Using Machine Learning to Enhance Vehicles Traffic in ATN (PRT) Systems

Abstract: This paper discusses new techniques to enhance Automated Transit Networks (ATN, previously called Personal Rapid Transit - PRT) based on Artificial Intelligence tools. The main direction is improvement of the cooperation of autonomous modules that use negotiation protocols, following the IoT paradigm. One of the goals is to increase ATN system throughput by tuning up autonomous vehicles cooperation. Machine learning (ML) was used to improve algorithms designed by human programmers. We used "existing controls" corresponding to near-optimal solutions and built refinement models to more accurately relate a system's dynamics to its performance. A mechanism that mostly influences ATN performance is Empty Vehicle Management (EVM). The algorithms designed by human programmers was used: calls to empty vehicles for waiting passengers and balancing based on reallocation of empty vehicles to achieve better regularity of their settlement. In this paper we discuss how we can improve these algorithms (and tune them to current conditions) by using ML to tailor individual behavioral policies. Using ML techniques was possible because our algorithm is based on a set of parameters. A number of weights and thresholds could be tuned up to give better decisions on moving empty vehicles across the track.