Rhythm Engineering

Background

Rhythm Engineering is a Lenexa, KS-based company that was founded in 2005. The company was founded in a business incubator (Enterprise Center for Johnson County) in a one-room office. Rhythm Engineering's mission is to bring loved ones to their destination safer and faster. The company accomplishes this mission by providing innovative and cost-effective solutions to the traffic engineering community to synchronize traffic signals. Rhythm Engineering impacts about 6,000,000 motorists daily in a positive manner through its innovative technology deployed in 2,300 traffic signals in 31 states and 160 municipalities.

Contents

• Columbia county traffic rhythm engineering
• Insync real time adaptive traffic control from rhythm engineering
• Background
• Genesis
• Growth
• Awards
• Responsive Adaptive vs Real Time Adaptive Traffic Signal System
• The InSync Model
• InSpire
• InTraffic
• Rhythm In the News
• References

Genesis

About 75% of the 330,000 traffic signals in the U.S. are not synchronized. Rhythm Engineering was founded by a traffic engineer in the public sector who was frustrated with the lack of technology to synchronize traffic signals. Armed with a few credit cards and a dream to synchronize every traffic signal in the U.S., Dr. Reggie Chandra led the 3-year focused research and development which resulted in the launch of InSync, an adaptive traffic signal system in 2008. The company came to the limelight when Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) deployed its technology along the Route 291in Lee's Summit, MO. MoDOT retained the services of MRI Global Research Institute to conduct detailed before-and-after validation studies of the InSync deployment. MRI Global report revealed that travel times through the corridor decreased by up to 58%, stops by 95%, fuel consumption by 20% and vehicle emissions by up to 40%. Subsequent studies by DKS Associates in San Ramon, CA and Pennoni Associates in Upper Marion Township, PA confirmed the superior benefits to the motorists in the West and East coasts.

Growth

Rhythm Engineering has experienced an exponential growth curve since 2008. It was ranked as the 64th fastest-growing U.S. company in 2011, 456th in 2012 and 2729th in 2015. It was listed in 43rd fastest-growing company in Deloitte Fast 500 list in 2012. Kansas City Business Journal listed Rhythm Engineering in 2012 as the #1 fastest growing company in Kansas City and Ingram's Magazine listed it as the #1 fastest growing company in 2011. In 2015, Kansas City Business Journal listed Rhythm Engineering as the #19th fastest growing company. From 2008 to 2010, Rhythm Engineering had a whopping growth of 3,389%; from 2009 to 2011, Rhythm Engineering grew by 832%; and from 2011 to 2014 Rhythm Engineering had a 133% growth. In 2015, Symmetry 50 listed Rhythm Engineering as one of the 8 fastest growing companies in Kansas City.

Awards

KS Governor's Energy Efficiency Award.

International Business Incubation Association. Outstanding Incubator Graduate (Technology). 2012.

Ingram's Best Places to Work For: Finalist. 2012.

Responsive-Adaptive vs. Real-Time-Adaptive Traffic Signal System

"The term “adaptive traffic control” has been in existence for decades. The first functional deployments were seen in the early 1980s. These systems were and are referred to as ”adaptive” because they adjust cycles, splits, and offsets within some period of time based on data that is collected by detectors deployed in the corridor. In essence, these systems respond to traffic within a time frame that can be 10 to 15 minutes after data is collected(Transportation Research Board, 2010), rather than adapting in real‐time. The distinction between these two systems may be clarified by reclassify adaptive systems into two categories: responsive-adaptive and real‐time adaptive. A responsive/adaptive system collects data over several minutes or cycles, transmits the data to an offsite location where software on a central computer system compares the field data to a menu of predetermined options based on preset parameters, and implements the selected option by uploading new timing plans to the field controllers(Schmidt, 2009). There is inherent response time lag in this methodology that is reflected in the amount of time that it takes for adjustments to be made. Depending on the system and a particular system’s methodology, these adjustments are made in cycles, splits, and/or offsets and lag behind actual traffic demand. A real‐time adaptive system generally performs the same task using more complex algorithms, but with fewer constraints and no lag time.

Currently, the only real‐time adaptive system on the market being widely deployed is the InSync system developed by Rhythm Engineering. While data is collected similar to the responsive/adaptive systems, the intelligence or processing algorithms are located in the field. Decisions are made at the local intersections and coordination between intersections is also handled locally. The system adjusts timing parameters in real‐time based upon actual traffic demand which is gathered by detection devices each second. InSync is capable of real‐time adaptive operation because of a unique system architecture and methodology."

Due to lack of Real-Time-Adaptive systems prior to the advent of InSync, the literature of the past focused on papers and presentations that sought to find the reason for the lack of popularity of adaptive traffic signal systems in the U.S. Due to various reasons, multiple legacy systems ended up being abandoned in the USA.

The InSync Model

The InSync system applies a fundamentally different model with 5 patents for determining green allocations for movements and moving traffic through the corridor.

