OTODIVA — Ilmuwan mengusulan warna lampu merah ditambah. The color of the red light is called because the traffic light consists of red, yellow, and green. These have been an integral part of highways around the world for more than a century.
However, development of autonomous vehicle technology (autonomous vehicles/AV) The rapid growth prompted scientists to propose the addition of a fourth color, namely white, for traffic lights.
Why Additional Red Light Colors Are Needed?
Autonomous vehicles are getting closer to reality with the many trials and developments being carried out in various countries. Although there are no fully autonomous vehicles on the road yet, These developments indicate that the presence of autonomous vehicles will become more common in the near future. This brings new challenges in terms of managing traffic which will involve a combination of human-driven and autonomous vehicles.
Engineers at North Carolina State University proposed a new red light or traffic light color concept with the addition of white to help autonomous vehicles manage traffic flow.. Dr. Ali Hajbabaie, leader of this study, explains that white will indicate that autonomous vehicles are coordinating their movements, while human drivers only need to follow the vehicle in front of them.
How the Red Light Color System Works?
In this concept, when a large number of autonomous vehicles approach an intersection, the color of the red traffic light will change to white. This shows that the vehicles communicate with each other to determine the best path through the intersection. Human drivers only need to follow the vehicle in front of them without needing to make any further decisions, as autonomous vehicles have taken over traffic coordination.
According to Dr. Hajbabaie, this system will not completely replace red lights, yellow, and green that has been used for years. A red light will still mean stop, yellow for alert, and green for the road. White lights will only be used when there are enough autonomous vehicles around the intersection to optimize traffic flow.
Benefits of This Innovation
The implementation of the red light system for white traffic is expected to bring various benefits, including increased travel efficiency, fuel savings, and increased safety on the road. Based on a simulation model created by the research team, if autonomous vehicles are widely adopted in the future, waiting times at intersections can be reduced more than 25%. Even with a lower percentage of autonomous vehicles, the increase in travel time will still be significant.
Besides that, the study also considered the impact on pedestrians and found that this system would also improve efficiency for pedestrians. This shows that this system can be widely implemented without compromising accessibility for other road users.
A Brief History of Traffic Lights
Traffic lights have undergone various evolutions since they were first introduced 150 last year. The first traffic lights were installed outside the Houses of Parliament in England in 10 December 1868. This early version used red and green gas lights operated manually by a policeman. However, this system was discontinued after a gas explosion accident several weeks later.
An electric version of the traffic light was first introduced in Ohio, AS, in the year of 1914, and the three-color system as we know it today was first used in Detroit in 1919. In England, The first manually operated three-colour traffic lights appeared on Piccadilly in 1926, with the automatic version installed in Princes Square, Wolverhampton, in the year of 1927.
The Future of Traffic in White
With the rapid development of autonomous vehicle technology, The proposed addition of white to traffic lights is an important step in anticipating a future where autonomous vehicles and human-driven vehicles will share the road. This system will not only help manage traffic more efficiently, but also offers increased safety and comfort for all road users.
This innovation shows how technology continues to develop to meet the challenges that arise with the development of autonomous vehicles. With the time fast approaching for widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles, This new traffic light system could become an integral part of the road infrastructure of the future.
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