A delicately interwoven system of processes, smart technology for traffic help transport personnel motorists, commuters and drivers manage traffic flow and efficiency. Making use of advanced IoT equipment, sensors routers, cellular technology, and sensors intelligent traffic systems automatically adjust control mechanisms such as traffic lights, freeway on-ramp meters, bus rapid transit lanes highway message boards, and even speed limits. They can also assist in forecasting shifts in traffic demand and offer a variety of real-time information to road users.
Pittsburgh’s adaptive traffic signal system is a perfect example. Stephen Smith, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) He installed his first experimental traffic signals to a heavily congestion-ridden area of East Liberty in the city. He saw immediate results. Drivers travelled 25 percent more efficiently and spent 40 percent less time in traffic.
The system works by collecting information from sensors that are monitoring the traffic coming in and then adjusting their timing in real-time, as well as detecting pedestrians in intersections and giving them the time to safely cross the street. Sensors send their raw data into the central hub, where it is processed by artificial intelligence. It is then sent back to the intersections by 5G-enabled cell networks.
These systems are also able to permit better, more accurate simulation of risk-minimizing scenarios that a human traffic supervisor would not be able to achieve and all in real-time. This is a major step towards Vision Zero, the goal of safe road-driving where humans and vehicles can travel together without collision.
technologytraffic.com/2022/04/28/turning-to-data-room-to-gain-a-competitive-advantage-in-ma