Automated Vehicles from Modeling to Real World

Abstract

There has been a steady increase in automated features in modern vehicles. Vehicles equipped with these features will behave differently in the traffic stream when compared to non-equipped vehicles (different reaction times, gap acceptance, etc.). Many car manufacturers advertise the release of their fully automated vehicles by 2020. However, the interaction between vehicles with different levels of automation and legacy vehicles is still questionable and can potentially have safety concerns. Thus it is important to understand the nature of these interactions to develop traffic safety strategies by mostly relying on a simulation environment. This paper discusses how modeling and simulation can effectively help in understanding critical traffic characteristics in a mixed environment. This understanding will help shape effective policies and management strategies to accommodate automated vehicles in the traffic stream along with legacy vehicles.