Waiting at a red traffic light: why this could soon be over

Created: 05/28/2022, 07:46

By: Jan-Frederik Wendt

Concept of the future: Will drivers soon no longer have to wait at red traffic lights?

(symbol photo).

© Rainer Jensen/dpa

Researchers around the world are working on more effective mobility concepts for the future.

A new algorithm should ensure less environmental pollution.

Kassel - Waiting at a red traffic light is often not only annoying - it also pollutes the environment.

For these reasons, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US state of Massachusetts have developed a new algorithm.

This is intended to guide autonomous vehicles through traffic in the future.

This is reported by autoevolution.com.

The invention should regulate traffic in large cities in the future.

With the new system, the researchers wanted to curb greenhouse gases and unnecessary energy use that occur when waiting at a red traffic light, despite electric cars and automatic start-stop systems.

The world's first system of its kind uses an algorithm to recognize the traffic situation and adjust the traffic light phases to the number of cars waiting at an intersection.

Traffic at a red light: Researchers use a specific approach

The researchers use the so-called machine learning approach in combination with autonomous vehicles.

The aim: not only to minimize driving time, but also to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The researchers' thesis is that the journey time can be reduced by around 20 percent, while fuel consumption drops by 18 percent - and greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent.

According to the study, traffic jams are avoided completely.

The prerequisite for the scenario: all vehicles involved drive autonomously.

In addition, it must be a single intersection that the vehicles cross.

Even if only 25 percent of the vehicles drive autonomously, large savings can be achieved, according to the scientists.

Concept of the future: Algorithm needs more development time

The algorithm only faces real problems when it has to control traffic at several intersections with traffic lights.

Therefore, the new system still requires a lot of development time.

Because: Multi-intersections, roundabouts, complicated driveways and other special features represent the real traffic situation. (Jan-Frederik Wendt)

Researchers recently celebrated a possible breakthrough for electric cars: a team developed a battery that can be charged in a very short time.

However, a few days ago there was bad news for electric car drivers: Aldi Süd apparently wants to ask them to pay soon.