CAREER:Multi-Resolution Model and Context Aware Information Networking for Cooperative Vehicle Efficiency and Safety Systems

Abstract: Every year around 30,000 fatalities and 2.2 million injuries happen on US roads. The problem is compounded with huge economic losses due to traffic congestions. Advances in Cooperative Vehicle Efficiency and Safety (CVES) systems promise to significantly reduce the human and economic cost of transportation. However, large scale deployment of such systems is impeded by significant technical and scientific gaps, especially when it comes to achieving real-time and high accuracy situational awareness for cooperating vehicles. This CAREER project aims at closing these gaps through developing fundamental information networking methodologies for coordinated control of automated systems. These methodologies will be based on the innovative concept of modeled knowledge propagation. In addition, the educational component of this project integrates interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) subjects on the design of automated networked systems into graduate and undergraduate training modules. For robust operation, CVES systems require each vehicle to have reliable real-time awareness of the state of other coordinated vehicles. This project addresses the critical need for robust control-oriented situational awareness by developing a multi-resolution information networking methodology that is model- and context-aware. The approach is to develop the novel concepts of model communication and its derived multi-resolution networking. Context-aware model-communication relies on transmission and synchronization of models (e.g., stochastic hybrid system structures and parameters) instead of raw measurements. This allows for high fidelity synchronization of dynamical models of CVES over networks. Multi-resolution networking concept is enabled through scalable representations of models. Multi resolution models allow in-network adaptation of model fidelity to available network resources. The result is robustness of CVES to network service variability. The successful deployment of CVES, even partially, will provide significant societal benefits through reduced traffic accidents and improved efficiency. This project will enable large scale CVES deployment by addressing its scalability challenge. In addition, methodologies developed in this project will be crucial to emerging autonomous vehicles, which are also expected to coordinate their actions over communication networks. The fundamental research outcomes on knowledge propagation through network synchronization of dynamical models will be broadly applicable in other CPS domains such as smart grid. The educational component of this project will target training of CPS researchers and engineers on subjects in intelligent transportation and energy systems.