Sustainable Smart Cities through Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning-Based Cooperative Autonomous Vehicles

Ali Louati (), Hassen Louati, Elham Kariri, Wafa Neifar, Mohamed K. Hassan, Mutaz H. H. Khairi, Mohammed A. Farahat and Heba M. El-Hoseny
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Ali Louati: Department of Information Systems, College of Computer Engineering and Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
Hassen Louati: SMART Lab, Higher Institute of Management, University of Tunis, Tunis 2000, Tunisia
Elham Kariri: Department of Information Systems, College of Computer Engineering and Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
Wafa Neifar: Arabic Natural Language Processing Research Group (ANLP-RG), MIRACL Laboratory, University of Sfax, Sfax 3018, Tunisia
Mohamed K. Hassan: Faculty of Telecommunications Engineering, Future University, Khartoum 10553, Sudan
Mutaz H. H. Khairi: Faculty of Engineering, Future University, Khartoum 10553, Sudan
Mohammed A. Farahat: Computer Science Department, Higher Future Institute for Specialized Technological Studies, Cairo 11765, Egypt
Heba M. El-Hoseny: Computer Science Department, Higher Future Institute for Specialized Technological Studies, Cairo 11765, Egypt

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: As urban centers evolve into smart cities, sustainable mobility emerges as a cornerstone for ensuring environmental integrity and enhancing quality of life. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) play a pivotal role in this transformation, with the potential to significantly improve efficiency and safety, and reduce environmental impacts. This study introduces a novel Multi-Agent Actor–Critic (MA2C) algorithm tailored for multi-AV lane-changing in mixed-traffic scenarios, a critical component of intelligent transportation systems in smart cities. By incorporating a local reward system that values efficiency, safety, and passenger comfort, and a parameter-sharing scheme that encourages inter-agent collaboration, our MA2C algorithm presents a comprehensive approach to urban traffic management. The MA2C algorithm leverages reinforcement learning to optimize lane-changing decisions, ensuring optimal traffic flow and enhancing both environmental sustainability and urban living standards. The actor–critic architecture is refined to minimize variances in urban traffic conditions, enhancing predictability and safety. The study extends to simulating realistic human-driven vehicle (HDV) behavior using the Intelligent Driver Model (IDM) and the model of Minimizing Overall Braking Induced by Lane changes (MOBIL), contributing to more accurate and effective traffic management strategies. Empirical results indicate that the MA2C algorithm outperforms existing state-of-the-art models in managing lane changes, passenger comfort, and inter-vehicle cooperation, essential for the dynamic environment of smart cities. The success of the MA2C algorithm in facilitating seamless interaction between AVs and HDVs holds promise for more fluid urban traffic conditions, reduced congestion, and lower emissions. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on autonomous driving within the framework of sustainable smart cities, focusing on the integration of AVs into the urban fabric. It underscores the potential of machine learning and artificial intelligence in developing transportation systems that are not only efficient and safe but also sustainable, supporting the broader goals of creating resilient, adaptive, and environmentally friendly urban spaces.

Keywords: urban sustainability; autonomous vehicles; reinforcement learning; multi-agent; smart city mobility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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