Welcome the audience. The Topic selected for the Dissertation Research project is The Automated Highway Systems (referred as AHS). But why? We as humanity need look forward to towards smart and sustainable systems that facilitate the human growth as well as sustain the work we live in. We need to move forward. Adapt! Accept the change! AHS is one system that been considered to be the future by many, a system for our future generations. I wanted to look what are the pros and cons of this systems, what significant changes it can bring, its impact and how it will revolutionize the current systems we have…

Therefore I selected this topic. Now lets move forward to review what is an AHS system?

The issues of severe traffic congestion and environmental pollution from transportation and other constructions have been increased manifolds in past decades, especially in developed countries of Europe and America. Building larger and wider roads networks is ceased to be an innovative option to allow traffic flow and to control the greenhouse gases emissions. However, transportation systems need further technological transformations to achieve sustainability and efficiency to meet the requirements of twenty-first century

Automated Highways (Personal hands-off & Feet-off vehicles operating on conventional roadways)

focus on stereo vision-based systems for sensing local environments

dynamic depth mapping, object identification and tracking, road edge identification.

robust control in the presence of substantial uncertainty and noise

AHS are completely dedicated transit guiding systems that ensure full automation during the whole travel

This is probably the most important question; How does AHS benefits, for all of us? Well, the most prominent of the impacts include:

Safety of accident and enhancement of surface transportation efficiency

Achievement of national transportation safety goals

Protection and enhancement of the natural environment and communities affected by surface transportation

Accommodation of the needs of all users of surface transportation systems

Improvement of the Nation’s ability to respond to emergencies and natural disasters

The primary aim of this research is (read the slide)

 

The objectives of this study includes:

To identify projected merits and challenges of AHS in transportation system.

To develop a theoretical framework to determine the impacts of these AHS on civil engineering principles and subsequent designing parameters.

To analyse the opinions of consultants and professionals related to the applicability and impact of AHS on present day transportation system of UK.

To determine the views of common users to be affected due to the design and infrastructure changes in the present highway system as result of AHS implementation.

To recommend certain strategies that can assist the consultants and civil engineers in creating the positive impact of AHS on the infrastructure and transportation system

 

The primary research question to be addressed in the study is (read the slide)

The research plan for this study has been divided into 5 distinct steps as:

Various sources of literature reviewed during the interim report. The key observation of this review include:

The development of automated highway system (AHS) is one of the  road transport sustainable solutions as the presence of automated trains is already observed since many decades in UK.

On the other hand, the impact of these automated highways, which are proposed to be operational in future, will be significant on the civil engineering procedures and designing techniques. Since there has been emphasis on the sustainable developments in civil engineering infrastructure, the AHS can integrate the proposed sustainable pathway in the development of highway systems.

These include the use of sustainable and re-usable materials for construction, enhancement in overall efficiency and productivity as well as integration of smart control systems in view of  AHS systematic control requirements.

These developments are expected to have a significant impact on the traditional methods of highways construction techniques currently pursued in the field of civil engineering

For the development of AHS, various pathways have been proposed including:

1. PATH (Partners of Advanced Transit and Highways) research program considers a platoon based on eight-cars with constant separation of 6.5 meters at every point in the speed limit up to full highway speed.

In order to complete the research plan, the author has chosen the descriptive research design. The core reason behind choosing this approach is the fact that it suits best with research objectives. Moreover it works best scientific and logical research problems. This research design works best with secondary and primary data.

Deductive approach was used to draw the conclusion from the general discussion. This approach aided the author to narrow down the discussion from the general discussion and focus on the focal point of the research. Inductive approach is quite the opposite of deductive approach which aids in generalizing the theoretical context.

Moreover secondary data was used to conduct the  literature research.

Secondary data is the data that is already available. The main purpose of using secondary data is the collection of support information to the research. Secondary data was collected through reliable and accurate sources.

Primary data to be collected through surveys of stakeholders including common highway users, civil engineers, transportation consultants, town planners, and other concerned professionals. The interviews of construction and engineering experts of highway design were also conducted to collect an insightful information about challenges and impacts of AHS.

Various challenges that are to be focussed including the use of sustainable and re-usable materials for construction, enhancement in overall efficiency and productivity as well as integration of smart control systems in view of  AHS systematic control requirements.

Various other issues will be investigated, such as if reduction in fuel burnt is possible as a consequence of the exclusive platoon configuration for reducing the severity of rapid speed changes and make traffic flow smoother

The practitioners of the industry will be consulted to obtain their views on various parameters such as: the integration of information technology to extent that the overall current norms of road construction can be revised and probably the complete method of road construction techniques can be amended.

Various other Challenges of AHS will be also be discussed with the practitioners, including:

1.Development and maintenance costs of AHS subjected to increase with every Km added in the framework. The costs per km is less but will increase for total highway and will cost billions of Euros to the countries like UK, US and other developed regions?.

2.Adding costs to individual users due to new hardware, support systems, and other requirements for AHS?.

3.The lack of control on travel due to automatic driven cars, psychological troubles and fears in car owners?

Issue of the affordability of new vehicles for low income families to travel on AHS and the up gradation of old vehicles is not given proper consideration in the development of automated transport systems?

The main limitations of this study can include but not limited to (read the slide)

Any Questions?

References