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Smart Pedestrian Crossing Uses Cameras and AI to Control Traffic Lights

Smart traffic lights have been around for a while, but British company Now Wireless has come up with a new invention supposed to make pedestrian crossings as convenient as possible.
The system can automatically control the traffic lights based on a series of pre-defined rules 1 photo
Photo: Google Maps Street View
More specifically, the new system uses the latest-generation technology like cameras, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning to control the traffic lights and determine the priority accordingly.

First and foremost, the crossing relies on data provided by cameras, which can detect road crossers from up to 15 meters away. Once approaching pedestrians are detected, the system sends a signal to an AI-based system that then uses machine learning to determine the intentions of the people heading towards a junction.

If it indeed detects that a specific number of people wants to cross the road, the system can then look into a series of rules to change the traffic lights. The rules can be customized according to the need of the local authorities and the requirements of traffic managers.

We can assist traffic managers program their traffic lights to change accordingly to pre-set requirements. A number of parameters can be put in place to best meet specific requirements for individual crossings. For example, the lights can change when a specific amount of time elapses, if the camera identifies a single person is waiting or to change in a shorter time if a large number of people are standing,” Now Wireless explains in a press release, also embedded below.

The best thing is that this new pedestrian crossing doesn’t require any road works, so in theory, it can be safely installed in pretty much any junction as soon as the necessary modules are connected to the traffic lights.

And needless to say, there’s no need for pressing a button to get the green light for crossing a junction, and as we learned the hard way, a contactless experience is exactly what everybody needs today.
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press release
About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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