Virtual Traffic Lights Concept From Carnegie Mellon University To Help Daily Commuters

If there's one thing that hasn't seen any innovation over the past few decades it's the traffic lights. We still use the infrastructure based traffic signal lights on every major intersection on so many squares across the world. Well, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have begun to re-think that age-old system. Dubbed as 'Virtual Traffic Lights', we can now look forward to a system where cars could communicate with each other so as to mutually manage traffic control. CMU Researcher, Prof. Ozan Tonguz is working on just that and he was recently featured on CNN for this innovative concept. In fact, a startup from CMU known as Virtual Traffic Lights, LLC is working on bringing this patented tech into mainstream for large scale deployment.

With this connected vehicle technology, the virtual traffic lights could appear on the driver’s car's windshield as they are about to approach an intersection. The driver will see on his windshield that going straight is a green light, and turning right is a red light and thus decide which way to go. The display will be automatically turned off once the driver moves past the intersection.


The advantages of such a system are that they don't only lessen the stress levels of the daily commuters, but also help in reducing commute times, decrease traffic congestion and most importantly reduce the carbon footprint for thousands of vehicles. Though it's true that most of us think of such a system as being futuristic, but the truth is Heads Up Display or HUD is a reality today. Moreover, an automotive technology is soon going to be mandated under Federal regulations as part of the U.S. government’s “vehicle-to-vehicle communication program”.

That means such a technology by the name 'virtual traffic lights' could be a reality soon enough. What are your thoughts on that? Share with us in comments below.

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