FLOW STABILIZATION AND ENHANCED TRAFFIC PERFORMANCE USING INTER-VEHICLE COMMUNICATION AND DISTRIBUTED INTELLIGENCE.

This paper demonstrates stabilization of traffic flow and potentially increased highway capacity resulting from a novel, intelligent, in-vehicle speed adaptation algorithm based on medium-range inter-vehicle communication(IVC). The implemented algorithm stabilizes traffic flow on highways by using this data to essentially remove oscillation energy from unstable traffic oscillation modes and thus damp incipient stop-and-go waves. In a refinement, extended floating car data will be used to detect and monitor positions of sharp speed gradients, jam entrances and end positions. The results provide further support for the use of IVC to make traffic flow intelligent and find sustainable solutions to congestion and traffic safety. For the covering abstract see E134653.