Harris Perakis

Localization and Driving Behavior Classification with Smartphone Sensors in Direct Absence of Global Navigation Satellite Systems

Global navigation satellite systems have tremendous impact and potential in the development of intelligent transportation systems and mobility services and are expected to deliver significant benefits, including increased capacity, improved safety, and decreased pollution. However, there are situations in which there might not be direct location information about vehicles, for example, in tunnels and in indoor facilities such as parking garages and commercial vehicle depots. Various technologies can be used for vehicle localization in these cases, and other sensors that are currently available in most modern smartphones, such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, can be used to obtain information directly about the driving patterns of individual drivers. The objective of this research is to present a framework for vehicle localization and modeling of driving behavior in indoor facilities or, more generally, facilities in which global navigation satellite system information is not available. Localization technologies and needs are surveyed and the adopted methodology is described. The case studies, which use data from multiple types of sensors (including accelerometers and gyroscopes from two smartphone platforms as well as two reference platforms), provide evidence that the opportunistic smart-phone sensors can be useful in identifying obstacles (e.g., speed humps) and maneuvers (e.g., U-turns and sharp turns). These data, when cross-referenced with a digital map of the facility, can be useful in positioning the vehicles in indoor environments. At a more macroscopic level, a methodology is presented and applied to determine the optimal number of clusters for the drivers’ behavior with a mix of suitable indexes.

Rigorous Performance Evaluation of Smartphone GNSS/IMU Sensors for ITS Applications

With the rapid growth in smartphone technologies and improvement in their navigation sensors, an increasing amount of location information is now available, opening the road to the provision of new Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) services. Current smartphone devices embody miniaturized Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and other sensors capable of providing user position, velocity and attitude. However, it is hard to characterize their actual positioning and navigation performance capabilities due to the disparate sensor and software technologies adopted among manufacturers and the high influence of environmental conditions, and therefore, a unified certification process is missing. This paper presents the analysis results obtained from the assessment of two modern smartphones regarding their positioning accuracy (i.e., precision and trueness) capabilities (i.e., potential and limitations) based on a practical but rigorous methodological approach. Our investigation relies on the results of several vehicle tracking (i.e., cruising and maneuvering) tests realized through comparing smartphone obtained trajectories and kinematic parameters to those derived using a high-end GNSS/IMU system and advanced filtering techniques. Performance testing is undertaken for the HTC One S (Android) and iPhone 5s (iOS). Our findings indicate that the deviation of the smartphone locations from ground truth (trueness) deteriorates by a factor of two in obscured environments compared to those derived in open sky conditions. Moreover, it appears that iPhone 5s produces relatively smaller and less dispersed error values compared to those computed for HTC One S. Also, the navigation solution of the HTC One S appears to adapt faster to changes in environmental conditions, suggesting a somewhat different data filtering approach for the iPhone 5s. Testing the accuracy of the accelerometer and gyroscope sensors for a number of maneuvering (speeding, turning, etc.,) events reveals high consistency between smartphones, whereas the small deviations from ground truth verify their high potential even for critical ITS safety applications.

Towards distribution-based calibration for traffic simulation

Traffic simulation models have seen increasing use during the past decades. One of the biggest challenges related to their successful application is effective calibration and validation. Emerging data collection techniques provide richer data that can be used to improve this process. In this research, we explore the use of distributions of collected data (such as accelerations, using opportunistic sensors, such as smart-phone accelerometers) for calibration purposes. The performance of the considered ubiquitous sensors is benchmarked against reference equipment, to evaluate its accuracy under different conditions. A methodology is proposed for the integration of distributions of data in traffic simulation model calibration and validation.