The InSync processor is a modern state machine, which means it can dynamically choose which traffic phases to serve and instantly adjust and coordinate service and green time at each intersection’s phase. InSync outperforms predetermined signal timing plans which usually estimate traffic demand based on a small historical sampling and generalize those results across years of traffic signalization. InSync relies on detectors and artificial intelligence to move traffic efficiently. In effect, InSync makes decisions as a traffic engineer would: accepting inputs of actual traffic demand, determining phase priority based on occupancy and delay, and anticipating and coordinating traffic along the entire corridor. This complex decision-making process happens instantly, constantly and in real-time, as the system adapts moment by moment to actual demands on the road. Rather than changing signalization in future cycles or "cycle by cycle," InSync's adaptability to demand happens intra-phase; even the current phase being served is lengthened or shortened based on the presence or absence of vehicles.

There are three discrete modules in InSync that works together by creating synergy:

1. Digital architecture
2. Global optimizer
3. Local optimizer

1. Digital Architecture

Prior art and traditional signal timing methods and responsive adaptive systems use the concepts of cycle lengths, splits and offsets. These are components of the analog signal control architecture that was developed with the very earliest electromechanical traffic signal controllers. If the window for serving a particular phase has already passed, that vehicle will not be served until the controller has moved all the way through its sequences and returns to the allowed window for that phase. For example, a minor street call comes in near the end of the minor street window but it is too late for the minor street to be served before returning to the main street left turn phase. The minor street will not be served until the cycle goes all the way around the “dial”. This is a direct result of the fact that the controller is operating in an analog fashion. InSync is a digital finite state machine. Its patent-protected digital model is fully digital and is able to initiate any phase at will.

2. Global Optimizer

The power in the Global Optimizer is built on the foundation of the digital architecture. The Global Optimizer model creates time tunnels through the entire corridor and if a vehicle is within the time tunnel, it can travel through the entire corridor without stopping. The longest corridor currently (November, 2015) is 26 signals on Washington Road in Richmond and Columbia Counties, GA. Commuters experience the phenomenon of driving through 26 signals in both East and West directions without stopping.

3. Local Optimizer

The local optimizer is built on a greedy algorithm. Imagine a person standing at an intersection with a basket of cookies. The person has to give a cookie for every vehicle that arrives at the intersection. The person also has to give another cookie every time a vehicle waits 5 seconds. However, the person is greedy. He has the power to change the traffic signals so that he can conserve the cookies. This is the function that optimizes the traffic signals based on the number of cars waiting for green (volume) and the duration of their wait (delay). Since InSync processors are distributed without any central control, the local optimizer ensures a very high degree of green optimization.

Installation and Configuration of InSync

As an overlay system, InSync’s hardware components plug into existing traffic cabinet hardware. The system is Ethernet- and web-based, compatible with all modern controllers, cabinets and detection devices and does not require removal or upgrades of any hardware or software. Installation of the InSync system consists of installing in each cabinet a processor, equipment panel and method to transmit detection calls (such as cabling or detector cards). If InSync’s video detection is used, installation also includes installing cameras for each approach. If existing detection methods are preferred (InSync:Tesla), Rhythm Engineering will integrate the installed inputs with the adaptive system. Once cables are pulled from the camera locations to the traffic cabinet, installation of the cameras and in-cabinet hardware typically requires about four hours per intersection. After the hardware is installed, the initial configuration of the system is performed by Rhythm Engineering engineers. The time from an agency or contractor ordering the system to full operation is less than 90 days.

Customization is part of the initial configuration and an option that remains available to the local traffic engineers. Local engineers can determine permissible phase pairs and sequences, minimum green time, maximum delay thresholds and more. This allows the system to combine artificial intelligence with local engineers’ knowledge of motorist expectations, surrounding streets’ traffic needs, specific geometries, regulations and other considerations to efficiently manage traffic.

InSync’s Hardware and Software Components

InSync is available in three detector options to best accommodate the transportation agency’s preferred detection methods.

InSync uses Rhythm Engineering’s proprietary video detection (up to four IP cameras per intersection are included in the base system).

InSync:Tesla uses existing or preferred detection devices such as inductive loops, radar, magnetometers, microwave or other video cameras.

Finally, InSync:Fusion combines multiple detection sources. Fusing together data from Rhythm Engineering’s video detection cameras and existing detectors gives InSync unparalleled detection accuracy which can improve adaptive operations.

InSpire

InSpire is a next-generation traffic signal controller. Prior art controllers were programmable logic processors, at best. They controlled traffic signals and ensured that every movement received a green, amber and red. Traffic engineers had to send human data collectors out in the field, convert and import the data they brought in to a signal optimization software, create a timing plan and download the timing plan to a traffic controller. The traffic controller was dumb, at best. InSpire is a disruptive solution that will automatically collect data, that can be seamlessly read by a software (InTraffic) capable of creating traffic signal timing plans with a few clicks of a mouse button. Once, the engineer approves the timing plans, they can be downloaded to InSpire to control the intersection automatically. The model deviates from prior art, is digital and extremely efficient.

InTraffic

InTraffic is a central system software that is agnostic of the operating system. InTraffic can operate a Mac, PC, tablet or smart phone platforms. This free software will be able to manage and monitor every Rhythm Engineering device and product.

Rhythm In-the-News

Rhythm in motion: Traffic system steers cars, engineering firm to open road

Rhythm Engineering will help integrate streetcar with Smart City initiative