关键词：预警系统;安全设备;流量控制;自动化;算法;通信
摘 要：The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has contracted with the Western Transportation Institute (WTI) at Montana State University (MSU) to develop an Automated Safety Warning Controller. The controller will interface with roadside devices such as sensors and signs. The controller will allow for automated data collection and application of best practice algorithms to analyze sensor data and to actuate related warning messages to motorists. For instance, wind warning messages might be actuated on a changeable message sign (CMS) when wind speed, as read from a sensor, exceeds a given threshold. The controller allows for remote access and administration via standard IP-based connections established through POTS dialup or direct connection to wired access points, but is not dependent on those connections for operation. In other words, the controller will remain locally operable in the event that outside communication is unavailable for whatever reason. Even if a communication link to the outside is unavailable, the controller will continue to monitor and control its associated devices. This functionality is especially important in rural areas where weather conditions make communications services unreliable when the functionality is needed most. The standardized use of such a device would likely result in decreased maintenance costs, improved reliability, and greater flexibility in implementation when compared with one-of-a-kind deployments.