Global Journal of Advanced Engineering Technologies, Vol2-Issue2-2013
ISSN: 2277-6370
TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM USING
LabVIEW
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1
N.Dinesh Kumar, 2G.Bharagava Sai, 3K.Shiva Kumar
Associate Prof & HOD- EIE, Vignan Institute of Technology & Science, Vignan Hills, Deshmukhi, Nalgonda Dist – 508 284
Student of Final Year EIE, Vignan Institute of Technology & Science, Vignan Hills, Deshmukhi, Nalgonda Dist – 508 284
(2, 3)
Abstract – As vehicular travel is increasing, the problem of
urban traffic congestion spreads and as such there is a pressing
need for the introduction of advanced technology and
equipment to improve the state-of-the-art of traffic control.
Traffic problems now-a-days are increasing because of the
growing number of vehicles and the limited resources
provided by current infrastructures. So a simulating and
optimizing traffic control algorithms for increasing demand is
need of the time. The simplest way for controlling a traffic
light is to use a timer for each phase. In this paper we propose
the Lab VIEW Simulation model for controlling the traffic
lights based on time interval. This Simulation model can be
extended to control the time interval of the traffic light based
on traffic density. This can be even extended to integrated
traffic management system for a metropolitan city based on
the density of traffic.
Keywords- Traffic Light Controller, Traffic flow control, Lab
view
I.INTRODUCTION
In recent years, due to rapid increase in number of
vehicles, traffic congestion has become a significant problem
in many parts of the world. Due to this problem, there has
been decrease in average velocity of the vehicles. People lose
time, miss opportunities, and get frustrated. Traffic congestion
directly impacts the companies. Due to this traffic congestions
there is a loss of money, productivity from workers, trade
opportunities are lost, delivery gets delayed, and thereby the
costs goes on increasing. To solve these congestion problems,
we have to build new facilities and establish latest
infrastructure but at the same time make it smart. Expansion of
roads and lanes is not possible all the times, but building
intelligence into the roads and lanes with advanced technology
is certainly possible. Hence, there is need for a better and
efficient traffic control system. The different types of system
used for solving traffic congestion problems are: 1. Fuzzy
Expert System 2.Artificial Neural Network 3. An Intelligence
Decision-making system for Urban Traffic-Control (IDUTC)
The general structure of a fuzzy traffic lights control
system contains two electromagnetic sensors placed on the
road for each lane. The first sensor behind each traffic lights
counts the number of cars passing the traffic lights, and the
second sensor which is located behind the first sensor counts
the number of cars coming to the intersection. The number of
cars between the traffic lights is determined by the difference
of the reading between the two sensors. This is in contrast to
conventional control systems which place a proximity sensor
at the front of each traffic light and can only sense the
presence of a car waiting at the junction, not the number of
cars waiting at the traffic.
It is possible to design such system to overcome daily
problems of traffic congestion using graphical programming
language Lab VIEW. Among a variety of general purpose
programming platforms National Instrument’s LabVIEW is
widely used graphical code development environment which
allows system level developers to perform rapid prototyping
and testing. It is supported by a powerful and rich collection of
pre written library functions and programming tools meant to
accomplish various tasks related to user controlled
applications
for
equipment
interface,
laboratory
measurements, data visualization and analysis.
II.DESIGN OBJECTIVE
The traditional method for traffic control uses a fixed
time controller. They have predefined cyclic time which
schedules off-line on a central computer based on average
traffic conditions. Present Traffic Light Controllers (TLC) are
based on microcontroller and microprocessor. These TLC
have limitations because it uses the pre-defined hardware,
which is functioning according to the program that does not
have the flexibility of modification on real time basis. Due to
the fixed time intervals of green, orange and red signals the
waiting time is more and car uses more fuel. The fixed time
controller only detects the vehicles not count the number of
vehicles. Due to this there is wastage of time by a green light
for same time on a less congested road as compare to more
congested road, as the time being wasted by the green light on
the empty road.
Some advanced Traffic Light Controllers are being
designed using Fuzzy expert systems and artificial neural
networks. Though they may be efficient in their working, they
are not designer friendly and they can be easily hacked or
manipulated by any one. So, to overcome the above
disadvantages it is highly beneficial to design and implement
Traffic Light Control system using Lab VIEW, a User
friendly, Graphical programming Language.
