PATHFINDER system design

The authors describe an experimental project designed to test the feasibility of using the latest technological devices to aid the motorist in avoiding urban traffic congestion. The basic objectives are to design, install, and operate a system that will provide real-time information to motorists in their vehicles; to evaluate the driver´s response to the information provided; to evaluate the utility of using vehicles as a source of information on traffic conditions; and to evaluate a computer-assisted method of combining real-time traffic information from various sources. The experiment is taking place in the Smart Corridor, a 13-mile (20 km) stretch along the Freeway between Santa Monica and downtown Los Angeles. Twenty-five vehicles, equipped with an in-vehicle navigation system using a modified Etak map display to show traffic congestion information, will be used. After a system overview, descriptions are given of the vehicle system, the central system, and the communication system, and details of the experimental evaluation are given.<>