posted by admin on May 17
Wouldn't it be great if traffic signals were half as smart as traffic cops? Some new technology is promising to improve the intelligence of traffic signals at major intersectionsLos Angeles,CAL,USA -Los Angeles Times, by Ralph Vartabedian -May 17, 2008: -- ... It is just one of several major advances in which cameras and computers are transforming law enforcement, highway safety and eventually driving itself... Aldis Corp., an Oak Ridge, Tenn., technology company, is developing a camera and software system that promises by next year a significant improvement in automated traffic signals... Aldis plans to start testing next month a single camera that would be hung below a traffic signal, looking out about 600 feet in every direction with a fisheye lens. A computer with some fairly advanced software would calculate the speed of cars, trucks and buses, timing the signals to maximize the flow of vehicles, said Bill Malkes, who helped develop the system... The custom camera and associated software and hardware will cost an estimated $15,000 per intersection, somewhat more expensive than buried loops but requiring less costly maintenance over time, Malkes said... The setup not only would increase the capacity of the road, but it would also improve the fuel economy of vehicles and reduce emissions, which are greatest when vehicles accelerate from a stop. The safety potential also seems significant, Malkes said, allowing the system to hold cross traffic if it senses that a car is not going to stop for a red light. More than 800 Americans are killed each year when somebody runs a red light... Another type of camera, mounted on a police car, promises more changes for American roadways. The camera can scan up to 30 license plates per second, convert the images into data and match license plate numbers against a list of wanted vehicles. The patrol officer is alerted on his car terminal to a hot car.
The system, developed by ELSAG North America Law Enforcement Systems, a unit of Finmeccanica, is in use by police departments around the country... Machine vision still faces many challenges, Thrun said... "In the grand scheme of things, we are making a lot of progress," he said... Tags: safety, software, trucks
