A framework for generating network-based moving objects

Benchmarking spatiotemporal database systems requires the definition of suitable datasets simulating the typical behavior of moving objects. Previous approaches for generating spatiotemporal data do not consider that moving objects often follow a given network. Therefore, benchmarks require datasets consisting of such network-based moving objects. In this paper, the most important properties of network-based moving objects are presented and discussed. Essential aspects are the maximum speed and the maximum capacity of connections, the influence of other moving objects on the speed and the route of an object, the adequate determination of the start and destination of an object, the influence of external events, and time-scheduled traffic. These characteristics are the basis for the specification and development of a new generator for spatiotemporal data. This generator combines real data (the network) with user-defined properties of the resulting dataset. A framework is proposed where the user can control the behavior of the generator by re-defining the functionality of selected object classes. An experimental performance investigation demonstrates that the chosen approach is suitable for generating large data sets.