A four-color traffic light is something that is new to all of us. And how exactly would this change the way we drive? The new proposal has some industry insiders interested, and some simply scratching their heads in confusement. But the concept could work, especially when we consider the effects of adding a fourth color might have. With the upside coming in traffic and fuel efficiency, the advantages would appear almost immediately if the system were introduced. So what exactly does this means and how would the every-day driver even understand how to use it?
Where does the autonomous vehicle technology come from?
A team of researchers from the North Carolina State University published the results of their latest study in the journal IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems. What they proposed have some in the automotive industry a bit confused. The new color for traffic lights is related directly to the emergence of the Autonomous Vehicle(AV) and how they can navigate traffic intersections.
The autonomous vehicle is a revolutionary concept that has been making the world consider a future without driving at all. The first fully autonomous car was developed way back in 1986 by Mercedes Benz. And the technology was part of the surge of money being spent on future concepts during the 80’s. With the majority of innovation happening at Universities around the world since then.
With the emergence of Tesla, the world got a reminder that the technology still exists and can can be practically used in everyday life, even if the effect was limited. The novelty of being able to hit a button at will and the car takes over control of the steering wheel amazed some in the automotive world. But the technology came with a range of ethical issues that limited the implementation.
How does the new color change the way we use traffic lights?
The technology made Tesla famous, and Musk infamous. So if the AV is indeed part of our future, how will it handle the new fourth color at a traffic light? The idea is basically that the new color will be white. The autonomous vehicle approaches the traffic intersection, and having been remotely communicating with the traffic light network, sees the white light and knows the safest path to take. Whether that be stopping, or going across the intersection.
The white light is in fact more for the other drivers who do not have the AV technology. The “human” drivers will simply follow the lead of the autonomous vehicle ahead of them. If they stop, you stop. If they go across, you follow the leader essentially. The AV will be remotely connected to the traffic network as well as other AV’s around and can determine the safest choice way ahead of the actual traffic intersection.
The idea could no doubt lead to less traffic at intersections and perhaps even a reduction in crashes. But as always, the ethical questions the AV might face at an incident might prove to be a problem. What if someone skips a red light? Would the AV be aware of the incoming danger? These are questions that need answering before the data can be taken further.
Will we all end up in an autonomous vehicle and just get rid of driving all together?
When new ideas are proposed, the concept needs some tangible data behind it that proves, without doubt, the effectiveness of the concept. And this is a great idea without a doubt. But the question must be asked, would those researchers feel safe sending their children off to school everyday in an AV? Perhaps their ambition to show some progress in their research has outweighed the readiness of the technology to be proposed for actual use, yet. The technology has some way to go before it becomes a reality on the roads of the world. But its getting exceedingly close.
