Scientists at the St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO) and some ethnic Russians from Componentality Oy, a Finnish-based company, have developed unique communications technologies to address transport problems in large urban areas, RusNanoNet.ru reported last week.
The joint effort has reportedly resulted in the development of a “smart traffic light,” a “smart bus stop,” and a system to prevent car crashes.
The innovation calls for retrofitting both public and private vehicles with devices that would enable high-speed data transfer based on FlexRoad technology, an adaptation of WiFi for the automotive industry.
The FlexRoad system is said to require no base stations and operates by simply sending a signal from one object to another. With the gadgets installed, each vehicle becomes a ‘communications center,’ and the more specially equipped cars, the better for a city’s traffic flow.
In a city with many high rise structures, a signal can be transmitted over a 1.5 km distance at a data transfer speed of up to 100 Mbit/s, given a steady city traffic flow at a speed of up to 250km/h. The new system is believed to be able to operate even during a complete blackout, drawing on electricity in a car itself.
With the innovative technology, municipal authorities could receive information about the speed and density of traffic flows and car accidents, thus dramatically improving urban traffic patterns and developing better public transportation charts.
Passengers, too, could benefit from the new system as they would know the exact time of arrival of a bus at a specific bus stop.
According to expert estimates, equipping one conventional traffic light with the new device will cost just over $1,500.
