Autonomous Traffic simulation in unity

Using Reactive Agents to Learn About Bad Driving

A Senior Thesis Presentation

By Matthew Getch (Oddline best Line)

Reactive versus Deliberative

Some agents think, some merely act.

Self-driving, thinking, safe

Uses Sonar to React.

Uses GPS to Deliberate.

25 mph top speed.

Non-networked.

700,000 consecutive miles.1

Unable to discuss the merits of art.

1. As of April 29th 2014

My car!

Totally Reactive

Of Varying Speeds

Perfect Vision 

Raycasting

No turning

All of similar Size

Varying Degrees of Agression

Materials and Methods

Unity Development suite

Drag and Drop Object Creation

Built in Physics Operations

Manages OpenGL graphics

Inherent Scripting interface

Free for Students

C#

Similar to Java enough to matter

Statically Typed

Object Oriented

Integrated Library for Unity

Fast Enough

How to Measure traffic flow

Idea:

Use Checkpoints

Average distance/speed per car

Advantages:

Easy

Fast

Accomplishes Goal

Goal

What behavior is the most problematic

Test?

Create Bad Drivers

Let them be bad

Measure congestion

Greed

Traditional Definition

Locally optimal decisions 

Independent of other agents

Operational Definition

 Endangering other cars

Decisions based solely on time to destination

Code

Higher Speeds/Lower Speeds

Less Vision

What you didn't see

• Multiple Lanes
• The Reactive Component
• Despawning 
• Multiple Lines of Sight

TOdo

• Greedy Car Implementation
• More lanes, More cars
• Speed Gates