Bidirectionally Coupled Network and Road Traffic Simulation for Improved IVC Analysis

Sommer, Christoph; German, Reinhard; Dressler, Falko · 2010 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1109/tmc.2010.133

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Summary

This paper addresses the critical challenge of realistically simulating Inter-Vehicle Communication (IVC) protocols within Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs). The authors argue that traditional simulation methods, which often rely on offline mobility traces or simple random waypoint models, fail to capture the bidirectional interaction between network behavior and road traffic. Specifically, offline traces cannot model how IVC-generated alerts (e.g., incident warnings) influence driver behavior and traffic flow. To resolve this, the paper introduces Veins (Vehicles in Network Simulation), a hybrid framework that bidirectionally couples the OMNeT++ network simulator with the SUMO microscopic road traffic simulator. The Veins framework enables real-time interaction between the two simulation domains via a TCP connection. OMNeT++ manages network protocol events and node mobility, while SUMO handles realistic vehicle dynamics, including lane changes, traffic lights, and route planning based on accurate street maps. The coupling allows OMNeT++ to send commands to SUMO (such as rerouting vehicles or stopping them to simulate jams) and receive updated mobility traces (positions and speeds) in return. This closed-loop system ensures that network simulations can dynamically influence traffic patterns, and traffic conditions can simultaneously affect network performance. The authors also integrated a CO2 emission model to assess environmental impacts. To validate the framework, the authors conducted a proof-of-concept study evaluating two IVC protocols for incident warning: a centralized Traffic Information System (TIS) using TCP and roadside infrastructure, and a decentralized, self-organizing TIS using UDP-based broadcasting. These protocols were tested in both a simple Manhattan Grid topology and a realistic scenario using street maps of Erlangen, Germany. In the simulations, vehicles receiving incident warnings adjusted their routes to avoid congestion, thereby altering traffic density and flow. The results demonstrated that the bidirectional coupling accurately reflected how drivers react to IVC information, such as rerouting around obstructions, which in turn affected the overall traffic simulation. The significance of this work lies in advancing the state-of-the-art for VANET performance evaluation. By providing a tool that captures the mutual influence of network protocols and road traffic, Veins enables more accurate and realistic assessments of IVC applications, such as safety alerts and route optimization. The authors conclude that bidirectional coupling is essential for meaningful evaluation, as it allows researchers to study the impact of network protocols on traffic behavior and vice versa. The framework is freely available under the GPL license, facilitating broader adoption and comparison within the research community.

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• v2x connected vehicle

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• Methodological Resource: tool software