Onboard Virtual Traffic Light System for Power Outage Resilience
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional traffic systems are costly and unreliable, especially during power outages or adverse weather conditions, and rely on expensive infrastructure and sensors, which can lead to accidents and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous in-vehicle traffic light system and road sign images integrated with automatic braking, using GPS and a database of traffic scenarios to provide virtual traffic signals and preemption, independent of external infrastructure and communication networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional traffic light systems are used, then traffic control functionality is provided, but the system becomes unreliable during power outages and adverse weather conditions
Solution Approach 1:
Each vehicle carries its own traffic light signal generation capability through onboard processors and databases, eliminating dependence on external power infrastructure. The system serves itself by using GPS location, vehicle speed, and stored traffic scenario data to autonomously determine and communicate traffic signals to other vehicles, ensuring continuous operation during power outages and adverse weather conditions.
2Reliability
If conventional traffic light infrastructure is deployed, then traffic control is achieved, but the cost of hardware, installation, and maintenance becomes extremely high
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of deploying expensive physical traffic light infrastructure at every intersection, the system creates virtual copies of traffic light functionality within each vehicle's onboard computer. The database contains copied traffic scenario data and signal timing patterns that replicate conventional traffic light behavior, allowing vehicles to exchange digital signals that mimic traditional infrastructure-based control at a fraction of the cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The onboard vehicle computer serves multiple functions: it acts as GPS receiver, processor for traffic signal logic, database storage for traffic scenarios, communication device for signal exchange, and display unit for showing traffic lights to other drivers. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate dedicated traffic light hardware, reducing overall system deployment costs while maintaining traffic control availability.
3Loss of information
If drivers rely on visual traffic lights and road signs, then traffic control information is provided, but visibility is lost during heavy fog, snow storms, and sandstorms
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces wireless communication (WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular) as an intermediary between traffic signal generation and driver perception. Instead of relying solely on direct visual line-of-sight to physical traffic lights or road signs, vehicles exchange traffic signal data digitally through communication networks. This intermediary channel delivers traffic control information reliably even when adverse weather blocks visual pathways, as the digital data transmission is not affected by fog, snow, or sandstorms.
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous in-vehicle virtual traffic light system that mimics conventional traffic signal systems and neither depends on vehicle to vehicle communication nor vehicle to intersection or road sensors communication nor vehicle to wireless network communication. The system does not depend on external servers nor broadcast stations to forward traffic information to conventional vehicles or driverless vehicles. A virtual traffic controller placed on-board vehicles to provide traffic information including traffic light signals and images of road signs autonomously.