Meeting Advancing Needs for Parking Lots with
Unique Solutions Using ICT 　　　　　
Using UC-win/Road for Visualization from
Design Phase, Introducing Vehicle Trajectory
Mapping System for examining articulated buses

"We created a tool or a system that enables the users to examine what kind of (structure of) parking lot it would be in the design phase by visualizing the inside of the uncompleted building (in 3D VR) using its (two-dimensional <2D>) design drawing, and performing simulation by operating the steering wheel of a vehicle."

Being engaged in consulting service specialized in parking lots, they came up with problems such as difficulties in space perception and expression of the details as well as confirming safety of traveling routes only by using conventional 2D CAD drawings. To clear these restrictions, they have been endeavoring to self-develop new technologies to be required as a parking lot consultant using advancing ICT (Information and Communication Technology) freely, according to Mr. Masami Ikegami, Technical Advisor of Mitsubishi Estate Parks Co., Ltd.

As a characteristic example of these endeavors, he mentioned "3D Parking Simulator". The system, which was built up about 4 years ago, has been used for checking parking lot design in multiple projects and favorably accepted by the clients, says Mr. Ikegami.

Our user to pick up for this issue is Consulting Business Division, which performs various kinds of examination about the parking lot part in the design phase within Mitsubishi Estate Parks Co., Ltd. Special focus is placed on the activities of those who are in charge of analyses and examination of the inside of the parking lot or the area including the intersection close to the parking lot, and simulation for their activities.

About 2 years ago, the Company introduced "UC-win/Road", 3D real-time VR of FORUM8 for the simulator mentioned above and traffic simulation, for the purpose of using it in connection with the traffic analysis results of "Vissim" (German PTV product), multi-modal traffic flow simulation software they had introduced before, or using each of them properly. At the same time, the Company also introduced FORUM8's "Vehicle Trajectory Mapping System", a program for calculation of vehicle trajectory and trajectory mapping for simulation of articulated buses. The Company is developing unique usages with focus on their respective characteristics.

Confirmation the parking lot plan carried out by utilizing 3D Parking Simulator

The driving simulator is installed in a room within the Company's facility. Utilizing commercial software and hardware products appropriately, it was systematized so as to allow the users to simulate the space within parking lots three-dimensionally based on CAD drawings. "UC-win/Road is used in this simulator in order to simulate traffic lanes in the parking lot, parking spaces, or slopes by moving vehicles in specific ways". The staff in the Division, who noticed the potentiality of UC-win/Road before it was introduced, mentioned the position of UC-win/Road in the system. According to him, while originally visualization with 3D was used as part of checking of the fundamental design, in recent years, the weight on the needs for visualization itself are increasing as such an approach spreads.

"I am doing various works regarding hardware (for parking lots). Using CAD and Illustrator, I create (images of) 'desirable forms of road markings or signs in the parking lots' concretely on PC and incorporate them into the material (as my main tasks)."

Mr. Shou Yoshimura in Consulting Department in Consulting Business Division used FORUM8's "Vehicle Trajectory Mapping System" for the first time 2 years ago when it was required to draw the traveling trajectory of articulated buses.

In the Division, they had been using a different program to draw vehicle trajectory. However, in a project for constructing a large-scale bus terminal at the bottom of a building, a need arose to examine vehicle trajectory of articulated buses. Since the existing software that the Company had owned was unable to deal with it, they introduced FORUM8's Vehicle Trajectory Mapping System, which was the only commercial program capable to do it. By using this, they have been working out explanation or proposals to the clients, for example, saying "This traffic lane has no problem in terms of trajectory (even though an articulated bus travels)", or "It is a bit difficult (for articulated buses to travel) around here in design. What do you think of this plan?"　

"We have heard from the clients that our method is very helpful. For example, "It was only possible to draw the trajectory of a single vehicle. However, as it became possible to draw the trajectory of articulated vehicles, it became possible to use (the result) for consultation for verification."

On the other hand, about 5 years ago, a competition was held for constructing a large-scale parking lot with a parking capacity of 5,000. Several companies including general contractors took part in it. Commissioned by one of these companies, the Company took charge of examining how many vehicles can be treated and parked in the given parking lots per an hour in the parking lot in the design phase. Mr. Ikegami, Technical Advisor remembers that in traffic simulation in that project, they used Vissim for the first time for verification.

The Division has been using Vissim in various projects as follows: 1) A proposal of a large-scale parking lot with a capacity of 2,500. Several patterns of improvement plans of the slope based on the fundamental design were made, ranked in the order from the shortest processing time by traffic simulation;
2) Verification of traffic processing in the parking lot for employees, where entering vehicles are concentrated at about an hour before the opening hour;
and 3) Verification of traffic processing within the parking lot including traffic lights and vehicles flowing in and out of the peripheral areas, in order to consider processing capacity at the close intersection and impact on the peripheral roads.

2 years ago, when they examined automated driving technology in parking lots, the Division introduced UC-win/Road. There they paid attention to the function of UC-win/Road that also allows for vehicle behavior simulation similar to Vissim while allowing for responding to the vehicle movement that Vissim cannot represent. In addition, UC-win/Road is capable of loading the results of traffic flow analysis of Vissim and visualize them. Furthermore, while Vissim is good at representing traffic processing to deal with a large number of vehicles, UC-win/Road easily respond to representation of how each vehicle is moving. The complementary functions of both were well expected. In the examination above, it was decided to introduce UC-win/Road because of its capability of reproducing behavior of individual vehicle with automated diving.

There, "a vehicle comes in and stop for a while, and back up into a parking lot to park. Then it leaves traveling again." The prerequisites of this series of movement are entered into UC-win/Road as the parameters. Then, the movement of all 150 vehicles, for example, "in the case that 50 automated vehicles and 100 manual vehicles come into the parking lot within an hour" are reproduced on UC-win/Road, with different proportion of both groups.