Delhiites, Here’s How Artificial Intelligence Will Change The Way You Navigate
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the next big thing in the world of technology. Taking on many industries, AI is aimed lowering human intervention in processes by using machines that are designed and programmed to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, including, visual perception, speech recognition, learning, reasoning, decision-making, and even, translation between languages. Machines doing such tasks are known to lower what we know as ‘human error’ and give more accurate results.
This technology is now going to ease what in today’s time is known to cost economies billions – traffic congestion. According to reports, traffic congestion cost the US economy a whopping $121 billion every year. In Indian capital, Delhi, this number stood at $10 billion in early 2017, a study by IIT Madras shows. This is on the account of fuel wastage due to the idling of vehicles, productivity loss due to people being stuck on their way to work, air pollution and road crashes.
To help lower this cost for the national capital, AI-based traffic systems will be introduced that will ease navigation by providing real-time information, alternate routes, among others. To pave the way for Delhi Police’s decade-old proposal, intelligent traffic management system (ITMS) , the Ministry of Home Affairs has given its approval to appoint an international consultant for the implementation.
The proposed system promotes the use of AI to manage traffic and an array of sensors to detect violators.
While the Delhi Police have already begun the task of selecting the consultant, the project will be implemented in three phases with the first being completed in 2019.
A game changer
These systems will be backed by a team of IT support at the command centre to ensure that the workflow is smooth. All the data collected under this system will be stored on a cloud-based system for dynamic use. It will also be used to analyse using AI to better the traffic management system.
The new ITMS will have features, including:
*Smart traffic control centres with AI and remote management,
*Adaptive traffic control system,
*Traffic detecting sensors,
*High-resolution CCTV cameras,
*Automatic numberplate management recognition camera system,
*Speed detection radars and monitoring mechanism,
*Signalised pedestrian crossing,
*Stop-line violation detection, and
*Lane monitoring system.
So, what’s in store for Delhiites?
Easy commute: Going to work and you receive a notification of sudden congestion on your regular route can help you take a new route that is less crowded. This makes it easier for you and also, you do not add up to the existing congestion. Moreover, smart signalling system allows the time of the traffic light to be regulated depending on the flow of vehicles.
Save time and fuel: How annoying it is to sit in your vehicle in the middle of the traffic jam. You are sitting idle wasting those minutes and even hours. In case of your car, it is idle, too, and using fuel alongside. All of this waste your time and energy and causes you a wastage of fuel, too. Once the new system is launched, all features put together will make the flow of traffic smooth and smart, helping you save time as well as fuel.
Lower carbon emissions: Vehicles when idling but using fuel impact the environment more. In case of Delhi, the rising pollution levels are already a concern for everyone. The new AI-based traffic control system would ensure that the idling time of the vehicles is brought down drastically thus, lowering the carbon emissions.
What’s up internationally?
Pittsburgh: In 2016, a technology startup, Surtrac, launched a pilot smart traffic-management system. This had helped reduce the time taken to travel by 25 per cent while the idling time for a car was cut down by 40 per cent. It also helped cut carbon emissions by 21 per cent. Surtrac’s system came with traffic lights that were not pre-programmed with timings rather depended on the traffic conditions. These lights intelligently changed the time of a signal to ensure congestion is not caused. While these lights coordinated with each other, each traffic light was equipped with a radar and camera to detect traffic.
Kuala Lumpur: Earlier this year, e-commerce giant Alibaba launched a traffic management service in Kuala Lumpur. A cloud-based system called City Brain uses data of over 300 traffic lights, 500 CCTV cameras, public transport systems and other streams to minimise road congestion. This data is also helpful in predicting traffic situations and provide a recommendation to the riders. This system is already used across cities in China.