Deck and Cable Dynamic Testing of a Single-span Bridge Using Radar Interferometry and Videometry Measurements

Abstract This paper presents the dynamic testing of a roadway, single-span, cable-stayed bridge for a sequence of static load and ambient vibration monitoring scenarios. Deck movements were captured along both sideways of the bridge using a Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and a Ground-based Microwave Interfererometer (GBMI) system. Cable vibrations were measured at a single point location on each of the six cables using the GBMI technique. Dynamic testing involves three types of analyses; firstly, vibration analysis and modal parameter estimation (i. e., natural frequencies and modal shapes) of the deck using the combined DIC and GBMI measurements. Secondly, dynamic testing of the cables is performed through vibration analysis and experimental computation of their tension forces. Thirdly, the mechanism of cable-deck dynamic interaction is studied through their Power Spectra Density (PSD) and the Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT) analyses. Thereby, the global (deck and cable) and local (either deck or cable) bridge modes are identified, serving a concrete benchmark of the current state of the bridge for studying the evolution of its structural performance in the future. The level of synergy and complementarity between the GBMI and DIC techniques for bridge monitoring is also examined and assessed.

Full-scale testing and performance evaluation of an active RFID system for positioning and personal mobility

This paper presents a series of tests and analyses undertaken to investigate the performance capabilities of an active RFID system (Freaquent®) for asset tracking and personal mobility. The RFID system was tested exhaustively considering a number of user requirements including maximum operating distance, antenna orientation, position accuracy, the influences caused by nearby objects and the operating environment. For this purpose, various positioning techniques were applied based on the lateration and fingerprinting positioning concepts. Analysis revealed that the lateration technique is sensitive to operational environment; however, as long as a representative “RSS to distance” model is established the method can deliver accuracies of the order of 0.7 m at unobstructed line-of-sight conditions. Location fingerprinting has shown that large temporal variations can occur partly which effect the radio maps of RSS distributions significantly. Thus, RSS training measurements have to performed at regular intervals to guarantee acceptable positioning accuracies on the meter-level.

A low-cost wireless sensors positioning solution for indoor parking facilities management

Abstract A relatively low-cost system for indoor parking facilities management is proposed, which is a combined solution of RFID/WiFi and a MEMS IMU monitoring scheme. An RFID localisation module is proposed in the form of so-called virtual gates. To define such virtual gates, either RFID tags or readers are placed at known locations throughout the area of interest. In this study, a number of tags are fixed at known positions and a moving reader is carried by each participating vehicle. Based on this configuration set-up, the Cell of Origin (CoO) technique is applied, in which the system indicates the presence of the user carrying the reader in a cell around the tag location. To define a virtual gate, tags are installed along the parking lot corridors and at critical transit passages in the parking facility. The CoO technique is also proposed in the case of WiFi for location determination of vehicles in a multi-storey car park. In this study, WiFi is employed to monitor the passing vehicles and bridge the gap until a tag can detect a user’s reader again. Thus, a combined positioning solution of RFID and WiFi is achieved. As a complement to the proposed RFID/WiFi system, this study examines the potential and limitations of MEMS IMU sensors (i.e. accelerometers, gyroscopes and barometers) commonly found in modern smartphones. The paper concludes with a detailed discussion on the implications of alternative positioning techniques for indoor parking management.

Structural integrity verification of cable stayed footbridge based on FEM analyses and geodetic surveying techniques

This paper presents the mathematical models developed for the design of a pedestrian, cable stayed bridge, the geodetic monitoring procedures and their detailed cross-comparisons and analyses undertaken during the phases of construction and at commissioning stage. Because of the asymmetric design, the relative flexibility of the pylons, the eccentric positioning of the central joint and the off-plane low angles of the cables, a multi-sensor, event based geodetic monitoring scheme was adopted to assess the structural integrity of the bridge. During construction, the bridge kinematics were measured along both sides of the deck and at selected points on the pylon facades using a digital level and a high accuracy total station used in metrology respectively. At a commissioning stage, a number of load test series were undertaken using conventional geodetic techniques and a tactical grade Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). Analysis confirmed the overall mathematical modelling assumptions made for the individual stages of construction and for the completed structure. However, analysis also revealed the increased structural rigidity of the structure. This particularly applies for the torsional stiffness of the deck that exhibits low (by a factor of 0·5) rotation angles compared to those obtained from the analytical models.