Clemson University. Dept. of Civil Engineering

South Carolina. Dept. of Transportation

FHWA-SC-10-03

Tech Report

South Carolina

Final report; May 1, 2008-Aug. 31, 2010.

South Carolina. Dept. of Transportation

NTL-INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS-INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

The primary focus of this study involved developing a process for the evaluation of wireless technologies

for intelligent transportation systems, and for conducting experiments of potential wireless technologies

and topologies. Two wireless technologies: Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) and Worldwide Interoperability for

Microwave Access (WiMAX) were chosen to demonstrate the proposed evaluation process. The authors

performed numerous field tests on these technologies to evaluate various critical parameters of wireless

communication. The authors also implemented a network design process using Wi-Fi and WiMAX

technologies to support a traffic surveillance system in seven metropolitan areas of South Carolina.

Additionally, a video surveillance test was conducted to study the transmission of real-time traffic video

over a wireless network. Making use of the results from the field study, the authors applied a

communication simulator, ns-2, to compare the communication performance of a traffic sensor network

under simulated environmental conditions. They also built an integrated simulator using ns-2 and a

vehicular traffic simulator, PARAMICS. This integrated simulator was then used to study the

communication behavior of the system during traffic incidents. Additionally, the authors conducted a

performance-cost analysis for selected wireless technologies. This study provided an important

foundation for evaluating the performance and reliability of different wireless technologies. The research

results presented in this study will benefit the SCDOT, other transportation agencies, and stakeholders in

evaluating and selecting cost-effective wireless communication options for different traffic control and

management applications.

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US Transportation Collection