Using automated walking gait analysis for the identification of pedestrian attributes

Collecting microscopic pedestrian behavior and characteristics data is important for optimizing the design of pedestrian facilities for safety, efficiency, and comfortability. This paper provides a framework for the automated classification of pedestrian attributes such as age and gender based on information extracted from their walking gait behavior. The framework extends earlier work on the automated analysis of gait parameters to include analysis of the gait acceleration data which can enable the quantification of the variability, rhythmic pattern and stability of pedestrian’s gait. In this framework, computer vision techniques are used for the automatic detection and tracking of pedestrians in an open environment resulting in pedestrian trajectories and the speed and acceleration dynamic profiles. A collection of gait features are then derived from those dynamic profiles and used for the classification of pedestrian attributes. The gait features include conventional gait parameters such as gait length and frequency and dynamic parameters related to gait variations and stability measures. Two different techniques are used for the classification: a supervised k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN) algorithm and a newly developed semi-supervised spectral clustering. The classification framework is demonstrated with two case studies from Vancouver, British Columbia and Oakland, California. The results show the superiority of features sets including gait variations and stability measures over features relying only on conventional gait parameters. For gender, correct classification rates (CCR) of 80% and 94% were achieved for the Vancouver and Oakland case studies, respectively. The classification accuracy for gender was higher in the Oakland case which only considered pedestrians walking alone. Pedestrian age classification resulted in a CCR of 90% for the Oakland case study.     

Modelling parking choices considering user heterogeneity

We examine car driver’s behaviour when choosing a parking place; the alternatives available are free on-street parking, paid on-street parking and parking in an underground multi-storey car park. A mixed logit model, allowing for correlation between random taste parameters and estimated using stated choice data, is used to infer values of time, both when looking for a parking space and for accessing the final destination. Apart from the cost of parking, we found that vehicle age was a key variable when choosing where to park in Spain. We also found that the perception of the parking charge was fairly heterogeneous, depending both on the drivers’ income levels and whether or not they were local residents. Our results can be generalised for personalised policy making related with parking demand management.     

Incorporating human-factors in car-following models: A review of recent developments and research needs

Over the past decades there has been a considerable development in the modeling of car-following (CF) behavior as a result of research undertaken by both traffic engineers and traffic psychologists. While traffic engineers seek to understand the behavior of a traffic stream, traffic psychologists seek to describe the human abilities and errors involved in the driving process. This paper provides a comprehensive review of these two research streams.It is necessary to consider human-factors in CF modeling for a more realistic representation of CF behavior in complex driving situations (for example, in traffic breakdowns, crash-prone situations, and adverse weather conditions) to improve traffic safety and to better understand widely-reported puzzling traffic flow phenomena, such as capacity drop, stop-and-go oscillations, and traffic hysteresis. While there are some excellent reviews of CF models available in the literature, none of these specifically focuses on the human factors in these models.This paper addresses this gap by reviewing the available literature with a specific focus on the latest advances in car-following models from both the engineering and human behavior points of view. In so doing, it analyses the benefits and limitations of various models and highlights future research needs in the area.     

Will a driving restriction policy reduce car trips?—The case study of Beijing,China

A driving restriction policy, as one of the control-and-command rationing measures, is a politically acceptable policy tool to address traffic congestion and air pollution in some countries and cities in the world. Beijing is the first city in China to implement this policy. A one-day-a-week driving restriction scheme was expected to take 20% of cars off the road every week day. Using household survey and travel diary data, we analyze the short-term effect of this driving restriction policy on individual travel mode choice. The data also allow us to identify which demographic groups are more likely to break the restriction rule. The estimates reveal that the restriction policy in Beijing does not have significant influence on individuals’ decisions to drive, as compared with the policy’s influence on public transit. The rule-breaking behavior is constant and pervasive. We found that 47.8% of the regulated car owners didn’t follow the restriction rules, and drove “illegally” to their destination places. On average, car owners who traveled during peak hours and/or for work trips, and whose destinations were farther away from the city center or subway stations, were more likely to break the driving restriction rules. Therefore, Beijing is probably in need of more comprehensive and palatable policy instruments (e.g., a combination of congestion tolls, parking fees, fuel taxes, and high-speed transit facilities) to effectively alleviate traffic congestion and air pollution.     

浅谈公路环评解译工作中遥感影像的选择

对目前公路环评解译工作中常用的TM、SPOT5、QUICK BIRD等影像在分辨率、波谱特征和经济性等方面进行了对比,得知TM影像在分辨率、波谱特性、价格方面均满足公路环评工作的需要,是适合公路环评工作的卫星影像。并以神池至河曲高速公路所在地区的TM影像为例,运用Chavezetal提出的最佳指数法得到了该区域解译的最优波段组合。     

Port privatization under Cournot vs. Bertrand competition: a third-market approach

By incorporating port competition into a third-market model consisting of two exporting firms and one importing country, we demonstrate the endogenous choice of port structures (i.e. privatization or public ownership) under either Bertrand or Cournot competition. In contrast to previous studies on port competition, we analyze the port strategy in view of all trading countries (i.e. importing country and exporting countries). We find that regardless of transport cost, the port ownership strategy alters according to exporting firm’s competition mode. Under Bertrand competition, the choice of port ownership structure depends on the degree of imperfect substitutability. However, under Cournot competition, all trading countries choose same ownership structures of each port. By comparing equilibrium of each competition mode, we show that welfare of exporting country under Cournot competition is higher than under Bertrand competition if goods are sufficiently substitutes. In contrast, importing country prefers Bertrand competition to Cournot competition when the competitive pressure is sufficiently high.     

新型GFRP组合梁翼缘有效分布宽度分析

利用能量变分法推导出均布线荷载作用下新型GFRP组合梁翼缘有效分布宽度的理论公式,通过有限元数值模拟验证理论公式可靠性。并借鉴传统钢-混凝土组合梁分析方法,对新型GFRP组合梁翼缘有效分布宽度各种影响因素进行了参数分析。     

32 m超低高度混凝土T梁动力性能试验与分析

为了研究开行120km/h货车后既有铁路32m超低高度混凝土T梁的运营状况、安全性和加固对策,选取1孔32m超低高度混凝土T梁进行自振频率、挠度、振幅等主要动力性能测试。结果发现跨中横向振幅超过限值,不能满足120km/h货车运行,需要提高该梁的竖向和横向刚度。     

某飞鸟式拱桥拱座开裂加固后静动载试验与分析

针对某飞鸟式拱桥拱座加固后结构性能进行静动载试验。分析了静载试验中控制位置变形、应变,吊杆轴力等控制指标,观测了拱座裂缝变化情况。并采用模态分析法比较动载试验所确定桥面前两阶振型及频率,对实测加速度及动挠度变化规律与理论结果进行比较,计算确定冲击系数。试验结果分析表明,该桥检测指标均能满足要求,行车性能较好。表明该桥拱座加固效果良好,使用性能比较理想,可适应设计荷载等级的要求。