Traffic systems are highly complex multi-component systems suffering from instabilities and non-linear dynamics, including chaos. This is caused by the non-linearity of interactions, delays, and fluctuations, which can trigger phenomena such as stop-and-go waves, noise-induced breakdowns, or slower-is-faster effects.
The recently upcoming information and communication technologies (ICT), including cheap optical, radar, video, and infrared sensors and mobile communication technologies, promise new solutions of old problems. For example, future adaptive cruise control systems (ACC) will not only increase the comfort and safety of car passengers, but also enhance the stability of traffic flows and the capacity of the road. Vehicles will become automatic traffic state detectors, data management, and communication centers when forming adhoc networks through intervehicle communication (IVC) concepts.
These concepts lead from the classical, centralized control to decentralized approaches in the sense of collective (swarm) intelligence and ad-hoc networks. Such concepts reduce the problem of data flooding by restricting to the locally relevant information only and reach more adaptiveness, flexibility, resilience and robustness with respect to local requirements and temporary failures. Another interesting application field is adaptive traffic control in urban road networks. Recently, control principles have been formulated that allow one to reach a self-organized synchronization of traffic lights.