Table of Contents
Introduction
Most major cities, today, deal with the ongoing traffic demands, congestion, and safety issues caused by the increasing number of drivers on the highway. In order to provide relief and reduce these problems, scientists and engineers developed a technology of “driving robots capable of sensing and reacting to the surrounding environment” (Wasekar & Khan, 2017, p.255). This system, known as the Automated Highway System (AHS), provides a relationship between humans, vehicles, and the highway infrastructure. It refers to the roadway where specifically equipped vehicles are operated under complete automatic control. It is the application of vehicle/highway automation technology to provide significant improvements in traffic safety, travel times, comfort, convenience, energy, and environment. An AHS uses technology that shifts driving functions from the driver or operator directly to the vehicle. Insight will be provided as to what is an AHS, the components needed for it to work, and how it improves the world’s highways.
What is an Automated Highway System?
The Automated Highway System has become a vital tool in managing the traffic network. People have been talking about the AHS since the 1950s, but it did not start until 1992 as part of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHA) large-scale technology initiative known as the Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS) (Congress, 1994). The AHS concept emerged out of the need to upgrade safety and capability on America’s highways at a time when increasing traffic and population were weakening the urban roadways. Additionally, building additional lanes were becoming much more strenuous.
The AHS technology obtains a modern relationship between transportation mediums and street grids. “It is driverless technique which uses an automatic control system for operation of vehicles” (Meena, 2017, p. 959). This control system utilizes the most important components of a vehicle, braking, steering, and throttle. Instructions are given to these components which, normally, the driver would control. In other words, a technology designed by engineers and scientists allows for communication, control, and sensing to be directly given to the vehicles. “This is done using sensor‘s’ that serve as the vehicles eyes ‘which’ determine lane position and the speed and location of their vehicles” (Faisal, Singh, Mishra, Singh, & Kumar, 2017, p. 1553).
127 our experts are availableright now
The AHS allows the vehicle to be guided by the road rather than the driver. The sensors and communication devices will connect the road and the vehicle to boost driving performance. Driver error will be shortened and ultimately, with full enactment, terminated. The driver will manually set each route allowing the destination decisions to be made and guided by the vehicle. This is done through the vehicles navigation system.
Components Needed for an AHS to Work
The AHS provides sequences and functions that offers optimal performance for the vehicle. These sequences include lateral motion handling, longitudinal motion handling, and obstacle handling. The lateral motion handling controls the vehicles motion from side to side. This includes lane changing, lane keeping, and merging. The technology that allows for lane detection is vision systems, magnetic nails buried in the highway which the vehicle senses, and radar-reflective stripes (Wasekar & Khan, 2017). The lane detection function allows the vehicle to determine where it is located within the lane and therefore, make the necessary lane changes, if needed, based on the roadway. The vehicle will move efficiently between lanes. If there is significant traffic, the system will maneuver the vehicle according to traffic gaps and vehicles in adjacent lanes (Wasekar & Khan, 2017). Merging within traffic must be determined by the allowable space provided by the roadway.
Longitudinal motion handling provides front to back motion of the vehicle. The most important sequence within the longitudinal motion handling is speed keeping. This function takes into account the speed of the surrounding vehicles. The AHS will inform the vehicle if it is going too fast, too slow, or too close to another vehicle and adjust accordingly. This is done via the vehicle motion prediction. It provides the necessary warnings and avoidances, such as hard braking, swerving, flashing lights, and signaling needed for safe driving. Along with this function is cordial driving which, simply put, means friendly driving. This is done by the vehicle accommodating the desires of other vehicles (Wasekar & Khan, 2017). For example, if the vehicle wants to merge or transfer to another lane, using the appropriate signals, the other drivers will allow the vehicle entrance. Of course, this does not always happen and not all drivers are always friendly.
Obstacle handling is the ability to determine, reduce or eliminate obstacles on the highway. The AHS allows the vehicle to sense threats and adjust to them. Such threats can be other vehicles, large rocks, pedestrians, automobile parts, or large animals. The vehicle will detect the issue, such as a ball in the road, and adjust the braking system to not cause the severe braking mechanism and risk harm to those in the vehicle. “Assuming that obstacle motion prediction can be achieved, the vehicle can achieve avoidance via lane change” (Wasekar & Khan, 2017, p. 263). However, this will all depend on the reaction by other vehicles and the movement of the obstacle itself.
Advantages of an AHS
As previously indicated, the AHS controls the vehicles, not the drivers. Giving control over to technology has its advantages and disadvantages. One particular advantage is a reduction in the number of automobile accidents. According to Onur Cagirici and Mehemet S. Unluturk, “it is estimated that 90% of the traffic accidents are caused by human factors” (2013, para. 2). Allowing technology control reduces and eliminates potential risks caused by human behavior making highways safer. Additional advantages of AHS are increased efficiency, low maintenance and operation costs, environmental conservation such as lower insurance and labor costs, reduction in road construction, a decrease in pollution, and incorporating more electricity operated vehicles on the highway. Additionally, the AHS has a distinct advantage of being able to systemize a platoon of vehicles as a whole unit.
In long-term safety will be upgraded to create a collision-free environment while driving will be predictable and reliable. High- performance driving can be orchestrated without having to worry about weather and environmental conditions. Fog, sunlight, rain, snow, haze, and darkness, as well as other conditions affecting driver visibility will no longer disrupt driving. In addition, AHS offers strengthened flexibility for people with disabilities, the elderly, and less experienced drivers. All drivers using AHS can be safe and efficient drivers.
Disadvantages of an AHS
There are a few potential disadvantages of AHS. Some systems have failed in traffic being hacked by nearby computer systems causing dangerous situations. Drivers may feel less in control of their own driving leaving them vulnerable at the hands of computer software. Also, drivers may tend to be less observant than usual and may not be able to react fast enough to unfavorable situations if the system fails.
Conclusion
“The goal of an AHS design is to significantly increase safety and highway capacity without having to build new roads, by adding intelligence to both the vehicles and the roadside” (Godbole, Eskafi, & Varaiya, 1996, para. 2). Contrasting skills associated with computing ideas, microelectronics, diverse sensors, and up-to-date civil engineering techniques are used for the design of an automated highway system. The AHS reduces human error allowing a safer driving experience. Additionally, it enhances efficiency, environmental climate, usability, and affordability to become an important part of the transportation network.
