- 1 - Towards High Confidence Cyberphysical Systems for Intelligent Transportation Systems Aniruddha Gokhale, Sumant Tambe, Larry Dowdy and Gautam Biswas Dept of EECS, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235 Contact: a.gokhale@vanderbilt.edu Abstract: The transportation sector worldwide is significantly stressed due to the inability of the infrastructure to meet the demands of ever increasing traffic volumes. Traffic congestion problems continue to worsen, leading to substantial adverse economic and environmental impact. Increased volume and hazardous weather/road conditions lead to an increasing number of multi-vehicle accidents and fatalities. The Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) efforts across the world are aimed at addressing a range of problems including decreasing congestion, reducing fuel consumption, and improving safety of our roadways. Cyberphysical systems (CPS) will play a major role in the design and implementation of ITS systems. For example, CPS such as automatic collision avoidance systems may prevent accidents, while automated vehicle re-routing services may alleviate traffic congestion. This position paper outlines research opportunities for cyberphysical systems in ITS, and discusses the challenges in realizing them. 1 Introduction Commuters in major cities worldwide are experiencing an increase in traffic congestion and delays. This is a result of growing urban sprawl, increasing population, and improving vehicular affordability to the masses. Thus, there are more drivers and more vehicles but not a corresponding increase in road and highway capacities. According to a recent report [1], in 2006 there were an estimated 199 million licensed drivers in the USA alone. Traffic congestion has adverse consequences on safety, the economy, and the environment. The loss of productivity due to delays stemming from suboptimal traffic patterns and increased fuel consumption leads to adverse economic consequences. For example, a recent report [2] from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) estimated losses incurred within the USA amounted to $78 billion in the year 2006. Several studies [3][4][5] demonstrate an increase in greenhouse emissions due to idling vehicles during traffic jams. Safety issues can also stem from hazardous weather and road conditions. For example, slick roads and icy bridges during winter are known to cause numerous accidents and loss of life. Other weather phenomena, such as fog and high wind, often result in multi-vehicle collisions. For example, as recently as January 9, 2008, brush fire and fog resulted in a 70 car chain-reaction accident on I-4 in Florida leaving three people dead. To address the increasing demands placed on our transportation resources, and the resulting challenges, research organizations, governments, and industry worldwide are focusing on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) [6]. The ITS problem and its solution space naturally falls within the cyberphysical system framework since it involves a close coupling between physical systems (vehicles) and a distributed information gathering and dissemination infrastructure (wired and wireless networks, sensors, processors, and the accompanying software