Developing an Automated Microscopic Traffic Simulation Scenario Generation Tool

Xu, Guanhao; Saroj, Abhilasha; Wang, Chieh (Ross); Shao, Yunli

doi:10.1177/03611981251349433

Developing an Automated Microscopic Traffic Simulation Scenario Generation Tool

Journal Article · Wed Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981251349433· OSTI ID:2584498

^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[2]

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)

Traffic simulation is an effective tool for urban planners, traffic engineers, and researchers to study traffic. In particular, microscopic traffic simulation, which simulates individual vehicles’ movements within a transportation network, has demonstrated its importance in analyzing and managing transportation systems. However, integrating data from various sources, generating traffic scenarios, and importing information into traffic simulators to conduct microscopic simulations have always been a challenge. This paper presents a solution to overcome this challenge: RealTwin, a comprehensive tool for automated scenario generation for microscopic traffic simulation. Following a streamlined scenario generation and calibration workflow, RealTwin effectively bridges gaps between traffic data from various sources and traffic simulators, making microscopic traffic simulation more accessible for researchers and engineers across various levels of expertise. Using RealTwin to generate a real-world traffic scenario in Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO), VISSIM, and AIMSUN, RealTwin’s ability is demonstrated in the construction of realistic and consistent traffic scenarios in different simulators. Furthermore, this paper introduces and illustrates RealTwin’s capability for technology (e.g., autonomous vehicle) scenario generation. This feature can contribute to more comprehensive microscopic simulations, facilitating the analysis of potential effects of various technological innovations on mobility, energy efficiency, and safety. Finally, RealTwin is used to calibrate a simulation in SUMO. In conclusion, the calibration module enhances RealTwin’s ability to generate consistent simulations across different platforms and more realistic simulations that reflect real-world traffic operations.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 2584498

Journal Information:: Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Journal Name: Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board; ISSN 0361-1981; ISSN 2169-4052

Publisher:: SAGECopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (47)

