Israeli Startup Uses AI to End Traffic Jams

Anyone who has ever driven or ridden in a car has imagined the day when traffic will be a thing of the past. Zipping to and from work or errands without getting stuck in a long line of cars and other vehicles is a dream devoutly to be wished for. 

Now, according to CBN, thanks to an Israeli startup called NoTraffic, which uses AI to optimize traffic patterns, that dream may be close to reality. 

You  might think that the system of traffic lights and traffic grids that keep a city or town running, literally, is a highly sophisticated piece of engineering that is constantly growing and updating. In reality, the way they work has not been updated in over 100 years.

Most intersections with traffic lights simply run on their own. They are completely disconnected from the traffic light before them or after them. That is what causes traffic jams.  And this is where NoTraffic comes in. 

Smart Devices
NoTraffic’s system relies on smart devices installed at every intersection that can autonomously monitor traffic conditions and adjust as necessary, reported i24 News.

For instance, currently a car can get stuck at a red light in the wee hours of the morning, when there is no one on the road. The driver has no choice but sit out the allotted time until the light turns green. Under NoTraffic’s AI based system, the light would be able to see that there is no cross traffic and would change to green on its own. 

The company claims that installing their system could reduce a city’s congestion by 30 to 50 percent. In addition, the system can be beneficial in other ways, reducing emissions, and improving road safety. 

More Than Just Traffic
In addition to directing traffic, according to CBN, the NoTraffic system may also be able to ensure driver and pedestrian safety in other ways. As cars become more and more computerized, the AI could potentially communicate with individual drivers and warn them about dangers they may otherwise not have noticed — such as a child in their blind spot, for instance. 

Likewise, in the event of an accident, the system could immediately contact emergency services, and then turn all the lights green for them as they make their way to the accident site.  

“About 70 percent of fatality cases are happening in the first hour after the accident. So, literally every minute that we’re saving – from detecting the event to prioritizing first responders to the event, and from the event to the nearby hospital – literally saving life,” Tal Kreisler, NoTraffic’s CEO, told CBN.  

There are so many ways in which AI can make life better for people. From science, to medicine, and now traffic engineering, the ability of machines to learn and create thinking systems can be a boon for people all over.