ELECTRONIC CONTROL OF MOTOR VEHICLES ON THE HIGHWAY
MODERN ENGINEERING IN BOTH ROADS AND AUTOMOBILES, AND THE RESULTING HIGHER TRAFFIC SPEEDS, HAVE POINTED TO THE NEED FOR CONSIDERATION OF METHODS TO RELIEVE THE DRIVER OF SOME OF THE MECHANICAL TASKS OF DRIVING. FROM A PURELY TECHNICAL STANDPOINT IT IS ENTIRELY FEASIBLE TO THINK IN TERMS OF COMPLETELY AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF VEHICLES ON LIMITED-ACCESS HIGHWAYS. IT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT FEASIBLE, HOWEVER, TO CONSIDER ANY IMMEDIATE OR SUDDEN CHANGE TO A SYSTEM OF AUTOMATIC CONTROL. ANY SUCH SYSTEM WOULD HAVE TO BE INTRODUCED ON A STEP-BY-STEP BASIS AND AT ALL STAGES WOULD HAVE TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH EXISTING TRAFFIC. ONE OF THE PRIMARY REQUISITES OF ANY VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM IS TO KNOW THE POSITION OF EVERY CAR ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS IMPLIES SOME MEANS OF VEHICLE DETECTION. THE SECOND REQUIREMENT IS TO MAKE KNOWN THE PRESENCE OF EVERY VEHICLE TO THE OTHER VEHICLES MOST IMMEDIATELY CONCERNED, USUALLY THE VEHICLE FOLLOWING BEHIND. THIS IMPLIES A MEANS OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN VEHICLES OR BETWEEN HIGHWAY AND VEHICLE. THE THIRD STEP IS THE APPLICATION OF AUTOMATIC CONTROLS TO A VEHICLE IN RESPONSE TO THE INFORMATION RECEIVED. IN THE PROPOSED SYSTEM THE DETECTION IS ACCOMPLISHED BY A SERIES OF WIRE LOOPS BURIED IN THE ROADWAY. THE PASSAGE OF A CAR REACTS ON THE LOOP IN SUCH A WAY THAT ITS PRESENCE IS DETECTED BY AN ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT ALONGSIDE THE ROAD. THUS EVERY PASSING VEHICLE LEAVES ITS RECORD IN THE FORM OF AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL. COMMUNICATION WITH FOLLOWING, AND IN SOME CASES OTHER, VEHICLES IN AN INTERIM SYSTEM MIGHT BE BY A SERIES OF LIGHTS ALONG THE ROAD WHICH WOULD BE LIGHTED FOLLOWING A CAR AND THUS, IN POOR VISIBILITY OR AROUND A CURVE, WARN A FOLLOWING DRIVER OF ITS PRESENCE. GUIDANCE IS ACCOMPLISHED BY A HIGH-FREQUENCY CABLE IN THE CENTER OF THE LANE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A BALANCED RECEIVING SYSTEM COUPLED TO THE STEERING MECHANISM OF THE CAR. BY THIS MEANS THE CAR CAN BE MADE TO FOLLOW ACCURATELY THE PATH OF THE BURIED CABLE AT ANY SPEED. ALL OF BASIC FEATURES HAVE BEEN DEMONSTRATED BY ACTUAL OPERATION IN A HIGHWAY IN COOPERATION WITH THE NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF ROADS. THE DESIGN AND CONDUCT OF THE DEMONSTRATION ARE DESCRIBED. /AUTHOR/
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Supplemental Notes:
- Vol 37, pp 436-451, 11 FIG, 15 REF. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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Authors:
- Zworykin, V K
- FLORY, L E
- Ress, L N
- O, MARA JJ
- Publication Date: 1958
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board, Washington, D.C., January 6-10, 1958
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Serial:
- Highway Research Board Proceedings
- Volume: 37
- Publisher: Highway Research Board
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Automated highway systems; Automatic control; Dual mode transportation systems; Highways; Motor vehicles
- Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00226020
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Oct 3 1971 12:00AM