The traffic control system of Hanshin Expressway is composed along the idea that it divides three sub systems, each of which has a function of collecting, processing, or providing traffic information. Various kinds of sensors on the expressway collect most of traffic information. Some road information which has already been given to the system can be included into the collected information. Processing information means some calculations on collected information. It includes manipulations based on judgment of operators in the control center and computers do not make all operations automatically. In the control center, several displaying systems to assist the judgment of operators are equipped. Processed information gives the users of the expressway the sources of judgment for their traffic behavior. In terms of the efficiency of the operator's manipulations, many things about both collecting and processing should be considered. Concretely, in the phase of collecting information, there are some situations in which operators need more precise traffic information and, in that of processing information, the way operators can recognize the collected data more efficiently should be considered. In this paper, the authors describe the possibility of collecting more precise information using new devices they call image sensors. Moreover, they propose the concept of visualization of traffic information image sensors can bring operators of traffic control system. They also look into the efficiency of the operation it potentially has.
Abstract