{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,13]],"date-time":"2026-04-13T04:23:35Z","timestamp":1776054215079,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,4]],"date-time":"2024-04-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1712188800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FCT\u2014Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia, through the Research Unit CTS\u2014Center of Technology and Systems","award":["UIDB\/00066\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00066\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Vehicles"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This paper introduces an approach to enhance the efficiency of urban intersections by integrating Visible Light Communication (VLC) into a multi-intersection traffic control system. The main objectives include the reduction in waiting times for vehicles and pedestrians, the improvement of overall traffic safety, and the accommodation of diverse traffic movements during multiple signal phases. The proposed system utilizes VLC to facilitate communication among interconnected vehicles and infrastructure. This is achieved by utilizing streetlights, headlamps, and traffic signals for transmitting information. By integrating VLC localization services with learning-driven traffic signal control, the multi-intersection traffic management system is established. A reinforcement learning scheme, based on VLC queuing\/request\/response behaviors, is utilized to schedule traffic signals effectively. Agents placed at each intersection control traffic lights by incorporating information from VLC-ready cars, including their positions, destinations, and intended routes. The agents devise optimal strategies to improve traffic flow and engage in communication to optimize the collective traffic performance. An assessment of the multi-intersection scenario through the SUMO urban mobility simulator reveals considerable benefits. The system successfully reduces both waiting and travel times. The reinforcement learning approach effectively schedules traffic signals, and the results highlight the decentralized and scalable nature of the proposed method, especially in multi-intersection scenarios. The discussion emphasizes the possibility of applying reinforcement learning in everyday traffic scenarios, showcasing the potential for the dynamic identification of control actions and improved traffic management.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vehicles6020031","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,4]],"date-time":"2024-04-04T06:57:34Z","timestamp":1712213854000},"page":"666-692","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["Enhancing Urban Intersection Efficiency: Utilizing Visible Light Communication and Learning-Driven Control for Improved Traffic Signal Performance"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"6","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1150-9895","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuela","family":"Vieira","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"DEETC-ISEL\/IPL, R. Conselheiro Em\u00eddio Navarro, 1949-014 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"UNINOVA-CTS and LASI, Quinta da Torre, Monte da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal"},{"name":"NOVA School of Science and Technology, Quinta da Torre, Monte da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Manuel Augusto","family":"Vieira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"DEETC-ISEL\/IPL, R. Conselheiro Em\u00eddio Navarro, 1949-014 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"UNINOVA-CTS and LASI, Quinta da Torre, Monte da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Gon\u00e7alo","family":"Galv\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"DEETC-ISEL\/IPL, R. Conselheiro Em\u00eddio Navarro, 1949-014 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4167-2052","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paula","family":"Louro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"DEETC-ISEL\/IPL, R. Conselheiro Em\u00eddio Navarro, 1949-014 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"UNINOVA-CTS and LASI, Quinta da Torre, Monte da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8556-4507","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"M\u00e1rio","family":"V\u00e9stias","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"DEETC-ISEL\/IPL, R. Conselheiro Em\u00eddio Navarro, 1949-014 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"Instituto de Telecomunica\u00e7\u00f5es, Instituto Superior T\u00e9cnico, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0279-8741","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pedro","family":"Vieira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"DEETC-ISEL\/IPL, R. Conselheiro Em\u00eddio Navarro, 1949-014 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"INESC-ID, Instituto Superior T\u00e9cnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1000-029 Lisboa, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"60","article-title":"Indoor Visible Light Communications: Challenges and prospects","volume":"7091","author":"Zeng","year":"2008","journal-title":"Proc. SPIE"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2047","DOI":"10.1109\/COMST.2015.2476474","article-title":"Visible Light Communication, Networking and Sensing: Potential and Challenges","volume":"17","author":"Parth","year":"2015","journal-title":"IEEE Commun. Surv. Tutor."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.1109\/COMST.2020.3034224","article-title":"Vehicular Visible Light Communications: A Survey","volume":"23","author":"Memedi","year":"2021","journal-title":"IEEE Commun. Surv. 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