Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars

Google is using A.I. to reduce idling time at traffic intersections

Simon Sage
By

Tuesday’s Sustainable with Google event revealed information on a research project that is using A.I. to reduce the amount of time spent sitting at traffic lights. A series of pilot projects in Israel improved the timing at intersections, enabling Google to reduce fuel consumption and intersection delays by 10% to 20%. Not only does that help local air quality, but it’s also helping folks get to work more quickly.

This has been done by calculating the relationship between traffic conditions and light timing within a reasonable level of accuracy, then building an A.I. model based on that data. Though these pilot projects were conducted in Israel, Google is looking to have another go in Rio de Janeiro and other major cities around the world.

Related Videos

That’s not the only sustainability research Google has been working on through its Environmental Insights Explorer. The goal with this program is to help more than 500 cities cut 1 gigaton of carbon emissions by 2030. Tree Canopy Insights uses A.I. mapping to help communities figure out which areas have enough trees and which areas need more trees planted in them.

Diagram showing traffic improvements with Google AI.
Google

The vast majority of A.I. research in the automotive sphere tends to be focused on the cars themselves, particularly in terms of autonomous driving, but applying this technology to traffic lights also has the potential to increase safety on the roads. Lower-tech solutions, like roundabouts, could provide equivalent gains, but in places where such an overhaul isn’t practical, making the lights a little more intelligent could be a viable improvement. Hopefully, smart cars will eventually be able to communicate with smart traffic lights to further improve the efficiencies at intersections around the world.

Projects like this could be rolled out to help cut emissions, improve fuel efficiency, and much more.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Cruise’s robotaxis have driven 1 million miles fully driverless
A driverless Cruise car in San Francisco.

General Motors-backed Cruise revealed this week that its fully driverless cars have now traveled more than a million miles, mostly on the streets of San Francisco.

The achievement comes just 15 months after the company’s first fully driverless ride, during which time it also launched San Francisco’s first paid driverless robotaxi service.

Read more
Tesla Model 3 maintenance costs: What can you expect?
A Tesla Model 3 electric car.

One of the big promises of electric vehicles is that they require less maintenance than a gasoline-powered car, and thus cost less over time. That’s largely because EVs have a whole lot fewer moving parts. When you don't have an engine, you don't have to worry about oil changes, spark plugs, or exhaust systems, to name just a few examples.

The Tesla Model 3 is no different in that regard. While Tesla cars notoriously suffer from issues like panel gaps and other factory defects, Tesla covers these repairs under warranty, as long as you buy the car from Tesla itself. After that, there are few costs associated with maintenance at all. Here’s a rundown of the maintenance costs you can expect as a Tesla Model 3 owner.
Tesla Model 3 maintenance

Read more
What’s the difference between Tesla Autopilot and Full Self-Driving?
A Telsa Model 3 drives along a road.

Cars are quickly changing. Companies are increasingly adopting new technologies to roll out fully electric models. At the same time, those companies are investing heavily in the sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence that will eventually make cars fully self-driving.

Tesla was early to both of those things. Tesla’s entire lineup of cars is electric, and right now, it actually offers two autonomous modes: “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving.”

Read more