A Two-Vehicle Traffic Simulation for Congested Roads using Potential Fields

This thesis deals with planning the motion of two vehicles in congested roads with multiple turns closely spaced crossings. Each vehicle-driver system is modelled as a separate entity with varying characteristics such as aggressiveness,position in the lane,bracking ability, belief of other driver's behaviour etc. In contrast to search-based techniques, apotential field approach is used to plan a path based on a 3-dimensional Configuration Space. "Local minima" are reduced by "looking ahead" from the present situation based upon driver's nature and belief. Kinematic (Nonholonomic) and Dynamic constraints are taken into account to generate physically realistic path. The model has been studied for a number of test cases involving crossing, overtaking, turning and independent motion.

Six-Scene Animation

A rickshaw yields to a truck.

Two vehicles crossing each other and turning.

Reference:

Gupta, Shami; Chakrabarty, Partha; and Amitabha Mukerjee; 1998
    Microscopic simulation of vehicular traffic on congested roads
    Proceedings ISIRS-98, ed. M. Vidyasagar, Bangalore, January 10-13, 1998.