Adverse weather conditions can increase travel risk. Understanding how drivers react to adverse weather, such as rainfall, can aid in the understanding of road safety patterns and traffic operations. This information can in turn be used to improve driver education as well as highway operation through improved signing or the introduction of intelligent highway systems. Hourly rainfall data collected from the Pearson International Airport weather station and City of Toronto traffic data collected at the study site on the Gardiner expressway were used to create event and control pairs. In total, 115 hours with rainfall were matched to control data one week before or after the rainfall event. The traffic sensor at the study site collected speed, volume, and occupancy data at 20-second intervals, which was aggregated to five minutes. In addition, speed deviation and headway data at the 5-minute interval were used for analysis purposes. Two methods were used to test the effects of rainfall on traffic variables and the relationships between them. Matched pair t-tests were used to determine the magnitude of change between event and control conditions for the volume, speed, speed deviation, and headway variables for congested and uncongested traffic conditions. In addition, stepwise multiple linear regression was used to test the effects of rainfall on speed-volume and volume-occupancy relationships. Results of the matched pair t-tests indicated that volumes, speeds, and speed deviations dropped in event conditions, while headways increased slightly. Changes tended to be greater for congested than uncongested conditions. Linear regression results indicated that changes in speed were sensitive to volume conditions, and changes in volume were sensitive to occupancy, although only to a limited extent. Overall, drivers respond to rainfall conditions by reducing both speed and speed deviations, and increasing headway. Reductions in speed are larger in congested conditions, while increases in headway are smaller. Taken in combination, drivers are taking positive steps in order to either maintain or improve safety levels.

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Blink waveform in electrooculogram (EOG) data was used to develop and adjust the method of drowsiness detection in drivers. The origins of some other waveforms in EOG signal were not very clearly understood. The purpose of this thesis work is to study the EOG signal and give explanation of different kind of waveforms in EOG signal, and give suggestions to improve the blink detection algorithm. The road driving test video records and synchronized EOG signal were used to build an EOG library. By comparing the video record of the driver’s face and the EOG data, the origin of the unknown waveforms were discovered and related with the driver’s behavior. Literature descriptions were given to explain the EOG signal. The EOG library is the main result of this project. It organized by different types of EOG signal. Description and explanation were given for each type of waveform, as well as some examples. The knowledge gained from the previous research review and the EOG library gives some improvement suggestions for the blink detection algorithm. These suggestions still need to be verified in practical way.

Adverse weather conditions can increase travel risk. Understanding how drivers react to adverse weather, such as rainfall, can aid in the understanding of road safety patterns and traffic operations. This information can in turn be used to improve driver education as well as highway operation through improved signing or the introduction of intelligent highway systems. Hourly rainfall data collected from the Pearson International Airport weather station and City of Toronto traffic data collected at the study site on the Gardiner expressway were used to create event and control pairs. In total, 115 hours with rainfall were matched to control data one week before or after the rainfall event. The traffic sensor at the study site collected speed, volume, and occupancy data at 20-second intervals, which was aggregated to five minutes. In addition, speed deviation and headway data at the 5-minute interval were used for analysis purposes. Two methods were used to test the effects of rainfall on traffic variables and the relationships between them. Matched pair t-tests were used to determine the magnitude of change between event and control conditions for the volume, speed, speed deviation, and headway variables for congested and uncongested traffic conditions. In addition, stepwise multiple linear regression was used to test the effects of rainfall on speed-volume and volume-occupancy relationships. Results of the matched pair t-tests indicated that volumes, speeds, and speed deviations dropped in event conditions, while headways increased slightly. Changes tended to be greater for congested than uncongested conditions. Linear regression results indicated that changes in speed were sensitive to volume conditions, and changes in volume were sensitive to occupancy, although only to a limited extent. Overall, drivers respond to rainfall conditions by reducing both speed and speed deviations, and increasing headway. Reductions in speed are larger in congested conditions, while increases in headway are smaller. Taken in combination, drivers are taking positive steps in order to either maintain or improve safety levels.

Many researchers and engineers designing laser drivers for data rates at or above 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) implemented their designs using integrated circuit technologies that provide high bandwidth and good quality passive components such as GaAs, silicon bipolar, and InP. However, in low-cost and high volume short-haul applications at data rates of around 10 Gbps (such as LAN, MAN, and board-to-board interconnection), there has been an increasing interest in commercial CMOS technology for implementing the laser driver. This is because CMOS technology has unique advantages such as low power and low cost of fabrication that are the result of high yield and a high degree of integration. Therefore, the objective of this research in this dissertation is to investigate the possibility of implementing a high-speed CMOS laser driver for these cost sensitive applications. The high-speed CMOS laser drivers designed in this research are of two types. The first type is a low power laser driver for driving a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). The other driver type is a high current laser driver for driving edge-emitting lasers such as double-heterojunction (DH), multiquantum well (MQW), or Febry-Perrot (FP) lasers. The parasitic effects of the layout geometry are crucial in the design of the high-speed laser drivers. Thus, in this research, all simulations contain a complete set of parasitic elements extracted from the layout of the laser driver. To test laser drivers, chip-on-board (COB) technology is employed, and printed circuit boards (PCBs) to test the laser drivers are designed at the same time as the laser drivers themselves and manufactured specifically for these tests. This research makes two significant new contributions to the technology that are reported and described here. One is the first 10 Gbps performance of a differential CMOS laser driver with better than 10-14 bit-error-rate (BER). The second is the first demonstration of a heterogeneous integration method to integrate independently grown and customized thin film lasers onto CMOS laser driver circuits to form an optical transmitter.

