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September 18, 2012 By News Staff
A new mobile app developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology uses dashboard-mounted smartphones to help drivers avoid red lights and improve the flow of traffic. The app, called SignalGuru, predicts when a traffic signal is set to change and tells the driver what speed to drive in order to progress through the light without stopping.
"The stop-and-go pattern that traffic signals create increases fuel consumption significantly," said Emmanouil Koukoumidis, the scientist who led development of the app, reported Reuters. "We wondered how we could help drivers cruise through signal light intersections without stopping, and how much we could save on gas and improve the flow of vehicles.”
Crowdsourcing traffic signal data is necessary, he said, because traffic authorities aren't always willing to hand the information over and, in many cases, the information is spread across multiple agencies and not easily accessible. The approach used to develop this app could also be used for other applications, Koukoumidis said, such as monitoring available parking spaces or real-time gas prices.
The researchers plan to sell the app eventually, but first need to create new features to make it safe, like thresholds on deceleration.
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This is exactly what we need - another thing to take the driver's eyes and attention off the road. Maybe MIT can also develop an app that automatically dials 911 when the distracted driver runs over a pedestrian or bicyclist. My point is - maybe a fine idea (like UPS managing routes to avoid left turns that cause drivers to sit longer), but what traffic flow really needs is drivers who focus on the road, not on apps, etc.
"...and tells the driver what speed to drive in order to progress through the light without stopping." What if that speed is well over the speed limit? I love the idea of not stopping at red lights but not sure this is a good idea.
This is a wonderful idea springboard for on-board navigation. Maturity of the application could include socially tolerant driver notification such as heads-up display, tones, color panel, steering wheel feedback. Great start in a cooperative network. Perhaps a side benefit will be a feedback from the traffic light when travelers appear to speed up in their approach giving cautions to others prior to seeing someone dart through the light. Additionally, on-board EMS signalling so appropriate actions can take place. it's all good. I'd advise other commenters here that one answer often brings future questions to address. He's right in that the article shows one phase of what seems to be a trend toward a continually interactive society.
Sure there are flaws in this prototype but surprisingly, this is how innovation starts. Don't worry about drivers getting distracted, in 10 years we'll have more driverless cars on the road and this type of sensor will help manage the flow.
wtf? this is stupid!! why don't you spend your time working on real problems.
derec you are an idiot. get a life.
agree with practical and derec you ARE an idiot.
If you think about it, when EVERYONE is using this app to avoid having to stop at all for a red light, who are coming from ALL directions, at the SAME time, perhaps the safest idea would be to remove ALL signal lights. I'm just saying.
But what are the Municipalities going to do with all the red-light cameras that have been installed. They are not going to like loosing that revenue, I mean reduction in public safety.
Correct timing of the traffic signals should prevent most of these problems from happening. If the Feds would give the local governments to retime their signals instead of spending money on some of the goofy projects they do spend on we could all save money. City of Grand Forks North Dakota retimed their entire signal system grid for the speed limit, time of day, and weather emergencies. Citizens are saving over $4 mil in time and fuel -city size $50,000.
Sounds like a good idea initially, but once we start thinking about this from an engineering perspective, there are some serious flaws. Many signalized intersections are set up to detect approaching vehicles via induction loops or other means. If a vehicle using this system is slowing down and impeding traffic (as it will), it's entirely possible that the vehicle causes him/herself and others to miss their phase of the signal. Then they sit at the light anyway. A bigger problem perhaps is one of safety. If the speed limit is 50mph and this system tells a driver to travel at 30mph to hit a green light cycle, that's a large difference in speed. Now you're talking about more rear-end crashes. Let's also not forget how much we all hate "that" driver that is travelling far under the speed limit in front of us. Expect more road rage. Getting local agencies to do volume, flow, and turn movement studies to properly coordinate their intersection signal timing will do far more to improve vehicle flow than any app.