An Integrated Framework for Coupling Traffic and Wireless Network Simulations

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) include a wide range of applications that aim to use state-of-the-art communication and information technologies to enhance and control the flow of traffic. The ability to communicate with cars while travelling on the road is crucial to the success of these systems and thus requires careful studying. This research aims to study the feasibility of deploying wireless communication networks that are capable of collecting data from cars as well as providing them with information about the current traffic situation. We present a platform that integrates a microscopic traffic simulation, Paramics, and a communication network simulator, Omnet++. The integration of both simulators is a key solution to several research problems both on the communications side and on the transportation side. The combined simulator will allow designing and testing ITS Applications, which rely on communication between vehicles, before they are implemented on the streets.MAS