Analyzing Contact Patterns in Public Transportation Systems for Opportunistic Communication Services

TL;DR

This paper introduces EMMS, a tool that integrates public transportation data into mobility simulations, enabling detailed analysis of vehicle interactions crucial for developing opportunistic communication services.

Contribution

The paper presents EMMS, a novel tool that automates the inclusion of PTS data into mobility models, facilitating comprehensive statistical analysis of bus movements and interactions.

Findings

Enhanced understanding of bus movement patterns

Improved modeling of vehicle-to-vehicle interactions

Facilitates development of opportunistic communication services

Abstract

Vehicle mobility has a significant impact on wireless communication between vehicles (buses) in Public Transportation Systems (PTS). Nevertheless, the transportation literature does not provide satisfactory models for bus movements because they are influenced by a variety of factors (itineraries, timetables, etc.). Custom-made mobility models that take these issues into account require a great deal of effort and may render simulations unfeasible. This article considers a tool (EMMS) that automatically inserts PTS information into a mobility simulator in order to undertake a complete statistical analysis of vehicular density, trip duration, and vehicle-to-vehicle interaction. In light of opportunistic communication services, this analysis is of the utmost importance.