Research summary
A cooperative transport system enables vehicles to “talk” directly with each other as well as with components of roadway infrastructure, such as traffic lights. These systems have the ability to improve road safety and travel efficiency by helping drivers make decisions based on real-time information. Wireless communication between vehicles and infrastructure, called connected vehicle technology, is key to allowing this to happen.
Dr. Zhijun Qiu, Canada Research Chair in Cooperative Transportation Systems, is addressing challenges and benefits to implementing connected vehicle technologies and their role in the multimodal traffic environment. He and his research team are developing and evaluating methods of integrating this technology with existing data sources and infrastructure, such as cameras, loop detectors, and road weather information systems. This will provide more accurate and reliable information that can be used to monitor and manage traffic more proactively.