III. METHODOLOGY
In this section, we concentrate on design of the
traffic light using Lab view. Assuming a constant flow of
traffic (as shown in the figure 1), four cases are discussed in
this section. The methodology which we followed in the
simulation model is clearly shown in Fig. 2. At any given
instant of time, only traffic from one direction is allowed and
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Global Journal of Advanced Engineering Technologies, Vol2-Issue2-2013
ISSN: 2277-6370
flow of traffic in remaining three directions is restricted. Here
we are assuming a constant flow of traffic in all the directions.
Case 1: Green light towards east direction is enabled,
whereas red lights are enabled in north, south and west
directions.
Case 2: Green light towards north is enabled and red lights
are enabled in remaining directions.
Case 3: Ggreen light towards west is enabled and red lights
are enabled in remaining directions.
Case 4: Green light towards south is enabled and red lights
are enabled in others.
As we have assumed a constant flow of traffic in all the
directions, a definite time interval is allotted for each case.
Instead of constant time intervals to all the cases, variable time
intervals can also be set depending on the real time situation.
This cycle continues to repeat.
IV HARDWARE
This section explains about the Hardware
components used for the project completion. Simple
components are used in the design such as : NI USB 6009 and
nine LEDs. This NI USB 6009 enables us to run the VI
designed in LabVIEW practically.
Figure2: Scheme followed
The running of LEDs is programmed in such a way
that Lane A Green light runs for 10 seconds, then the Yellow
light of Lane A and B lanes simultaneously glow for 2 seconds
then simultaneously Red , Green glow on Lanes A and B
respectively. During this period Red lights glow on Lane C
and D. The above mentioned cycle continues from Lane B to
C, then from Lane C to D, then from Lane D to A. Thus the
traffic light sequence continues. The time interval for each
lane can be easily adjusted depending upon the ground
requirement. The experiment model built is shown in Fig. 3.
Figure1: Schematic of Four junction Traffic light
Figure3: Experiment Model
The NI USB 6009 has 12 digital lines on two ports, Port 0
has eight lines and Port 1 has four lines. All these ports can be
individually programmed as Input or output lines. Here in this
model we are using all the lines as output lines in order to
drive 9 LEDs.
V DESIGN OF VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT
LabVIEW programs are called VIs (Virtual
Instrument). This simulation model of Traffic Light is
designed using Local Variables and Flat Sequence Structures.
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Global Journal of Advanced Engineering Technologies, Vol2-Issue2-2013
ISSN: 2277-6370
Local variables: Local Variables provide a way to access
front panel objects from several places in the Block diagram
of a VI in instances where you can’t or don’t want to connect a
wire to the objects terminal. In this model we have used 12
Local variables. The locals used in the program are shown in
Fig. 4.
Flat Sequence Structure: A Sequence structure is an ordered
set of Frame that executes sequentially. A Sequence Structure
executes frame 0, followed by frame 1, then frame 2, until the
last frame executes.
In this model we have used 8 Frames. The frame 0 of Stacked
Sequence structure is shown in Fig. 5.
Figure6: Front Panel of VI
Figure4: Local Variables
Figure5: Frame 0 in a stacked sequence
V SIMULATION AND RESULTS
The project so designed using the components
discussed above and with VI for simulation is finally
executed. The Front panel of this VI is shown in Fig. 6. A
Simple traffic light controller for a four junction using
LabVIEW is simulated and tested.
The 12 local variables and 8 frames in a stacked
sequence are executed and the results obtained are matching
with the aim of the project.
VI CONCLUSION
An automatic Traffic control system is very
important for traffic management in rapidly growing
metropolitans and cosmopolitans. Though there are
conventional methods that are still useful and relevant,
LabVIEW based Traffic control system is relatively easier
approach in operators point of view who operate the traffic
control system because it is very easier to design, redesign,
debug in LabVIEW as it is a Graphical Programming
language. This model can also be extended to program the
timers depending on density. Also this project can be extended
to design Traffic control using an image processing
techniques. The Design and implementation of a LabVIEW
based Integrated Traffic Management system would be very
useful and successful.
REFERENCES
1. Travis, Kring “LabVIEW for Everyone: Graphical
Programming Made Easy and Fun” Third Edition
Pearson Education.
2. National Instruments Developer Zone http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/epd/p/id/6179
3. Pramod Krishnani, Dongun Sui, Chima Anyanwu
“Automatic traffic light control system”, California
State university, Sacramento, 2008.
4. Shilpa S. Chavan (Walke), Dr. R. S. Deshpande, J. G.
Rana, “Design of Intelligent Traffic Light System”,
Second International Conference on Emerging Trends
in Engineering and Technology, ICETET-09
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