Help me define the scope of the graduation project I am working on

[vomthang1603]

Introduce yourself

Hello everyone, currently I am working on my graduation project with the following content: Purpose: Reduce traffic congestion in urban areas through a coordinated system of intelligent agents (Multi-Agent Systems - MAS).
Requirements:
o Learn about MAS and traffic simulation tools such as SUMO or MATSim.
o Develop an optimal coordination algorithm between traffic agents such as traffic lights and vehicles.
o Test the system's performance through different traffic scenarios.
At present, I have simulated a traffic model in my country and started diagnosing traffic conditions, and finally, coding the algorithm to address the situation.
But there are a few issues I am unclear about:

1. I am not familiar with how to input vehicle data to match reality closely.
2. I cannot envision the scope of this project, for example: "Do I need additional 3D simulation?"
3. How many scenarios will be sufficient for the requirements of a graduation project.
   I really hope to receive advice from you all. Sincerely, thank you !

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Hello everyone, currently I am working on my graduation project with the following content: Purpose: Reduce traffic congestion in urban areas through a coordinated system of intelligent agents (Multi-Agent Systems - MAS).
Requirements:
o Learn about MAS and traffic simulation tools such as SUMO or MATSim.
o Develop an optimal coordination algorithm between traffic agents such as traffic lights and vehicles.
o Test the system's performance through different traffic scenarios.
At present, I have simulated a traffic model in my country and started diagnosing traffic conditions, and finally, coding the algorithm to address the situation.
But there are a few issues I am unclear about:

1. I am not familiar with how to input vehicle data to match reality closely.
2. I cannot envision the scope of this project, for example: "Do I need additional 3D simulation?"
3. How many scenarios will be sufficient for the requirements of a graduation project.
   I really hope to receive advice from you all. Sincerely, thank you !

What technical skills or projects are you working on?

Hello everyone, currently I am working on my graduation project with the following content: Purpose: Reduce traffic congestion in urban areas through a coordinated system of intelligent agents (Multi-Agent Systems - MAS).
Requirements:
o Learn about MAS and traffic simulation tools such as SUMO or MATSim.
o Develop an optimal coordination algorithm between traffic agents such as traffic lights and vehicles.
o Test the system's performance through different traffic scenarios.
At present, I have simulated a traffic model in my country and started diagnosing traffic conditions, and finally, coding the algorithm to address the situation.
But there are a few issues I am unclear about:

1. I am not familiar with how to input vehicle data to match reality closely.
2. I cannot envision the scope of this project, for example: "Do I need additional 3D simulation?"
3. How many scenarios will be sufficient for the requirements of a graduation project.
   I really hope to receive advice from you all. Sincerely, thank you !

Got a question for us? (optional)

Hello everyone, currently I am working on my graduation project with the following content: Purpose: Reduce traffic congestion in urban areas through a coordinated system of intelligent agents (Multi-Agent Systems - MAS).
Requirements:
o Learn about MAS and traffic simulation tools such as SUMO or MATSim.
o Develop an optimal coordination algorithm between traffic agents such as traffic lights and vehicles.
o Test the system's performance through different traffic scenarios.
At present, I have simulated a traffic model in my country and started diagnosing traffic conditions, and finally, coding the algorithm to address the situation.
But there are a few issues I am unclear about:

1. I am not familiar with how to input vehicle data to match reality closely.
2. I cannot envision the scope of this project, for example: "Do I need additional 3D simulation?"
3. How many scenarios will be sufficient for the requirements of a graduation project.
   I really hope to receive advice from you all. Sincerely, thank you !

[code-with-kishan]

Hi,

This is actually a solid graduation project idea — you’re already on the right track. I’ll try to answer your concerns in a practical, “what is enough to pass + impress” way.

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1. About vehicle data (realism vs practicality)

You don’t need perfect real-world data — that’s not expected for a graduation project.

A reasonable approach is:

• Use OpenStreetMap (OSM) data for road networks (SUMO supports this well)

• Generate traffic using:

  • Default SUMO traffic generators (randomTrips.py)
  • Or approximate flows (e.g., peak vs non-peak traffic)

If you can:

• Add basic realism like:

  • Higher traffic during rush hours
  • Different vehicle types (cars, buses)

That’s already more than enough academically.

👉 Key point: Show a reasonable approximation, not perfect replication.

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2. Do you need 3D simulation?

No — not required.

For most graduation projects:

• 2D simulation (SUMO / MATSim) is completely sufficient
• 3D is only for visualization, not core contribution

Unless your project is about:

• Visualization systems
• Autonomous driving perception

👉 Stick to 2D + good analysis — that’s what evaluators care about.

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3. Defining a good project scope (this is the important part)

Right now your idea is too broad. You should narrow it to something like:

“Optimize traffic light coordination at a multi-intersection network using a Multi-Agent System.”

Then clearly define:

• Agents: traffic lights (optionally vehicles)
• Goal: minimize waiting time / congestion
• Environment: your simulated map

---

4. What is “enough” for a graduation project?

A strong and realistic scope would include:

Core:

• Build simulation (you already did ✅)

• Implement 1 main algorithm (e.g., rule-based / RL / coordination logic)

• Compare against baseline:

  • Fixed-time traffic lights

Evaluation metrics:

• Average waiting time
• Queue length
• Throughput

---

5. How many scenarios are enough?

You don’t need dozens. Quality > quantity.

A good structure is:

• Scenario 1: Low traffic
• Scenario 2: Medium traffic
• Scenario 3: High traffic (rush hour)
• Scenario 4 (optional): Incident (e.g., blocked road)

👉 So 3–5 scenarios is perfect for a graduation project.

---

6. What will make your project stand out

If you want to go one level higher:

• Show before vs after comparison
• Add simple visual graphs of improvement
• Explain why your algorithm works

---

Simple final scope (you can literally use this)

Develop and evaluate a multi-agent traffic light coordination system in SUMO to reduce congestion, comparing it against fixed-timing control under 3–5 traffic scenarios using metrics such as waiting time and throughput.

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Honest advice

Right now, you’re thinking too big (3D, perfect realism, etc.).

For graduation:

• Clear problem ✅
• Working solution ✅
• Measurable improvement ✅

That’s what gets you a good result.

---

If you want, I can help you:

• pick a simple algorithm (easy to implement but looks impressive)
• or structure your final report 👍

[vomthang1603]

Sincerely thank you for your advice, I have addressed my concerns !