As road traffic has increased in the last decades, efforts to avoid accidents while continuing the traffic flow have become a significant challenge in road mobility.
Collision Avoidance Warning System
A group of researchers based in Germany believes it is possible to develop new ways to keep the roads safe for everyone. With this goal in mind, they created a collision warning system combining a 5G network, traffic flow algorithms, and sensors.
The team collaborates with experts from the Aalen University of Applied Sciences, Helmut Schmidt University, and Fraunhofer IAO. Their main goal is to utilize the capabilities of sensors and edge computing to help drivers make more informed decisions in real-time.
The system's approach is based on the speed of 5G technology. Theoretically, it can help a local system sense an approaching vehicle, consult a prediction algorithm, and alert drivers about a potentially hazardous situation. The main feature of the new generation of communication technology is their ultra-reliability and ultralow latency. As research co-author Mohammad Reza Mousavi explained, 5G allows humans to have infrastructures with short response intervals and achieve lesser reaction time.
The 5G-based system is also designed to have several components with a central management system to provide edge-computing capabilities and an algorithm that can compute traffic flows and the risk of collisions.
The new technology also relies on another system that sends drivers or other people warning messages. In a dangerous intersection, warnings can be sent as a flashing light, a text display, or a sound signal, which can benefit drivers and pedestrians. The message can also be sent to an app on the driver's smartphone or to the navigation display of the user's car. Since these warnings tend to be disruptive, the researchers plan to assess the impact of different warning methods.
Another requirement is sensors that monitor the location of pedestrians, vehicles, and cyclists and can also survive poor weather conditions. The data will be obtained from various sources like radars, optical cameras, user apps, and weather forecasts.
Utilizing the Potential of Smart Traffic Technology
Studies about the capabilities of smart traffic technologies are becoming increasingly common in recent years. In a separate study, researchers based in Germany designed the KI4LSA project, where artificial intelligence and edge computing are used for predictive control of traffic lights. Meanwhile, a group of experts in England used AI to train a system to use real-time camera footage to control traffic lights, avoiding delays and jams.
Smart traffic control has the potential to advance climate and safety priorities. Similar systems can inform pedestrians about potential traffic issues. Even if cars are equipped with tools that can warn drivers, pedestrians do not have the same privilege.
In the future, smart traffic technology can be the stepping stone in developing smart cities. There is also a possibility that traffic lights might become virtual and make their own decisions by directly communicating with vehicles.
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