During a signal malfunction, traffic signals are operated in the flash mode. During this event, drivers are presented with one of two possible scenarios: (1) flashing yellow on the major street and flashing red on the minor street or (2) flashing red on all approaches. Yellow/red flash is typically the default mode utilized based on the expectation that red/red flash would produce an intolerable amount of delay. However, little research has been conducted to date on flashing operations, with exception of low-volume nighttime conditions. A traffic signal malfunction can occur during any time of the day, potentially placing the signal into flash mode under moderate to peak traffic volume conditions. In order to assess the safety implications of these events and improve the process by which the mode of flash (yellow/red versus red/red) is selected, the research contained in this study evaluated driver behavior and the operational characteristics of intersections operating in malfunction flash mode under a wide spectrum of traffic demands. Analysis of field data collected at thirteen study intersections in the Atlanta, Georgia area found that confusion exists among drivers approaching a signal in flash mode. The analysis found that a significant percentage of vehicles stop on a yellow indication. It was seen that an intersection flashing yellow/red could operate as a two-way stop or four-way stop, potentially transitioning between these two alternatives on a minute-by-minute basis. This creates an increased potential for crashes and further compounds the problem of driver expectancy by creating a constantly changing control environment. The stopping on yellow also introduces additional delay, which reduces the operational benefit of utilizing the yellow/red flash mode. Furthermore, a high level of traffic violations was observed for the flashing red indications for both yellow/red and red/red flashing operation. Based upon the study results, providing one consistent mode of flashing operation may be a reasonable solution to improving driver expectancy and safety. Red/red flashing operation is the preferred mode as it reduces vehicle speeds and the variability in the number of vehicles stopping, while improving driver expectancy.

In this thesis, the author developed a retroreflective sheeting selection technique for traffic signs. Previous research was used to determine the luminance needed by drivers (demand luminance). The author used roadways scenarios to determine the amount of luminance the retroreflective sheeting on a sign would produce (supply luminance). A spreadsheet was developed to determine the performance of different retroreflective sheeting types by comparing the demand and supply luminance for specific roadway scenarios. Using the results of previous studies, three demand luminance levels were created: replacement, adequate, and desirable. The replacement level represents the level of luminance when a sign needs to be replaced and is 2.5 cd/m2. The adequate level is the recommended amount of luminance when installing new traffic signs and is 10 cd/m2. The desirable level is the approximate level when additional luminance has diminishing returns and is 30 cd/m2. Supply luminance on a specific traffic sign was determined by evaluating roadway geometries, sign placement, retroreflective sheeting type and vehicle data. The author reviewed roadway geometries in Texas to estimate typical number of lanes, shoulder widths and horizontal curvature in the US. Sign placement from the MUTCD determined the typical lateral placements, sign heights, and sign twists. Vehicle data included vehicle dimensions and headlamp type. Both the supply and demand luminance were determined for a specific viewing distance for a given scenario. The viewing distance is the distance a driver needs to read or recognize a sign to respond properly. In addition, the type of sign, alphanumeric or symbol, determined how this distance was calculated. The author developed four sign groups to calculate the distance required to read and respond to a traffic sign, including 1) Stop required, 2) Reduction in speed required, 3) Read the message provided, and 4) Change of lane required. For symbol signs, the minimum required visibility distance (MRVD) was determined for the sign group and for text signs, the viewing distance at a legibility index (LI) of 30 ft/in was found. At these distances, the author calculated the supply luminance and then compared it to the demand luminance levels to determine the performance level. The author developed the Retroreflective Sheeting Selection Spreadsheet (RSSS) to allow others to use the methodology presented in this thesis. RSSS allows users to input the roadway data, vehicle data, and sign data. RSSS takes this information and looks up the supply luminance for the scenario. RSSS then compares the supply luminance to the demand luminance levels and outputs the retroreflective sheeting performance level for the scenario.

This thesis mainly presents a LED driver circuit based on single-stage Flyback converter with power factor correction. Power factor correction technique is applied for constant current driver. Accroding to different magnetize inductance current operating mode, two methods are used to improve the drawbacks of Flyback converter which is operated in open loop. Discontinuous conduction mode is controlled by single loop which is called voltage follower control. Continuous conduction mode is controlled by dual loop, that applied to nonlinear carrier control(NLC). Multiplier is usually used to traditional power factor correction, but it is expensive. To reduce the system cost, a multiplier is removed from NLC. The designed circuit is verified by SPICE software and experiments. From simulation and experimental results, it shows the proposed system achieves the goal with high power factor and constant output current.

In the thesis, a LED driver circuit that is applied in low power LED lighting with constant output current and Power Factor Correction (PFC) is presented. For power stage of LED driver, a non-insulated switching Buck power converter without transformer is used, and develop equivalent mathematical model and block diagram of Buck converter while its inductor current operating in Continuous Conduction Mode(CCM). Furthermore, the closed loop PFC control circuit is designed by time-domain and frequency-domain analysis. In addition, because of the classical PFC control configuration needs the expensive multiplier, a LED driver circuit with PFC without multiplier is presented in this thesis in order to reduce the system cost and space of the circuit. Then, we confirm the designed circuit by simulation and experiment. By the results, the proposed system achieves constant output current control and power factor can reach to 0.92.

In the thesis, an LED driver circuit with Power Factor Correction (PFC) and constant output current is presented. For open-loop LED driver, an insulated switching Flyback power converter is designed, and the Flyback converter will be operated in Continuous Conduction Mode(CCM). One develops equivalent mathematical model for the drivers system. The main part of this thesis is about the design and the study of a closed loop PFC control circuit using inductor voltage sensing technology. In addition, one introduces another traditional inductor current sensing control technique is included to compare with the designed control circuit. Then, one confirms the designed circuits by simulation and the experiment. From the results, the power factor can reach to 0.97, and the expected constant output current control has also been achieved.