Knowledge Bank

As it is often difficult and expensive to perform traffic pattern tests on full-scale vehicles, researchers require a smaller scale model to perform initial tests. Once researchers are confident in the results from the smaller scale tests, the tests can be performed on full-scale vehicles. Although small scale testbeds have been developed, this project investigated the development of a miniature scale testbed, the Miniature Vehicle Testbed for Intelligent Transportation Systems (MVT). The MVT is a tabletop test roadway system for initial tests of vehicle systems and traffic behavior. The testbed will provide a model for real life traffic situations and vehicle responses to those situations. Since no other testbed has been successfully implemented before on such a small scale, another goal of this project was to investigate whether such a testbed would provide a representative model for vehicle behavior, but this will not be possible until a full implementation and integration of the MVT is complete.

The MVT was built on a 4’ x 8’ platform such that it will provide an accurate model of real traffic patterns, while being an effective and simpler to operate replacement for the current larger testbed in Dreese Laboratories. The development of this testbed was approached in three separate primary phases:

1. Development of vehicle control software.
2. Development of imaging processing software to implement simulated GPS.
3. Construction of the physical testbed and testing.

The MVT, however, is incomplete in development. There are several issues with the implementation that still require a significant amount of time and attention to resolve. However, no evidence exists to suggest that the successful implementation of such a system is not possible. Further work on this miniature scale testbed is required, but the concept seems promising.