Among the many things that are on everyone’s list of biggest pet peeves, getting stuck in traffic is arguably one of the worst. And, depending on your location, it can quickly go from a minor inconvenience to something that sucks two to four hours out of your daily life. What if there was a way to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to significantly decrease that time stuck in your car, passive-aggressively mumbling at drivers passing by?
Xtelligent is an artificial intelligence company that has headquarters in both Los Angeles and Scotland. The company currently has projects ongoing in Colorado and California. They are currently in the process of developing traffic signal control technology that mimics the way that the internet controls data flow. The system allows for greater intelligence in how traffic signals manage timing and traffic on a real-time basis.
On their website, Xtelligent notes how most traffic control systems in the United States are old and outdated, originating in the 1970s. Instead of traffic systems that are simply on a timer, they want to use a combination of algorithms, sensors, and AI machine learning to create traffic control systems that are efficient and keep traffic moving in real-time.
The AI machine-learning systems being implemented allow for a better cause and effect understanding by traffic engineers. According to the URBAN-X website, “By connecting city intersections to the latest sensor technology, Xtelligent is powering the next step in connected, automated, intersection signal management, and laying the groundwork for the safe integration of multimodal transportation and automated vehicles.”
In Xtelligent’s presentation to URBAN-X, they noted a 26% reduction in traffic on Colorado when utilizing their technology. The research driving technology has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the California Department of Transportation, and the United States Department of Transportation. The United States Department of Energy has also awarded the startup $1.2 million over two rounds of funding.
