I want AI to control traffic lights so that I don’t sit stopped through an entire cycle as the only car in a 1 mile radius. Also, if there is just one more car in line, let the light stay green just a couple seconds longer. Imagine the gas and time that could be saved… and frustration.
Doesn’t need AI, and there are countries that already have a system in place with the same result. Unsurprisingly the places with more focus on pedestrian, cyclist, and public transit infrastructure have the most enjoyable driving experience. All the people that don’t want to drive will stop as soon as it is safe and convenient, and all those cars off the road also help with this because the lights will be queued up with fewer cars.
That’s already a thing, though it isn’t AI driven. Many intersections have sensors that detect traffic and can change the lights quickly or let them stay green longer if you’re approaching it. It’s only getting more advanced as time goes on.
How do I make it sound like that? You first need to build traffic light and road infrastructure that can handle advanced traffic flow, along with the processing power to make decisions based on sensor readings and rules.
The software (AI is kinda overkill) exists to handle and optimise traffic flow over an entire city, but your software does not matter if there are insufficient sensors for the software to make decisions, or too few controllable lights to implement decisions (or both).
To be fair, there are already more intelligent traffic light systems that use sensors in the road to see if there is traffic sitting at the lights. These can be combined with sensors further up the road to see if more traffic is coming and extend the periods of green light for certain sides. It may not be perfect and it may require touching up later after seeing which times could be extended or shortened.
It’s not AI but it works a lot better than the old hard coded traffic lights. Here in the Netherlands there are only a handfull of intersections left that still have the hard coded traffic lights.
I want AI to control traffic lights so that I don’t sit stopped through an entire cycle as the only car in a 1 mile radius. Also, if there is just one more car in line, let the light stay green just a couple seconds longer. Imagine the gas and time that could be saved… and frustration.
Doesn’t need AI, and there are countries that already have a system in place with the same result. Unsurprisingly the places with more focus on pedestrian, cyclist, and public transit infrastructure have the most enjoyable driving experience. All the people that don’t want to drive will stop as soon as it is safe and convenient, and all those cars off the road also help with this because the lights will be queued up with fewer cars.
That’s already a thing, though it isn’t AI driven. Many intersections have sensors that detect traffic and can change the lights quickly or let them stay green longer if you’re approaching it. It’s only getting more advanced as time goes on.
https://youtu.be/pTR3Cn5DnHY?si=nXtqHqVMsw47FmQZ
https://youtu.be/P_EmAKRrlBc?si=McCO_tE43FaPkRL9
As always, such systems need infrastructure investment to make them widespread.
You make it sound like the AI traffic lights will just magically download themselves onto the grid?
How do I make it sound like that? You first need to build traffic light and road infrastructure that can handle advanced traffic flow, along with the processing power to make decisions based on sensor readings and rules.
The software (AI is kinda overkill) exists to handle and optimise traffic flow over an entire city, but your software does not matter if there are insufficient sensors for the software to make decisions, or too few controllable lights to implement decisions (or both).
To be fair, there are already more intelligent traffic light systems that use sensors in the road to see if there is traffic sitting at the lights. These can be combined with sensors further up the road to see if more traffic is coming and extend the periods of green light for certain sides. It may not be perfect and it may require touching up later after seeing which times could be extended or shortened. It’s not AI but it works a lot better than the old hard coded traffic lights. Here in the Netherlands there are only a handfull of intersections left that still have the hard coded traffic lights.