Smart technologies for traffic are a delicately weaved system of processes that aid transport workers, drivers, and commuters control the flow and efficiency of traffic. Intelligent traffic systems are able to adjust the controls of traffic lights and freeway onramp meters as well as bus rapid transit lanes. They also utilize advanced IoT routers and hardware as well as cellular technology and cellular networks. They can also predict changes in traffic demand, and provide real-time data to road users.
An excellent example is the traffic signal system that is adaptive in Pittsburgh. When Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) professor Stephen Smith installed his first few traffic signals that were experimental in the heavily congested area of the city’s East Liberty, he saw immediate results. Drivers drove 25 percent more efficiently and spent 40 percent less time in traffic jams than they had before.
The system collects data https://technologytraffic.com/2022/11/07/successful-ai-tools-for-business-to-test-now/ from sensors that monitor the flow of traffic and adjust their timings on the fly. It also detects pedestrians near intersections, and allows them enough time to cross the street safely. Sensors send their raw data to an centralized hub, where it is processed by artificial intelligence. It is then sent back to the intersections using 5G-enabled cell networks.
These advanced systems permit better and more accurate simulation of scenarios that minimize risk, which humans cannot achieve. And all this in real-time. This is a major step towards Vision Zero, the goal of accident-free road driving where both vehicles and humans are able to share the road without collision.
