Smart signals to solve traffic snarls

Posted Sun May 18 2008 10:49 PM by Nelson Ireson

We're all aware of how technology has been employed to make driving and cars safer and yet faster, and even how lasers might be used to display ads at traffic lights, but so far not much has been done to solve the single biggest problem of driving in a heavily populated area: traffic. The Aldis Corporation of Oak Ridge, Tennessee in the U.S. may have something that could change that, however.

The technology uses a system based around a single, 360-degree fish-eye camera and some sophisticated software that hopes to be able to convert traffic signals from simple robotic automatons into thinking, problem-solving traffic directors. For instance, if the camera detects a single vehicle traveling toward a red light but no traffic is traveling the other direction, it will change the signal in time to keep the car from having to stop, reports The Detroit News.

But the system might be even more useful under heavy traffic loads, where it could allow a single heavy-traffic street to maintain flow while also letting cross-street traffic circulate in the gaps. By keeping as much traffic as possible flowing smoothly and minimizing unnecessary stops and waits at traffic signals, the system could significantly reduce emissions and fuel use - not to mention commute times.

The safety implications are even more promising. If the system sees a car approaching an intersection and calculates that it will not stop in time for the red light, it will hold the cross traffic a few moments longer to prevent collisions. A long view of this type of technology includes a future of automated cars running in an automated traffic system.

It sounds like science fiction, but Honda envisioned a very similar scenario two years ago with its idea of GPS-enabled side-mirror mounted 'car cams' feeding a central computer system with up-to-the-minute traffic data of an entire city's streets. Microsoft's ClearFlow traffic-avoidance service is another take on a similar theme, though from a more opportunistic individualist perspective than from the cooperative group angle taken by Honda.

Aldis Corp. has the system in testing now and expects to have working product by next year.

Reader Comments

Mon May 19 2008 4:47 AM
autoque says

It always bugged me that when there is absolutely no car passing, so many other vehicles have to stop and wait for the signal light to change to green just because the traffic signal has to change to red once every now and then, no matter whether it's needed or not.

But the camera system would need to be able to take pedestrians into account as well.

However, we still must have our doubts whether this system will ever make it national. There had been many bright suggestions and prototypes, but never a solution.
Mon May 19 2008 5:13 AM
HECTOR says

This is that kind of thing that people think about when they're stuck in traffic. No doubt we have the technology, it's similar to the technology INGSOC uses in London to spy on all people, whether they like it or not. It will happen sooner or later.

On the other hand... a system that sees you can't brake in time so it give the green light a couple more seconds. How is that going to make any money for the municipalities it's installed in? They will install speeding cameras of all kinds, red light cameras and whatever other trick they can think to part the people with their money. Concerns about actually improving traffic conditions are secondary.
Mon May 19 2008 11:08 AM
Gus says

I like this concept. I've thought many times "why is this light still red, there's no one else coming" and so on.
I think they could already make huge improvements to the logic in the light controllers before adding cameras...
Mon May 19 2008 4:25 PM
Stephen says

Actually I think LA and NYC use cameras to adjust traffic light timing throughout the day. Smaller municipalities use headlight sensors at night to fix the "why am I waiting when no one's coming problem?" For example in Atlanta, here in New Orleans, and even Jackson, MS many lights detect a large number of on coming headlights it will start to change the signal provided there is little to night lights detected at the other intersection. The only problem with this is that it is not really functional during the day and it can be tricked. For example I've found that when I want make the traffic signal turn green on my side I simply flash the high beams a few times and before you know it the other side gets a quick yellow then red and I'm green. Not that I condone this sort of behavior! *cough*

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