Traffic congestion avoidance : an approach inspired by swarm intelligence

Abstract

Traffic congestion is a problem faced by all commuters these days. Rather than tackling this issue head-on, we propose a congestion avoidance approach to the matter. An algorithm based on the distributive qualities of Swarm Intelligence is used to this effect, providing individual recommendations to users based solely on travel time information left behind by others. A smartphone application was also designed, while a traffic simulator was used to evaluate the improvement in journey times and monitor vehicles as they were guided to known routes with less congestion.