Saw The Traffic Signal/Autonomous Cars Post On Giz

"Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura" (sundowne36)
08/20/2014 at 17:37 • Filed to: Traffic Lights, Traffic Light, Traffic Signal

And I'm not exactly sure it's the right thing to do when it comes to doing away the signals - mostly because they're a potential factor in insurance reports. What you CAN do (before autonomous cars come) is doing away with people who read other signals just to jump the gun. And Intellight has done just that.

Called the "Electronic Steerable Beam" signal, the ESB takes concepts from old programmable visibility lights and amplifies the intended effect ten-fold.

Instead of a masking tape applied directly to a fresnel lens or glass, you simply use a laptop (either plugged in or wirelessly controlled) and tell the CPU inside of the signal head what part of the road can see a certain light.

That being said, if you're not on the intended lane, you will not see the signal at all, as demonstrated below.

Cons? Well, compared to other normal/PV lights where cooling wasn't an issue, each segment in the signal has a CPU mounted directly on the shell, and that means you'd have to make do with a shoddy heatsink. And it's not exactly cheap for the city's DOT, but then again, do you want to shell out more for insurance disbursements?

Also, it houses a sensor from Homeland Security. No clue as to what HS needs...

DISCUSSION (11)

jariten1781 > Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
08/20/2014 at 17:52

Buy why? I've never seen a wreck caused by someone watching the cross traffic light and jumping into the intersection...just a quick surge then jam on the brakes, ending up a couple feet into the crosswalk. Seems like a lot o' money for not a lot o' return.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > jariten1781
08/20/2014 at 17:58

These actually help in a way since electric/heat output is considerably lower. And seeing the LED unit also helps cut down maintenance. So you actually do save a lot of money.

And like I said in an earlier post, you can't predict what happens next when the light turns red. You jump out = trouble.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
08/20/2014 at 18:05

Well at least after sundown we scofflaws could still see the illumination on the interior of the little hoods over each light. Or look at other specular and/or diffuse reflection off of any number of objects in the neighborhood of the intersection. This is an over-engineered and underperforming solution to a non-problem.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
08/20/2014 at 18:06

Hey, if it's what the MUTCD says, all signals would have to be PV lights by the end of who knows when. And you can't actually see the lights in the visors with the ESB even after sundown.

jariten1781 > Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
08/20/2014 at 18:06

Right, but you can switch to LED without the computer controlled beam width which is bound to up costs significantly.

Of course jumping out is bad, but I don't see it being a statistically significant cause of accidents. Anyhow, at that point the extremely aggressive drivers would just watch the pedestrian crossing signal as their jump trigger.

It's not a bad thing inherently, but I don't see the CBA having a good return.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > jariten1781
08/20/2014 at 18:13

The problem is, this is the solution the MUTCD is going for - they think the old style of signals is becoming a bit of a problem. That, and you have intersections that aren't... Exactly normal, such as here .

jariten1781 > Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
08/20/2014 at 18:19

That's DOT making regs that they don't have to pay to implement. Don't see it happening.

I could see a little benefit in odd intersections.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > jariten1781
08/20/2014 at 18:20

Well, you'd have to account for a number of odd intersections and if it's on their MUTCD, there has to be a reason.

Tohru > Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
08/20/2014 at 19:00

LED traffic lights are shit anyways. Up here in Wisconsin we have to pay road crews to clean them off during the cold months since they don't generate any heat to melt themselves visible.

jariten1781 > Tohru
08/20/2014 at 19:13

I thought they fixed that by adding resistive heating elements in places with lots o' snow.

Tohru > jariten1781
08/20/2014 at 21:05

From what I am aware of, not in Wisconsin.