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Automated Traffic Signal for Hassle Free Movement of Ambulance

Conference Paper · March 2015

DOI: 10.1109/ICECCT.2015.7226114

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 Automated Traffic Signal for Hassle Free Movement
of Ambulance
Vasuki Shankar*, Ruthvik Gautham, Vedaprakashvarma
Dept. of Electronics and Communication,
BNM Institute of Technology,
Bangalore, India
*vasukishankar118@yahoo.com

Abstract—Each traffic signal is a process which needs to be
scheduled at a time to completion , thus following non preemptive
scheduling. In static traffic systems each traffic signal is provided
with a fixed amount of 'green' time, thus compelling the
Emergency Medical vehicle to wait till the corresponding traffic
signal gets 'green' and the accumulated vehicles starts to move,
thus wasting valuable time. We through the paper like to propose
an alternative solution for hassle free movement of ambulance by
introducing a Dynamic traffic signal using traffic density
measurements, in which the traffic signal flow is modeled as non
preemptive scheduling of processes to which the sole resource
'Time' is allocated effectively so as to felicitate hassle free
movement of ambulance. The traffic densities are measured
using Radio-frequency Identification readers that provide a
count of vehicles, which are fitted with Radio-frequency
identification tags. The distributed server uses a microcontroller
to perform the computations based on the proposed algorithm.
Probability of saving lives is staggeringly more during golden
hour. Keeping this in mind our project aims at providing ample
amount of time for ambulance to not only pass the signal without
hindrance but allows for smooth traffic movement in other roads
joining a junction.
Index terms—Non preemptive scheduling, RFID readers and
tags, Traffic density, GPS.
are obtained using the count of Radio Frequency Identification
(RFID) tags fitted in vehicles.
When ambulance is T seconds away, a non preemptive
scheduling of each path occurs according to the proposed
algorithm, so that the path of the ambulance is green, just
before its arrival. Scheduling refers to provision of resource to
a process, here providing Green time to a particular traffic
signal.
This is done by constantly monitoring the traffic densities on
each path using RFID readers [2][4], preconditioned all the
vehicles are assumed to be fitted with RFID tags [3].
Radio-frequency identification is the transferring of
electronically stored information using radio-frequency
electromagnetic fields through wireless and non-contact media.
Thus enabling automatic detection and identification RFID tags
attached to host objects. RFID tags are broadly classified into
Passive tags and Active tags. Passive tags are powered by
external magnetic field and Active tags use a localized energy
source like batteries and may have a larger range of operation.
Unlike an Infrared transceiver or barcode, the tags need not be
in the line of sight of the reader [9].

