The concept of
smart roads is not new. It includes efforts like traffic lights that automatically adjust their timing based on sensor data and streetlights that automatically adjust their brightness to reduce energy consumption. PerceptIn, of which coauthor Liu is founder and CEO, has demonstrated at its own test track, in Beijing, that streetlight control can make traffic 40 percent more efficient. (Liu and coauthor Gaudiot, Liu’s former doctoral advisor at the University of California, Irvine, often collaborate on autonomous driving projects.)
But these are piecemeal changes. We propose a much more ambitious approach that combines intelligent roads and intelligent vehicles into an integrated, fully intelligent transportation system. The sheer amount and accuracy of the combined information will allow such a system to reach unparalleled levels of safety and efficiency.
Human drivers have a
crash rate of 4.2 accidents per million miles; autonomous cars must do much better