Use of Nonaggregated Video Data for Bluetooth Validation

The use of traditional point detectors and floating cars are useful for validating the potential of Bluetooth technology for estimating average travel times. But in order to illustrate the potential of Bluetooth for more sophisticated applications such as measuring origin destination trips and deriving travel time distributions, an equally sophisticated validation methodology is required. This paper describes one validation methodology using non-aggregated video data. The methodology involves the human matching of video images using license plate numbers and vehicle features such as make, model, color and other distinguishing characteristics. The application of this methodology to a special event is described using a sample size of approximately 1000 vehicles, which is comparable to other studies of accuracy of Location-Based Technologies. As distinguished from definitions based on the total number of vehicles, the sampling rate here is defined as the percentage of vehicles tracked by Bluetooth of those that traveled the entire origin to destination path. One case study result is that the standard deviation of Bluetooth travel times is large due to the small average sampling rate of 6%. One useful measure produced by Bluetooth is the estimate of out-of-town vehicles versus in-town vehicles using MAC address comparisons over multiple days. One problem encountered with Bluetooth journey times is that it could include intermediate stops such as to gas stations and convenience stores. The potential to use Bluetooth for measuring origin-destination percentages and travel time distributions is shown using the validation data. The focus of this paper is on the validation methodology and not inference thus no statistical testing is discussed.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ABJ30(3) Travel Time, Speed and Reliability
  • Corporate Authors:

    Transportation Research Board

    500 Fifth Street, NW
    Washington, DC  United States  20001
  • Authors:
    • Sun, Carlos
    • Rescot, Robert Andrew
    • Shrock, Steven
  • Conference:
  • Date: 2012

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Figures; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 15p
  • Monograph Title: TRB 91st Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01366437
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: 12-2506
  • Files: TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: Mar 29 2012 7:14AM