Integrating Automated Vehicles into the Transport Network

Started: 28th September 2015
Research Team: Craig Rafter
Investigators: Bani Anvari, Ben Waterson

TRL driverless vehicle trial

Recent government investment in driver-less car trials is accelerating us towards a future of greater automation in the transport network. As a direct result of this investment, the Transportation Research Laboratory (TRL) and the Transportation Research Group (TRG) at the University of Southampton are investigating how transportation infrastructure can sustainably support high numbers of automated vehicles in the network.

Existing transportation infrastructure is designed around non-automated vehicles. This includes not just the road-space but also the many thousands of traffic sensors, the control infrastructure (traffic lights, variable speed limits), the refuelling infrastructure and the integration between modes of transport (airports, train stations etc). This project will investigate strategies to redesign this infrastructure to support automated vehicles and deliver improvements in sustainability.

The project will explore the scenario of high numbers of vehicles in the transportation network using techniques including: computational modelling, experiments using the TRL's vehicle simulator and experiments using TRG's instrumented vehicle. The project will benefit from collaboration with the Transportation Research Laboratory as well as access to GATEway research partners for case studies.

Ultimately the outcome of this research will be innovative new designs to transportation infrastructure - with a strong evidence base - that will support automated vehicles to maximize sustainability in the transport network.

Computational Modelling Group

Integrating Automated Vehicles into the Transport Network

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