We already use technology to help us navigate the roads. There's a reasonably good traffic management system in place to control flow of traffic, and due to the magic of google maps and similar apps, it's possible to tell how bad traffic is going to be, from the comfort of a smartphone; and plan our journeys around the big red (or black) lines indicating a bad snarl.
But what if technology could help one step further? What if it could predict ahead of time how busy or quiet certain intersections and stretches of roads were going to be, and thus set the traffic light phasing accordingly?
That's exactly what researchers at Victoria University of Wellington are working on, showcased in this article. Dr Paul Teal explained that the reason we often spend time waiting at red lights with not a car in sight, is because currently we can't anticipate what traffic flow will be like. Similarly, we imagine, if you could anticipate heavier flow from one direction, you could allow longer phases and help clear traffic quicker.
Any future with less traffic hassles is one we're willing to embrace!
