Connected vehicle applications for adaptive overhead lighting (on-demand lighting) : final research report.
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Summary
This report details the development and evaluation of an on-demand roadway lighting system designed to reduce energy consumption while maintaining safety. The research was motivated by the potential for significant energy savings through the use of Light Emitting Diode (LED) luminaires, which can be switched on and off instantaneously, unlike traditional high-pressure sodium lamps. By integrating Connected Vehicle Technology (CVT), specifically Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), the system senses vehicle presence and activates lighting only when necessary. The study aimed to determine if this "just-in-time" lighting would compromise driver visual performance, specifically regarding the detection of pedestrians and hazards, or cause distraction. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) developed a prototype system on the Virginia Smart Road. The architecture utilized DSRC to transmit vehicle position, speed, and heading data to roadside equipment, which communicated with a local luminaire controller to activate LED lights ahead of the vehicle. The researchers evaluated five potential communication scenarios, ultimately selecting a DSRC-based approach due to its low latency (<100 ms), whereas cellular technologies were deemed too slow (1.5–3.5 s latency) for safety-critical applications. To assess human factors, the team conducted experimental testing with drivers using in-vehicle instrumentation. The study measured pedestrian detection distances, orientation recognition, and target detection under varying conditions of forward lighting distance and vehicle speed. Additionally, participants completed surveys to gauge subjective reactions to the lighting system. The results indicated a clear relationship between vehicle speed and the required forward lighting distance for effective hazard detection. However, the study found only a small, statistically insignificant practical difference in visual performance between on-demand lighting and continuously-on lighting conditions. Drivers were able to detect pedestrians and targets effectively under the on-demand system, provided sufficient forward lighting was maintained. Survey data revealed that participants generally accepted the technology, did not find it distracting as long as minimum lighting conditions were met, and perceived the environment as safe. The findings suggest that the system does not negatively impact driver reaction times or visual capabilities compared to traditional lighting. The significance of this research lies in demonstrating that on-demand lighting is a viable method for reducing energy usage in transportation infrastructure without sacrificing safety. The authors conclude that the primary applications for this technology are roadways with low nighttime traffic volumes, areas with high accident rates, and high-conflict zones such as intersections and pedestrian crossings. By validating the human factors and technical feasibility of CVT-enabled adaptive lighting, the report supports the broader adoption of connected vehicle technologies to improve energy efficiency and sustainability in surface transportation.
Key finding
Visual performance testing revealed a relationship between speed and the amount of forward lighting needed to detect pedestrians and hazards, with no statistically significant practical difference in visual performance between on-demand lighting and continuously-on lighting conditions.
Methodology
lab_experiment
Provenance
The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).
| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | rosap | — | — | 2 | 2026-05-23 |
| archive | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| chunk | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| embed | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-02 |
| enrich | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 3 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 19 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
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