Real‐time control of connected vehicles in signalized corridors using pseudospectral convex optimization Shi, Yang; Wang, Zhenbo; LaClair, Tim J. Optimal Control Applications and Methods, Vol. 44, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1002/oca.2978	journal	January 2023
Traffic Simulation with Aimsun Casas, Jordi; Ferrer, Jaime L.; Garcia, David International Series in Operations Research & Management Science https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6142-6_5	book	January 2010
Modelling lane changing and merging in microscopic traffic simulation Hidas, Peter Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, Vol. 10, Issue 5-6 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0968-090X(02)00026-8	journal	October 2002
Traffic simulation models calibration using speed–density relationship: An automated procedure based on genetic algorithm Chiappone, Sandro; Giuffrè, Orazio; Granà, Anna Expert Systems with Applications, Vol. 44 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2015.09.024	journal	February 2016
Calibration of microscopic traffic simulation models using metaheuristic algorithms Yu, Miao; (David) Fan, Wei International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology, Vol. 6, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijtst.2017.05.001	journal	June 2017
Simulating a transition to autonomous mobility Rezaei, Amin; Caulfield, Brian Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory, Vol. 106 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.simpat.2020.102175	journal	January 2021
Non-unimodal and non-concave relationships in the network Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram caused by hierarchical streets Xu, Guanhao; Gayah, Vikash V. Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Vol. 173 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trb.2023.05.002	journal	July 2023
A combined use of microscopic traffic simulation and extreme value methods for traffic safety evaluation Wang, Chen; Xu, Chengcheng; Xia, Jingxin Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, Vol. 90 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2018.03.011	journal	May 2018
Virtual track networks: A hierarchical modeling framework and open-source tools for simplified and efficient connected and automated mobility (CAM) system design based on general modeling network specification (GMNS) Lu, Jiawei; Zhou, Xuesong Simon Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, Vol. 153 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2023.104223	journal	August 2023
A max pressure algorithm for traffic signals considering pedestrian queues Liu, Hao; Gayah, Vikash V.; Levin, Michael W. Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, Vol. 169 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2024.104865	journal	December 2024
Boreholes plans optimization methodology combining geostatistical simulation and simulated annealing Pinheiro, Marisa; Emery, Xavier; Rocha, Ana Maria A. C. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, Vol. 70 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2017.07.003	journal	November 2017
Traffic Signal Optimization with Greedy Randomized Tabu Search Algorithm Hu, Ta-Yin; Chen, Li-Wen Journal of Transportation Engineering, Vol. 138, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)TE.1943-5436.0000404	journal	August 2012
Intersection Control Type Effect on Automated Vehicle Operation Tafidis, Pavlos; Pirdavani, Ali; Brijs, Tom CICTP 2019 https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784482292.238	conference	July 2019
Can Autonomous Vehicles Enhance Traffic Safety at Unsignalized Intersections? Maryam Mousavi, Seyedeh; Lord, Dominique; Dadashova, Bahar International Conference on Transportation and Development 2020 https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784483138.018	conference	August 2020
The impact of autonomous vehicles on urban traffic network capacity: an experimental analysis by microscopic traffic simulation Lu, Qiong; Tettamanti, Tamás; Hörcher, Dániel Transportation Letters, Vol. 12, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1080/19427867.2019.1662561	journal	September 2019
Eco-Driving Framework for Autonomous Vehicles at Signalized Intersection in Mixed-Traffic Environment Ahmad, Abdulrahman; Al-Sumaiti, Ameena S.; Byon, Young-Ji IEEE Access, Vol. 12 https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3415495	journal	January 2024
PHVA: A Position Based High Speed Vehicle Detection Algorithm for Detecting High Speed Vehicles using Vehicular Cloud Nayak, Rajendra Prasad; Sethi, Dr. Srinivas; Bhoi, Dr. Sourav Kumar 2018 International Conference on Information Technology (ICIT) https://doi.org/10.1109/ICIT.2018.00054	conference	December 2018
Microscopic Traffic Simulation using SUMO Lopez, Pablo Alvarez; Wiessner, Evamarie; Behrisch, Michael 2018 21st International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC) https://doi.org/10.1109/ITSC.2018.8569938	conference	November 2018
Calibration and Assessment of Urban Microscopic Traffic Simulation as an Environment for Testing of Automated Driving Langer, Marcel; Harth, Michael; Preitschaft, Lena 2021 IEEE International Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference (ITSC) https://doi.org/10.1109/ITSC48978.2021.9564743	conference	September 2021
Automatic Traffic Scenario Conversion from OpenSCENARIO to CommonRoad Lin, Yuanfei; Ratzel, Michael; Althoff, Matthias 2023 IEEE 26th International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC) https://doi.org/10.1109/ITSC57777.2023.10422422	conference	September 2023
Incorporating Phase Rotation Into a Person-Based Signal Timing Optimization Algorithm Yu, Zhengyao; Xu, Guanhao; Gayah, Vikash V. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Vol. 23, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1109/TITS.2020.3012529	journal	January 2022
Can Connected Autonomous Vehicles Improve Mixed Traffic Safety Without Compromising Efficiency in Realistic Scenarios? Garg, Mohit; Bouroche, Mélanie IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Vol. 24, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1109/TITS.2023.3238889	journal	June 2023
CAVSim: A Microscopic Traffic Simulator for Evaluation of Connected and Automated Vehicles Zhang, Jiawei; Chang, Cheng; He, Zimin IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Vol. 24, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1109/TITS.2023.3273565	journal	September 2023
Data-Driven Traffic Simulation: A Comprehensive Review Chen, Di; Zhu, Meixin; Yang, Hao IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles, Vol. 9, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1109/TIV.2024.3367919	journal	April 2024
