The Effect of Deceiving Vehicles in an Autonomous Intersection

Abstract

Intersection management systems that control the trajectory of multiple autonomous vehicles have the potential to solve many of the issues associated with the increasing demand on roads. Models of such systems typically assume that the information transmitted between each vehicle and the central controller is accurate and free from manipulation. We consider vehicles that broadcast false information about their location to gain priority over others and reduce journey times. We model the effects of introducing a number of deceiving vehicles to the traffic flow at an intersection. By simulating this system over a range of traffic volumes on each lane we are able to measure the advantage gained through deception and its impact on the system. We find that using deception is always beneficial to the individual and usually detrimental to the system as a whole. There are, however, some counterintuitive cases where the intersection capacity increases because of the actions of the deceiving vehicles.