Camera calibration and vehicle tracking: Highway traffic video analytics

We describe a real-time highway surveillance system (RHSS), which operates autonomously to collect statistics (speed and volume) and generates incident alerts (e.g., stopped vehicles). The system is designed to optimize long-term real-time performance accuracy. It also provides convenient integration to an existing surveillance infrastructure with different levels of service. Innovations include a novel 3-D Hungarian algorithm which is utilized for object tracking and a practical, hands-off mechanism for camera calibration. Speed is estimated based on trajectories after mapping/alignment with respect to dominant paths learned based on an evolutionary dynamics model. The system, RHSS, is intensively evaluated under different scenarios such as rain, low-contrast and high-contrast lightings. Performance is presented in comparison to a current commercial product. The contribution is innovation of new technologies that enable hands-off calibration (i.e., automatic detection of vanishing points) and improved accuracy (i.e., illumination balancing, tracking via a new 3-D Hungarian algorithm, and re-initialization of background detection on-the-fly). Results indicate the capability and applicability of the proposed system in real-time and real-world settings.     

About the possibilities of using the renewable energy power sources on railway transport

Several electrification systems based on renewable energy power sources (first of all, solar energy) are discussed in respect to their applicability to railway transport and, in particular, to suburban electric trains. Two systems are considered with basic technical details and economic estimation, both including the onboard bank of batteries and the photovoltaic converters (PVC) of solar energy for compensation of energy expenses, which could be positioned either on stations or on wagon's roofs. Sun‐tracking systems and their effect on the solar energy conversion efficiency are discussed in application to stationary and moving PVC platforms. An analysis made shows that introduction of the “green” systems discussed will not only have positive ecological impact, but also can bring a notable economical effect even with today's components, while it could be considerably greater with the usage of new PVCs, which are being developed by the authors. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Trip generation and distribution: the inconsistency problem and a possible remedy

There are many shortcomings commonly associated with the conventional urban transportation modeling process. This paper focuses on one of the more important problems — the inconsistency between trip generation and distribution components — and suggests a possible way of alleviating it. The suggested approach involves sorting out the independent effects on tripmaking of origin, destination and travel cost characteristics, and introducing accessibility measures explicitly into the modeling process. The resulting modeling framework can be used to obtain consistent estimates of trip generation and distribution quantities which are responsive to changes in the transportation and spatial systems.     

Prioritizing new bicycle facilities to improve low-stress network connectivity

This paper introduces a new method to prioritize bicycle improvement projects based on accessibility to important destinations, such as grocery stores, banks, and restaurants. Central to the method is a new way to classify “bicycling stress” using marginal rates of substitution which are commonly developed through empirical behavioral research on bicyclist route choice. MRS values are input parameters representing bicycling stress associated with the number of lanes and speed limit of a street. The method was programmed as a geographic information system tool and requires commonly available data. The tool is demonstrated on three improvement scenarios that were recently proposed for Seattle, Washington. The full build-out scenario consists of 771 projects that include various new bike lanes, protected bike lanes, and multi-use trails. The tool produces priority rankings based on a project’s ability to improve low-stress connectivity between homes and important destinations. The analysis identifies specific areas and neighborhoods that can be expected to exhibit better bikeability. Transportation planners can use the tool to help communicate anticipated project impacts to decision-makers and the public.     

物流网络优化中路径问题的研究

在深入分析物流系统化和网络化的基础上,对物流网络优化中物流路径问题进行研究,通过分析物流结构模型和数学模型,提出了最短路径和关键路径物流策略的分析方法,给出了具体的计算方法,并举实例加以说明,为解决现代物流结构中存在的系统设计和运作等问题提供了理论依据和技术方法。     

混合不确定条件下绿色多式联运路径优化

主要研究了当运输时间、中转时间、客户需求和中转集拼货运量四重混合不确定因素服从随机分布时的绿色多式联运路径优化问题，运用随机优化理论，以运输成本、碳排放成本和时间惩罚成本为目标，建立混合不确定条件下绿色多式联运路径优化模型.通过对各子目标函数权重进行赋值，得出考虑不同成本因素的多式联运路径优化方案.探讨时间、需求和网络服务能力对多式联运路径优化结果的灵敏度分析，发现各成本随时间变动而变化的规律和边际运输成本最小时的服务时间；当货运量形成规模效应后可降低边际运输成本；不同网络服务规模的运输路径优化结果，以及满足客户不确定需求的最小网络配置.     

铁路旅客旅行换乘方案优选算法

为给铁路旅客选择合理的旅行方案提供参考,以旅行目标值与换乘目标值之和最小作为目标函数值,考虑旅客从起点站出发、最终到达终到站、在中转站进出平衡的约束条件,建立旅客旅行换乘方案选择问题的数学模型。分别给出旅行时间、换乘次数、票价、距离、到发时刻和综合指数6种目标权值的确定方法,提出最短路法和列车匹配法2种求解方法。最短路法是通过构造并简化旅客运输网络,求出网络上若干条次短路,再根据各条次短路上列车的接续,构造列车换乘方案网络图,根据该网络的目标权值确定最短路,得到最优换乘方案。列车匹配法是根据列车运行图信息直接搜索发、到站的接续列车集合,求其两列车对应的重合停车站,根据重合停车站集合的情况选择迭代步数,剔除显然不利方案,构成换乘方案,根据方案的权值进行比选,得到最优换乘方案。对2种算法均用C#编程实现,并用现有的全路客票数据进行检算。计算结果表明:2种算法均能得到最优换乘方案;列车匹配法所用计算时间比最短路法少160 ms。     

Use of a probabilistic particle tracking model to simulate the Prestige oil spill

A probabilistic particle tracking model is used to simulate the oil dispersion after the Prestige wreckage. This oil spill constitutes a suitable benchmark to analyze the capabilities of a probabilistic model, since the time elapsed from wreckage to oil landing (12 days) is much longer than the reliability time associated with forecast winds, usually on the order of 3–4 days. The particle model can be run in two different modes: real time mode (when existing reliable wind fields for the event under scope) and in probabilistic mode (in absence of reliable wind fields but with historical fields corresponding to a similar period). The validity of the particle model is first evaluated in a hindcast way, running the Prestige case with the wind fields corresponding to the period November 19 to November 30, 2002, which were not available at the moment of the wreckage. Calculations show the accuracy of the model to provide the right impact point and timing. The probabilistic model is then used to simulate the same event by means of historical data. The region where the oil landed is shown to be the area with the highest probability to be impacted.     

机车出租效益论证计算方法的探讨

根据机车出租收费标准,讲述了机车出租效益论证计算的基本原则,由此确定出效益计算的基本流程和基本方法,并以计算工作底稿实例加以说明,最后提出尚存在的问题和改进建议。