I. INTRODUCTION
We believe in the motto that saving lives is better than
anything else. One way to accomplish hassle free movement of
the ambulance is to stop the traffic flow in all other paths
except the one carrying the ambulance [1], which causes
inconvenience to other commuters by increasing traffic pile-up
in other paths joining the Traffic signal junction. The proposed
method aims to prevent this inspite of providing hassle free
movement to the ambulance.
Global Positioning System (GPS) is used to track the
Ambulance (Figure-1). The uniqueness is that the signal is not
made green as soon as ambulance is detected before the
junction. But the functioning of signal continues with different
set of timings taking into account the time (T) required to reach
the traffic signal by knowing the velocity and the distance it
has to travel. The set of timings is in turn governed by the Fig-1, The basic Block diagram representation of the proposed method
value of 'k', the traffic density values ranging from 0 to 1, that
 Global Positioning System (GPS) is a conglomeration of
satellites in the lower Earth orbit, which continuously
broadcast signals that provides three dimensional location,
which is altitude, latitude and longitude along with time. GPS
receivers provide reliable positioning, navigation and timing
services to worldwide users on a continuous basis irrespective
of weather, day and night, anywhere on or near the Earth. The
output is serial data of 9600 baud rate which is standard
NMEA 0183 v3.0 protocol offering industry standard data
message and a command set for easy interface to mapping
software and embedded devices [2].
All the above calculations are done in the microcontroller
based distributed/localized server placed in each traffic signal
junction, eliminating the need for a centralized server.
The Ambulance detection is done as follows. The ambulance’s
position (D) and velocity (V) is continuously monitored using
GPS module placed in the ambulance. When the ambulance is
a few minutes (say 5 minutes) away from the traffic signal an
interrupt is raised in the distributed server aboard the upcoming
traffic signal along with the calculation of the ambulance’s
arrival time, T as follows,
dT = dD / V
Which is communicated to the traffic signal. Note that the
arrival time, T is a variable which is updated after every Green
signal run. This results in a series of calculations by the
localized server based on the proposed algorithm, taking into
account the traffic density, the ambulances arrival and the
waiting commuters. A design of time flow for the traffic
signals has been devised to provide ’traffic free path’ to the
ambulance without affecting the commuters waiting time at the
signal.
II. PROPOSED METHOD
Consider four roads - P1, P2, P3 and P4 meeting at a
junction with each road having a traffic signal pole (Figure-2).
Let the time of Green signal be ' t ' seconds. Thus no
commuter waits for more than 3 t seconds. Let the ambulance
arrive from P4. The interrupt in the local server is raised by the
on board GPS system when the ambulance is ‘ T ’ seconds
away from the traffic signal of P4. T is calculated as the ratio
of its distance, D from the traffic signal junction and the
instantaneous velocity of the ambulance, V m/s. Let D be a
constant, say 1.5 kilometer, with the velocity V m/s being a
variable, resulting in a variable T. Whose best value is
continuously transmitted to local server. The stretch ‘m’ (about
100 meters) near the traffic signal mostly remains jammed.
Thus the signal must be Green at least 20 seconds before the
arrival of the ambulance, m meters from the signal (reduce 20
seconds from T). The ambulance is given 15 seconds to cross
m meters and an additional 15 seconds is given for
unforeseeable delay. The time ‘T-20’ is to be divided rightly
between P1, P2, P3 and P4 so that the ambulance is always
provided a traffic free path at P4.
The traffic density ‘ki ’ is rated from 0 to 1 (minimum to
maximum) by the system and corresponding weights : k1, k2, k3
and k4 are assigned to the paths P1, P2, P3, and P4 respectively.
As T-20 is large compared to the Green signal duration of each
path, the Traffic signals must complete more than one full
cycle before the ambulance arrives at P4 as described.
Fig-2, Control of the traffic signal flow
Two time sharing models are developed, without and with
Traffic density (ki) consideration, using the sequence of flow
generated in the first model, latter is developed. The value of T
is assumed at 300 seconds and T-20 seconds is equally divided
between each path in the method below.
CASE-1 : Excluding the Traffic Density (ki)
If the Ambulance is detected when,
1 The Initial condition- P2 will be Green for the next
15s. The time is divided in the sequence
P3,P4,P1,P2,P3 finally P4 when the ambulance
arrives at it. Providing t = 53 seconds of Green
signal to each path.
2 The Initial condition- P1 will be Green for the next
15s. The time is divided in the sequence
P2,P3,P4,P1,P2,P3 finally P4 when the ambulance
arrives at it. Providing t = 44 seconds of Green
signal to each path.
3 The Initial condition- P3 will be Green for the next
15s. The time is divided in the sequence
P4,P1,P2,P3,P4,P1,P2,P3 finally P4 when the
ambulance arrives at it. Providing t = 33 seconds of
Green signal to each path.
4 The Initial condition- P4 will be Green for the next
15s. The time is divided in the sequence
P1,P2,P3,P4,P1,P2,P3 finally P4 when the ambulance
arrives at it. Providing t = 38 seconds of Green
signal to each path.
CASE-2 : Including the Traffic Density (ki)
In the above method the values of Green time (t) are calculated.
But the traffic density value, ki must be mapped rightly to
include traffic densities of each path and correspondingly
changing the durations of Green time at each signal. The value
of ki received from the RFID module is scaled between 0 and 1
due to which t ki is never greater than t, in spite of a higher
traffic density. Thus ki must be mapped using X,Y,Z and W to
include traffic densities of each path and correspondingly
changing the duration of Green signal time at each traffic
signal. To successfully map it, the following policy must be
followed,
 In the sequence, for the first four traffic signal runs
map ki using X (referring to Eq .1) and
 In the remaining traffic signal runs in the sequence
map ki using Y (referring to Eq .2), if three terms are
left or using Z (referring to Eq .3), if two terms are
left or using W (referring to Eq .4), if one term is left.
Satisfying the equations,
Sum any three terms of ki, :
etc
Sum of any two terms of ki :
etc
Any one term of ki :
etc
And,
The value of T is updated by the microcontroller after every
traffic signal run, thus noticeable changes in velocity and
distance covered by the Ambulance, in other than the
predictable manner will lead to scheduling with newer T. And
hence different values of Green signal timings for each signal.
ii) When more than one Ambulance arrives at the junction
If the arriving Ambulances are separated by a greater duration
of time the above proposed algorithm can be implemented
individually, In rarer cases the Ambulances arrive from
different directions towards the junction at closer time
differences the method used in [2] can be implemented for the
second or further Ambulances keeping traffic densities in
mind. For Ambulances arriving from the same direction the
first arrival can be accounted for using the proposed Algorithm
and the successive Ambulances can be accounted for keeping
in mind the traffic densities.
IV. RESULTS
(1)
Ambulance arrives from P4, with Initial Condition, A=15
seconds. Gr represents this initial Green Signal in progress.
Traffic density values are k1=0.1 , k2= 0.9, k3=0.4 and k4=0.7
(2) The Path of arrival of Ambulance, P4 is always given 60
seconds of Green Time for the ambulance to pass. The time
duration in each Traffic signal is found as, Pi = t * (ki + X), if
Pi is in the first Four traffic signal runs. Pi = t *(ki + Y), if Pi is
(3)
in the next 3 traffic signal runs i.e the 5 th ,6th and 7th traffic
signal run. Pi = t *(ki + Z), if Pi is in the next 2 traffic signal
runs i.e the 5th and 6th term. Pi = t *(ki + W), if Pi is in the next
traffic signal run i.e the 5th term. X, Y, Z and W are found from
Equation-1 to Equation-4.
(4)
TABLE I.

