit

5-Manage Emergency Services

6-Provide Driver and Traveller Services

7-Provide Electronic Payment Services

8-Manage Archived Data

9-Manage Maintenance and Construction

Physical Architecture Subsystems (1)

Archived Data Management Subsystem

Border Inspection Administration

Border Inspection Systems

Commercial Vehicle Administration

Commercial Vehicle Check

Commercial Vehicle Subsystem

Emergency Management

Emergency Vehicle Subsystem

Emissions Management

Fleet and Freight Management

Information Service Provider

Intermodal Freight Equipment

Physical Architecture Subsystems (2)

Maintenance and Construction Management

Maintenance and Construction Vehicle

Parking Management

Personal Information Access

Remote Traveller Support

Roadway Subsystem

Security Monitoring Subsystem

Toll Administration

Toll Collection

Traffic Management

Transit Management

Transit Vehicle Subsystem

Vehicle

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Canadian ITS Architecture ver. 2.0

… But past lessons suggest evaluation

process needs evaluating

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User

Services

Real World

Situations

System

Context

Logical

Architecture

Physical

Architecture

Cost-Benefit

Analysis

Evaluation

Study

Existing paradigm (Liu et al., 2005)

Liu, H., Zhang, K., Wang, X., Qi, T., Wang, C., 2005. Effective and sustainable development of Chinese National Intelligent Transportation System Architecture. Transportation Research Record 1910, 46-56.

A “surrogate system”? (Harvey et al.)

• Using cheap technologies that can mimic actual CPS technologies (algorithms, sensors, communications, functions) to compare alternative designs on the field (“in-situ”)

• E.g. mimicking (with central facility and tablets):

▫ Dispatch algorithms

▫ Surveillance and monitoring data

▫ Location and route-finding algorithms

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Harvey, M.J., Liu, X., Chan, A., Chow, J.Y.J., A tablet-based surrogate system for “in-situ” evaluation of cyber-physical transport technologies.

Integrating surrogate systems in ITS

deployment

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User

Services

Real World

Situations

System

Context

Logical

Architecture

Physical

Architecture

Cost-Benefit

Analysis

ITS

Evaluation

Surrogate

System

Evaluation

Study

Changes needed

Computer simulation or model

“in-situ” prototype

Computer simulation or model

+“in-situ” prototype

Ryerson Urban Transportation Lab• Designed to operate surrogate systems

▫ 8-screen video wall, 30 Google Nexus tablets, 6 workstations, traffic simulation and proprietary activity-based GIS

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Mimicking different agents: travelers, vehicles, central facilities

Developed: GIS interface, tablet communications and tracking

Experiments on campus support feasibility of such tools

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Online repository for sharing open-

source surrogate systems

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Ongoing NSERC Engage/OCE Project

• “Development of mobile device-based surrogate systems for connected and autonomous vehicle technologies”

• Expanding capabilities of industry partner Transnomis (systems integrator, traffic data provider)▫ Mobile device platform▫ Decentralized traffic forecasting in connected vehicle environment▫ Cooperative route guidance for autonomous fleets▫ New business case: surrogate systems to evaluate CPS-based ITS

• Evaluate algorithms▫ Develop algorithms to operate on tablet platform▫ Validate algorithms with real time bus and TomTom data▫ Conduct field tests as “surrogate systems” to compare designs

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Future research: field test dynamic

fleet pricing and routing policies

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New arrivalNew

arrival

Existing

pickup

Existing

drop-off

Veh. 2

Being

served

Waiting

to be

served

Veh. 1 Veh. 3

Veh. 2Veh. 1 Veh. 3

μλ

• Which vehicle to dispatch to passenger?• Which routes to take?• Where to position idle vehicles?• How much to charge passengers?• …

Simulation vs field testing

Simulation (Sayarshad & Chow)Field tests – compare against other operating policies

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-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

-5 -3 -1 1 3 5

V1 V2 Origins Destinations

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Sayarshad, H.R., Chow, J.Y.J., A scalable non-myopic dynamic dial-a-ride and pricing problem.

Ongoing NSERC Engage project with

Metrolinx to evaluate their pilot study

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http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/1316946/private-public-transit-metrolinx-wants-to-pick-you-up-and-drive-you-to-your-go-station/#

Partnered with RideCo

Surrogate systems + fleet operations

• Field test dynamic operating policies

• Design cooperative autonomous fleet service

• Benefits of CV/AV extended to transit and freight

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Summary

• CPS-based technologies difficult to evaluate due to wide gap from simulation to prototyping

• Surrogate systems may speed deployment• Ryerson Urban Transportation Lab working

with industry and local agencies on CV/AV applications

• Vision: to operate “smarter” mobility systems

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NEW BUSINESS CASES for widespread industry adoption:

a) development of surrogate systemsb) conducting field tests with surrogate systems

• Acknowledgements:▫ Those of my research group involved:

Postdoc: Dr. Xintao Liu PHD students: Hamid Sayarshad, Shadi Djavadian MASc students: Matthew Harvey, Ahmed Amer Undergrad RA’s: Alex Chan, Mark Eskander

▫ Funding agencies for this research: CRC, CFI, NSERC, OCE

• References (working papers):▫ Harvey, M.J., Liu, X., Chan, A., Chow, J.Y.J., A tablet-based

surrogate system for “in-situ” evaluation of cyber-physical transport technologies.

▫ Sayarshad, H.R., Chow, J.Y.J., A scalable non-myopic dynamic dial-a-ride and pricing problem.

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THANK YOU!