PMSS Project Details

Project ID:	FHWA-PROJ-11-0040
Project Name:	VASTO — Evolutionary Agent System for Transportation Outlook
Status:	Active
Contact:	Last Name: Yang First Name: David Telephone: 202-493-3284 E-mail: david.yang@dot.gov
Organization:	Federal Highway Administration - Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC)
Office:	Office of Safety Research and Development
Team:	Human Factors Team
Roadmap/Focus area(s):	Travel Modeling
Project Description:	The vision of this research emanates from an indepth understanding of both the limitation of existing traffic analysis capabilities and the potential advantage of a paradigm that creates synergy by integrating the simulation-based traffic analysis models and the agent-based simulation models.
Laboratories:	Not Applicable
Start Date:	May 11, 2011
End Date:	May 10, 2014
Funding Amount:	$977,853.00
FHWA Program Name:	Exploratory Advanced Research
Goals:	The key project objective is to seamlessly integrate the agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS) approaches with emerging traffic simulation models to explore and expand new modeling capabilities.
Project Type:	Offsite
Background Information:	Data not yet available
Test Methodology:	The model system will deliver a set of comprehensive toolboxes, consisting of a database, multimodal transportation simulation platform, and multiagent system simulation platform, plus critical visualization with efficient data analysis capability for fully visualizing the simulated system evolution. The visualization and data analysis capability will be driven by effective computational geometry, with spatial and temporal data queries based on a high-performance geographical information system engine, allowing the vast amount of raw simulation data to be processed, stored, analyzed, and displayed.
Other Information:	Data not yet available
Partners:	George Mason University; Role(s):
More Information URL(s):
Fieldtest:	Data not yet available
Expected Benefits:	The proposed VASTO system will transform the understanding and modeling of the interactions among heterogeneous agents. Interaction mechanisms from behavioral aspects among the above agents are recognized as the “weakest link” in all existing transportation system models, especially with respect to the policy agent related feedback effects involved in the evolution of the system.
Deliverables:	1. Name: Project report and simulation tool. Product Type(s): Research report, Software Description: The deliverables are a detailed report documenting study efforts, findings, and recommendations; and a simulation tool developed from the project. Audiences: Researchers Secondary Audiences: 2. Name: A Primer for Agent-Based Simulation and Modeling in Transportation Applications Product Type(s): Technical report Description: This report attempts to clarify the concept of Agent-Based Simulation and Modeling (ABMS) studied in the transportation field with distinction of specified problems, model capabilities, strengths and weaknesses of ABMS scoped in different applied paradigms. The document is structured in a review format. The report also tries to connect ABMS and transportation problems in the social science paradigm, trying to apply ABMS characterized by social science methodology to tackle travelers’ behavioral decisions. Audiences: Academics, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center staff, Researchers, Safety researchers Secondary Audiences:
Related URL(s):
Project Findings:	Data not yet available
FHWA Topics:	Research/Technologies--FHWA Research and Technology
TRT Terms:	Simulation Safety Research Traffic Simulation Software Highway Traffic Control
FHWA Disciplines:	Operations
Subject Areas:	Operations and Traffic Management