Ontology-Based Driving Simulation for Traffic Lights Optimization

Traffic lights optimization is one of the principal components to lessen the traffic flow and travel time in an urban area. The present article seeks to introduce a novel procedure to design the traffic lights in a city using evolutionary-based optimization algorithms in combination with an ontology-based driving behavior simulation framework. Accordingly, an ontology-based knowledge base is introduced to provide a machine-understandable knowledge of roads and intersections, traffic rules, and driving behaviors. Then, a simulation environment is developed to inspect car behavior in real time. To optimize the traffic lights, a sine-based equation was defined for each traffic light, and the total travel time of the vehicles was considered as the cost function in the optimization algorithm. The optimization was performed with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 vehicles in the urban areas. Based on the results, in contrast to uncontrolled intersections without traffic lights, optimized traffic lights can significantly contribute to total travel time-saving. To conclude, due to an escalation in the number of vehicles, the significance of optimized traffic lights has encountered an increase, and unoptimized traffic lights could increase total travel time even more than a city deprived of any traffic light.

Automated summary

This article introduces a novel approach to design traffic lights in a city using evolutionary-based optimization algorithms combined with an ontology-based driving behavior simulation framework. A machine-understandable knowledge of roads, intersections, traffic rules, and driving behaviors is provided through an ontology-based knowledge base, and car behavior is inspected in real time through a simulation environment. Traffic lights are optimized by defining sine-based equations for each traffic light and considering the total travel time of vehicles as the cost function in the optimization algorithm. The results show that optimized traffic lights can significantly reduce total travel time compared to uncontrolled intersections without traffic lights.