TIME P1 P2 P3 P4 P1 P2 P3 P4 P1 P2 P3 P4 Sum
(s)
CASE1
(5)
‘n’ takes the value 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1… . ‘A’ is the Initial 165 Gr 38 24 32 16 34 21 60 165

Green time elapsed in a particular signal at the Instant of 265 Gr 61 37 52 23 55 33 60 261

Ambulance detection. ‘ki' is the traffic density weights (0 to 1) 315 Gr 72 46 62 30 66 39 60 315
and ‘t’ is the time divided to each signal and T-20 is the time 365 Gr 84 53 71 35 76 46 60 365
required to be divided. For instance, the Interrupt from GPS on
415 Gr 57 36 49 24 57 36 49 24 52 31 60 415
board the ambulance arrives when the signal at P1 is Green.
CASE2
The time left for the arrival of ambulance at m meters from the
signal of P4 is T-20 seconds. Hence the time of Green signal 165 Gr 29 39 19 45 33 60 165
provided to the Traffic signal is (referring to Eq. 5 and the 265 Gr 46 62 30 73 53 60 264
sequence generated in CASE-1), 315 Gr 55 74 36 87 63 60 315
Pi = t * (ki + X), if Pi is in the first Four traffic signal runs. 365 Gr 64 86 42 99 73 60 364
Pi = t *(ki + Y), if Pi is in the next 3 traffic signal runs i.e the
415 Gr 40 54 26 63 40 54 26 63 46 60 412
5th ,6th and 7th traffic signal run. Pi = t *(ki + Z), if Pi is in the
CASE3
next 2 traffic signal runs i.e the 5 th and 6th term. Pi = t *(ki +
W), if Pi is in the next traffic signal run i.e the 5th term. 165 Gr 24 12 28 18 23 11 28 17 60 161
265 Gr 39 19 46 29 38 18 44 33 60 266
III. EXCEPTIONAL CASES
315 Gr 46 23 54 34 45 21 52 39 60 314
i) Ambulance breakdown or Localized traffic jams 365 Gr 54 26 63 40 52 24 61 46 60 366
 415 Gr 61 30 71 45 61 30 71 45 60 414
CASE4
165 14 32 21 28 15 34 22 60 166
265 22 52 33 45 24 54 35 60 265
315 26 62 39 53 28 64 42 60 314
365 30 72 46 61 33 75 49 60 366
415 22 52 33 44 22 52 33 44 24 54 35 60 415
TABLE-1, The various values of Green signal time calculated based on the proposed algorithm

V. CONCLUSION
In developing countries, especially in the South-East Asian
economies, traffic congestions pose a severe problem to
Emergency Medical Services, causing permanent damage to
the patients inside. Most of the traffic signals are static in
nature pressing an urgent need to modify the traffic signals
accordingly. We have proposed an algorithm that can provide
hassle free movement to EMS by not altering the waiting
period of the commuters in other paths. Our System requires
RFID tags to be implemented in every vehicle that can also be
used to store multitudes of data pertaining to the automobile.
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