Traffic Management
The Department of Traffic Management conducts research on the topics of traffic control and road equipment, communication in traffic control, and safety in road traffic. The researchers are in close exchange with the other departments of the institute, the Department of Digitization of Traffic, Construction Technology and Tunnel Technology.
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Research Focus in Traffic Management
In addition to regulatory research, ISAC is also working on new, innovative methods of traffic control for the road of the future. Both collective and individual influence is the subject of the research. Of particular importance in this context are, among others, data processing and AI, which can be used in a variety of ways - both for collective influence, which addresses the totality of road users, and for individual influence, which addresses individuals.
Especially for collective influence, the equipment of traffic infrastructures plays a decisive role. Equipment elements such as signs or display panels can convey information to the collective and influence driving behavior accordingly. For example, network influence systems on highways control traffic in order to counteract the development of traffic jams or accidents during certain weather conditions.
Such systems have already proven their worth, and further possibilities for improvement are being worked out at ISAC. In addition, the question of which new elements of traffic control can be developed and integrated into infrastructures to further improve existing systems is also being investigated.
Communication and data exchange will be indispensable for the road of the future, and they are already an integral part of traffic management today. First, communication with road users takes place: They are provided with information according to which they should orient their driving behavior. Ideally, this information should be consistent across all platforms. Otherwise, if the information is contradictory, there is a risk that the instructions will not be followed. Secondly, there should therefore also be communication or data exchange between the systems to compare the information and ensure consistency.
In the future, it will also be possible for systems with dynamic driving data to be included in collective traffic control, such as data from navigation systems, map tools, or from the on-board computers of the vehicles themselves. This will supplement the currently used, non-area-wide installed sensor technology on highways and once again significantly increase the informative value of the collected data.
With its research work on the aforementioned aspects, ISAC is helping to make roads safer today and paving the way for the road of the future. Traffic control measures are also of great importance for the safe operation of road tunnels. In addition, it is the declared goal to contribute to the realization of the "Vision Zero".
5 questions about traffic management and its research focus at ISAC, answered by Dr.-Ing. Dirk Kemper, head of the traffic management department