Ad Hoc Distributed Dynamic Data-Driven Simulations of Surface Transportation Systems

An ad hoc distributed dynamic data-driven simulation is a collection of autonomous online simulations brought together to model an operational system. They offer the potential of increased accuracy, responsiveness, and robustness compared to centralized approaches. They differ from conventional distributed simulations in that they are created bottom-up rather than top-down. They combine concepts from conventional distributed simulations and replicated trials, raising new issues in data management and synchronization. In this article, the ad hoc simulation approach and an optimistic synchronization algorithm are proposed. A prototype coupling in-vehicle transportation simulation is evaluated and shown to yield results comparable to a traditional replicated experiment for the tested scenarios. Experiences applying this concept to a commercial transportation simulator in an emergency scenario are described.