Modeling dynamics of traffic flow, information creation and spread through vehicle-to-vehicle communications: A kinetic approach

Abstract

Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology enables the information exchange between vehicles. This connectivity presents significant challenges for traffic flow modeling, as it requires a framework that captures the dynamics of not only vehicle movement, but also information creation and spread. The conventional speed distribution function is extended to incorporate an information state variable alongside time, location, and speed. In addition, a communication success probability is formulated that accounts for the communication range and vehicle density. Information is created based on variations in the minimum speed between all vehicles. Under the framework of kinetic theory for active particles, the evolution equations governing these multiple dynamics are derived to elucidate the interactions between traffic flow, information creation, and spread. The proposed kinetic model facilitates the simulation and evaluation of V2V communication-based applications, thereby enhancing the understanding of overall system behavior. Two numerical experiments, collaborative deceleration and variable speed limits based on V2V communication, are computed to validate the proposed kinetic model.