Flow: A Modular Learning Framework for Mixed Autonomy Traffic Wu, Cathy; Kreidieh, Abdul Rahman; Parvate, Kanaad IEEE Transactions on Robotics, Vol. 38, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1109/TRO.2021.3087314	journal	April 2022
Generating Synthetic Datasets for Mobile Wireless Networks with SUMO Oliveira, Afonso; Vazão, Teresa Proceedings of the 19th ACM International Symposium on Mobility Management and Wireless Access https://doi.org/10.1145/3479241.3486704	conference	November 2021
Traffic Simulation with Incomplete Data: the Case of Brussels Guastella, Davide Andrea; Cornelis, Bruno; Bontempi, Gianluca Proceedings of the 1st ACM SIGSPATIAL International Workshop on Methods for Enriched Mobility Data: Emerging issues and Ethical perspectives 2023 https://doi.org/10.1145/3615885.3628004	conference	November 2023
CAV Traffic Control to Mitigate the Impact of Congestion from Bottlenecks: A Linear Quadratic Regulator Approach and Microsimulation Study Vishnoi, Suyash C.; Ji, Junyi; Bahavarnia, Mirsaleh ACM Journal on Autonomous Transportation Systems, Vol. 1, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1145/3636464	journal	April 2024
Developing an eco-driving strategy in a hybrid traffic network using reinforcement learning Jamil, Umar; Malmir, Mostafa; Chen, Alan Science Progress, Vol. 107, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1177/00368504241263406	journal	July 2024
Comparative study of simulated annealing, tabu search, and the genetic algorithm for calibration of the microsimulation model Lidbe, Abhay D.; Hainen, Alexander M.; Jones, Steven L. SIMULATION, Vol. 93, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1177/0037549716683028	journal	January 2017
Developing the guidelines for managing autonomous vehicle flows on congested highways: A case study of MD-100 Rao, Ranteg S.; Yoon Park, Sung; Chang, Gang-Len SIMULATION, Vol. 97, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1177/0037549720986871	journal	February 2021
Multi-Objective Stochastic Optimization Algorithms to Calibrate Microsimulation Models Karimi, Mohammad; Miriestahbanati, Maryam; Esmaeeli, Hamed Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 2673, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198119838260	journal	March 2019
Analytical Method to Approximate the Impact of Turning on the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram Xu, Guanhao; Yu, Zhengyao; Gayah, Vikash V. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 2674, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198120933274	journal	July 2020
Vehicle Trajectory-Based Calibration Procedure for Microsimulation Hale, David K.; Ghiasi, Amir; Khalighi, Farnoush Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 2677, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981221124597	journal	December 2022
Opposing Hysteresis Patterns in Flow and Outflow Macroscopic Fundamental Diagrams and Their Implications Xu, Guanhao; Zhang, Pengxiang; Gayah, Vikash V. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 2677, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231155421	journal	March 2023
Network-Wide Implementation of Roundabouts Versus Signalized Intersections on Urban Streets: Analytical and Simulation Comparison Taglieri, David; Liu, Hao; Gayah, Vikash V. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 2678, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231192093	journal	August 2023
Impacts of gradual automated vehicle penetration on motorway operation: a comprehensive evaluation Li, Duo; Wagner, Peter European Transport Research Review, Vol. 11, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12544-019-0375-3	journal	July 2019
Practical Procedure for Calibrating Microscopic Traffic Simulation Models Hourdakis, John; Michalopoulos, Panos G.; Kottommannil, Jiji Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 1852, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.3141/1852-17	journal	January 2003
Guidelines for Calibration of Microsimulation Models: Framework and Applications Dowling, Richard; Skabardonis, Alexander; Halkias, John Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 1876, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.3141/1876-01	journal	January 2004
Modeling Driver Behavior in Road Traffic Simulation Mecheva, Teodora; Furnadzhiev, Radoslav; Kakanakov, Nikolay Sensors, Vol. 22, Issue 24 https://doi.org/10.3390/s22249801	journal	December 2022
A Comprehensive Eco-Driving Strategy for CAVs with Microscopic Traffic Simulation Testing Evaluation Kavas-Torris, Ozgenur; Guvenc, Levent Sensors, Vol. 23, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.3390/s23208416	journal	October 2023
Automatic Calibration of Microscopic Traffic Simulation Models Using Artificial Neural Networks Daguano, Rodrigo F.; Yoshioka, Leopoldo R.; Netto, Marcio L. Sensors, Vol. 23, Issue 21 https://doi.org/10.3390/s23218798	journal	October 2023
Live Intersection Data Acquisition for Traffic Simulators (LIDATS) Renninger, Andrew; Ameen Noman, Sinan; Atkison, Travis Sensors, Vol. 24, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.3390/s24113392	journal	May 2024
Integrating LiDAR Sensor Data into Microsimulation Model Calibration for Proactive Safety Analysis Igene, Morris; Luo, Qiyang; Jimee, Keshav Sensors, Vol. 24, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.3390/s24134393	journal	July 2024
Introduction of Autonomous Vehicles: Roundabouts Design and Safety Performance Evaluation Deluka Tibljaš, Aleksandra; Giuffrè, Tullio; Surdonja, Sanja Sustainability, Vol. 10, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.3390/su10041060	journal	April 2018
Calibration of Vehicle and Driver Characteristics in VISSIM and ANN-based Sensitivity Analysis Bandi, Marsh M.; George, Varghese International Journal of Microsimulation, Vol. 13, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.34196/IJM.00219	journal	August 2020
Enhanced Safety of Heavy-Duty Vehicles on Highways through Automatic Speed Enforcement – A Simulation Study Shiledar, Ankur; Sujan, Vivek; Siekmann, Adam SAE Technical Paper Series https://doi.org/10.4271/2024-01-1964	conference	April 2024

Similar Records

Real-Twin

Software · Sun Jun 01 20:00:00 EDT 2025 · OSTI ID:code-147051

A Systematic Comparison for Consistent Scenario Development Using Microscopic Simulation Software

Conference · Sat Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 2024 · OSTI ID:2538274

Evaluating Connected and Automated Vehicles in Co-Simulation Environment of Traffic Microsimulation and Vehicle Dynamics

Conference · Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · OSTI ID:1987794

Related Subjects

autonomous vehicle
microscopic traffic simulation
scenario generation
simulation calibration

Developing an Automated Microscopic Traffic Simulation Scenario Generation Tool

Citation Formats

References (47)

Similar Records

Related Subjects