Student Research

Our graduate and undergraduate students learn hands on about the research and how to use the equipment. The faculty work closely with the students to maximize their learning. Listed below is report written by our undergraduate students Brian Gardner and Greg McKnight about the research project they are working on with graduate student Manogna Kaluva and faculty member Karen Schurr. More projects and student research will follow in this section.

Manogna checks the camera's view of the intersection

Multiple Approach Lane Project

Research conducted for the Multiple Approach Lane project has focused on obtaining video from intersections that have multiple approach lanes. At these intersections, a minor road comes to a T-intersection with a major road. Drivers then choose the right or left turn lanes and then turn onto the major road when there is an acceptable gap.

Greg and Brian making final adjustments to the camera after the construction barrel is in place

To analyze the traffic flow through an intersection involving multiple approach lanes, video is obtained from the intersection and then analyzed. For the intersection of 10th Street and Military Avenue, graduate student Manogna Kaluva and undergraduate students Greg McKnight and Brian Gardner setup a camera concealed by a construction barrel. The construction barrel is used to make the data collection as unobtrusive to drivers as possible, so that all data collected will reflect regular traffic patterns and speeds.

Manogna shows Brian how to set up the camera for the data collection

To get the best video results for data analysis, the view of the camera must include all of the intersection. By getting a full view of the intersection, cars coming from each direction can be accurately accounted. Also, turning movements at the intersection will be analyzed in the results.

Video is collected from a well hidden camera

After the barrel was in place, and camera was adjusted before filming began. Once everything was ready, the camera began filming for a two hour span that went from 2:30 to 4:30 in the afternoon.

During the data collection the construction barrel with the concealed camera were monitored from a distance to ensure proper results while still achieving the goal of obtaining data free from variation due to an exposed camera.

Final camera position

Intersection of 10th St. and Military Ave. while filming