A device to make drivers ’appy

CAMBRIDGE: Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a system that uses dashboard-mounted smartphones to help drivers avoid red lights and reduce fuel consumption.

The app, called SignalGuru, predicts when a traffic signal is about to change, and the speed that should be driven when approaching an intersection in order to cruise through without stopping.

“The stop-and-go pattern that traffic signals create increases fuel consumption significantly,” said Emmanouil Koukoumidis, the scientist behind the app.

“We wondered how we could help drivers cruise through signal light intersections without stopping, and how much we could save on gas and improve the flow of vehicles.”

When approaching an intersection, the camera on a driver’s dashboardmounted smartphone is activated, which detects when a signal transitions from red to green and vice versa.

Using this information, the app determines the speed that should be used to avoid stopping at a red light on the cusp of turning green, or a green light just shy of turning red.

“It tells the drivers that ‘if you drive at 50km/h then you’ll be able to cruise through without stopping’,” explained Koukoumidis.

He said that while testing their prototype in Massachusetts they saw a 20 percent decrease in fuel consumption. – Reuters