Global cities such as New York, London, and Tokyo need the most advanced tools and systems to manage their busy road traffic networks. The adoption of IoT in smart cities for various applications is a well-known concept by now. The technology’s abilities of enhanced connectivity, high-speed data processing, and autonomy in decision-making can ensure perfect traffic management.
Booming urbanization across the world has led to increased congestion in cities in every country. It is estimated in some studies that about two-thirds of the world’s population will reside in urban jungles by 2030. A global city simply takes the concept of congestion and chaos to the next level due to its importance in the world.
Cities such as London and New York are considered to be some of the biggest financial hubs in the world. Traffic management in such smart cities can be especially difficult for local authorities chosen for the task. Therefore, global cities need the best solutions, be it ideas, investments or technology applications, to manage traffic efficiently. The involvement of IoT in smart cities like these is a well-known concept by now.
Here are some of the ways how IoT in smart cities facilitates traffic management in a hassle-free way:
Traffic Lights Management
As we know, IoT systems consist of a large number of sensors and other data-receiving devices. For better traffic lights management, the traffic signals are fitted with heat and moisture-sensitive sensors for sensing weather-related data. These sensors will then convey information to the traffic lights in order to regulate their brightness and intensity based on the external weather and road visibility for vehicle drivers. Brightness adjustment is useful as it allows power expenses to be saved and accidents due to blinding lights to be prevented. IoT systems may also use computer vision-enabled CCTV cameras to monitor and regulate the traffic through intelligent changing of the lights at the right moments.
Accident Management
IoT can be extremely useful to connect with vehicle owners to alert them about road conditions ahead. Generally, computer vision-powered cameras monitor the road to detect potholes and oil spills. On detecting these or any other kind of road undulation, such systems alert any oncoming vehicle driver by connecting digitally through their vehicle’s infotainment system. When the driver knows about the potentially accident-causing road undulation, he or she can drive carefully or take a different path, thereby preventing a potentially fatal accident. Additionally, IoT can also work to prevent vehicle owners from injuring pedestrians on the road.
IoT has several incredible applications and solutions. In smart cities, one such area of application is traffic management. By combining IoT with concepts such as computer vision and AI, global cities can be run and managed in the best way possible.
