Giovanni Tesoriere

Intelligent shoe system: A self-powered wearable device for personal localization

The traceability of people in movement has always attracted considerable interest in various sectorially-related fields. It has been the subject of numerous studies. In recent years, these studies have focused on the traceability of people’s movements through specific network infrastructures, and many applications have been created in this field, often based on centralized web servers. Currently, however, there is no specific literature discussing self-powering architecture that allows real-time identification of people’s movements through smart-phones and tablets, nor by means of a device embedded in the heel of a shoe, which includes GPS/GPRS/RFID modules and a piezoelectric self-powering transducer. To cope this problem, in this paper, a wearable system for personal localization with an embedded piezoelectric energy scavenging subsystem is proposed.

Smart Pedestrian Crossing Management at Traffic Light Junctions through a Fuzzy-Based Approach

In the last few years, numerous research efforts have been conducted to merge the Internet of Things (IoT) with smart city environments. The goal to make a city “smart” is arising as a possible solution to lessen the issues caused by the urban population growth and fast urbanization. Attention also has focused on the pedestrian crossings because they are one of the most dangerous places in the transport field. Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) can undoubtedly be an excellent support in developing infrastructures that can best manage pedestrian crossing. For this reason, this paper introduces a fuzzy logic-based solution able to manage dynamically the traffic lights’ phases in signalized pedestrian crossings. The proposed approach provides the possibility to change the phases of the traffic light taking into account the time of the day and the number of pedestrians about to cross the road. The paper presents a thorough description of the fuzzy logic controller configuration, an in-depth analysis of the application scenario and simulative assessments obtained through Vissim simulations.

A fuzzy controller to reduce power consumption in a quadrotor helicopter for environmental monitoring

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are aircrafts with no pilot on board. They can be remote controlled aircraft (e.g. flown by a pilot at a ground control station) or can fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans or more complex dynamic automation systems. UAVs are currently used both in military and civil application. A key element of UAV equipment affecting the mission performance is power source for this reason several approaches can be applied in order to reduce the power consumption. Fuzzy Logic Controllers (FLCs) are becoming increasingly popular in everyday life and their applications can obtain significant benefits in terms of energy management. In this paper a FLC is proposed in order to regulate the motor power of a quadrotor helicopter according to the battery level and to the path to complete. Simulation results reveal that using the proposed approach the battery lifetime is increased by 30% with respect to the use of fixed power.

The Surrogate Safety Appraisal of the Unconventional Elliptical and Turbo Roundabouts

Double-lane roundabouts have been created in many European countries over the past few centuries and are now characterized by an unsafe geometric development and by a low sustainability capacity or level. In this regard, new double-lane geometries have been implemented to overcome to these critical points. This article shows a comparison of two nonconventional double-lane roundabout schemes defined as elliptical and turbo. Considering this research on the unsafe and congested conditions for each road schemes at grade, the microsimulation approach allows comparing schemes of intersections not yet realized in order to be able to evaluate the critical issues. A symmetric traffic distribution and an identical vehicle mix for both design solutions are considered. The research was conducted considering two different double-lane roundabout-turbo roundabout and the elliptical roundabout. By comparing their geometry and technical elements, this article assumes that turbo roundabout due to its physical separating traffic lanes in the central circulatory carriageway will enable potentially better traffic safety conditions. This article has the following main goal: a comparison of traffic safety using VISSIM microsimulator and SSAM tools. The results can provide to show safety level on investigated scenario considering level of service (LOS) and also the possibility of obtaining time to collision (TTC) and postencroachment time (PET) through the use of surrogate parameters obtained by SSAM tool. In fact, the surrogate safety parameters allows evaluating the possible collision scenarios between them, according to the trajectories of the single vehicles. This assessment is useful in order to be able to evaluate by the local authorities which of the examined schemes can provide greater negativity in the construction and operation phase. Therefore this comparative analysis allows reducing, in the preliminary phase, possible security impacts and also economic ones for the community.

Study of emergency setting for urban facility using microsimulation tool

Today Public transport is growing not only in terms of high passenger capacity but also considering high efficiency and it has become one of the preferred alternatives to automobile travel. This is evident, as for example, in the case of airport terminal working and management. The same could be for Bus Transport station considering roadway. As a result, many railway stations experience high levels of pedestrian congestion especially during the morning and afternoon peak periods. Traditional design and evaluation procedures for pedestrian transit facilities aim to maintain a desirable Pedestrian Level-Of-Service (PLOS) for the individual pedestrian areas or sub precincts. More in general, transit facilities and their sub-precincts interact with one another so that pedestrian circulation might be better assessed from a broader systems perspective. Microsimulation packages that can model pedestrians (e.g. VISSIM-VISWALK) can be employed to assess these interactions. This research outlines a procedure for the potential implementation of pedestrian flow analysis in a bus/rail transit station using micro-simulation. Base model data requirements are identified which include static (facility layout and locations of temporary equipment) and dynamic data (pedestrian demand and public transport services). Possible model calibration criteria would be also identified. A VISSIM micro-simulation base model would be developed for one of the main Airport terminal in Sicily (Italy) for investigating proposed station operational and infrastructure changes. This case study provided a good example for the potential implementation of micro-simulation models in the analysis of pedestrian circulation.Today Public transport is growing not only in terms of high passenger capacity but also considering high efficiency and it has become one of the preferred alternatives to automobile travel. This is evident, as for example, in the case of airport terminal working and management. The same could be for Bus Transport station considering roadway. As a result, many railway stations experience high levels of pedestrian congestion especially during the morning and afternoon peak periods. Traditional design and evaluation procedures for pedestrian transit facilities aim to maintain a desirable Pedestrian Level-Of-Service (PLOS) for the individual pedestrian areas or sub precincts. More in general, transit facilities and their sub-precincts interact with one another so that pedestrian circulation might be better assessed from a broader systems perspective. Microsimulation packages that can model pedestrians (e.g. VISSIM-VISWALK) can be employed to assess these interactions. This research outlines a procedure for th...

Microsimulation approach for BRT system: The case study of urban turbo roundabout

The development of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems is relatively recent in the Europe and is very fresh on Italy; however, several systems are operating and many more are being planned. A more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between land uses and BRT systems is needed, particularly in comparison to other fixed-guideway modes such as heavy and light rail. While recognizing that existing land uses have an important and complex influence on the development costs and benefits of fixed-guideway projects, this research is focused on the impacts that BRT projects have on surrounding property values. This research seeks the impact of BRT system on urban area where is a road intersection at grade such as turbo roundabout. The results are linked to before and after application of BRT in terms of microsimulation comparison results.