Traffic lights are a necessary part of urban transportation, but they can also be a major source of frustration. Long wait times, unnecessary delays, accidents and even emission of greenhouse gas can all be caused by poorly timed traffic lights. At intersections, half of greenhouse gas emissions, comes from traffic accelerating after stopping.
But Google is working on a solution to this problem. The company's AI division has developed a new system that can optimize traffic light timing in real time, based on live traffic data, they call it Green Light.
Google's AI traffic lights have already been implemented in a number of cities around the world, and the results have been impressive. Green Light is now live in 70 intersections in 12 cities, 4 continents, from Haifa, Israel to Bangalore, India to Hamburg, Germany – and in these intersections the system has able to save fuel, reduced wait times by up to 30 percent and lower emissions for up to 30M car rides monthly In Seattle.
The benefits of Google's AI traffic lights are numerous. Not only do they reduce congestion and wait times, they also improve air quality and safety. And because the system is constantly learning and adapting, it can continue to improve over time.
The system works by analyzing data from Google Maps and other sources to track traffic patterns and identify intersections where adjustments could be made. It then uses this information to recommend new timing schedules to city officials.
Green Light reflects Google Research's commitment to use AI to address climate change and improve millions of lives in cities around the world.
Here is more detailed explanation on how it works step to step.
1. Understanding the intersection
Building on our decades-long effort to map cities across the world, it can infer existing traffic light parameters including: cycle length, transition time, green split (i.e. right-of-way time and order), coordination and sensor operation (actuation).
2. Measuring traffic trends
Google create a model to understand how traffic flows through the intersection. This helps the system understand typical traffic patterns including patterns of starting and stopping, average wait times at a traffic light, coordination between adjacent intersections (or lack thereof), and how traffic light plans change throughout the day.
3. Developing recommendations for the city
Using AI, Google has identify possible adjustments to traffic light timing. They share these adjustments as actionable recommendations with the city. The city’s traffic engineers review the recommendations, approve them, and they can easily implement them in as little as 5 minutes, using the city's existing policies and tools.
4. Analyzing impact
Google measure how many stops they’ve saved for drivers, and its impact on traffic patterns. They then use industry standards models to calculate the climate impact of these changes. They share this with the partner city and continue monitoring for any future needed changes.
As more and more cities adopt Google's AI traffic lights, the company's technology is poised to have a significant impact on urban transportation. By making traffic lights more efficient and less annoying, Google's AI is helping to make cities more livable for everyone.
Here are some additional benefits of Google's AI traffic lights:
- Reduced fuel consumption: When vehicles spend less time idling at red lights, they use less fuel. This can save drivers money and reduce emissions.
- Improved safety: Google's AI traffic lights can help to reduce accidents by improving traffic flow and reducing congestion.
- Increased economic activity: When traffic is less congested, businesses and residents benefit. This can lead to increased economic activity and job creation.
Hence, Google's AI traffic lights are a promising new technology that has the potential to make cities more efficient, livable, and sustainable
