- Vehicle-to-Infrastructure tech to avoid red lights
- Tech gives speed to avoid having to stop
- System to cut congestion, reduces emissions
PRETORIA, Gauteng – New Jaguar Land Rover technology has been created to, the automaker claims, reduce traffic by avoiding stops at red traffic lights – an invention from 150 years ago that is now the bane of city drivers.
The world’s first traffic lights were installed outside the Houses of Parliament in London, England. Since then drivers in just about every country have spent billions of hours waiting to go on green.
Jaguar Land Rover’s latest tech, however, is hoping that the days of waiting could soon be over. Its Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory system allows cars to “talk” to traffic lights and advise its driver of the optimal speed required to ”get there on green”.
(JLR, you’re welcome to use that cute slogan!)
”Widespread adoption of the V2X technology,” JLR says, ”will discourage drivers from racing to beat the lights and improve air quality by reducing harsh acceleration/braking near junction lights.
”The goal is for the V2X revolution to create free-flowing cities through fewer delays and less commuter stress.”
The connected technology is being tested on a Jaguar F-Pace as part of a R371-million collaborative research project.
The F-Pace, as does every JLR vehicle, already has a number of sophisticated driving assistance features. For example, Intersection Collision Warning will warn a driver when it is unsafe to proceed at a crossroads and tells other drivers if cars are approaching from another road then suggest the order in which cars should proceed.
JLR has also addressed time lost to searching for a parking slot by showing available spaces and developed an Emergency Vehicle Warning to alert drivers to the approach of a fire-engine, police car or ambulance.
A JLR tech research engineer, Oriol Quintana-Morales, told The Corner in a media release: “This cutting-edge technology will radically reduce time wasted at traffic lights. It has the potential to revolutionise driving by creating safe, free-flowing, commuting.”
EVERYTHING CONNECTED
The trials are part of a £20-million (about R360-million) tax-funded project, UK Autodrive, to accelerate future self-driving and connected technology.
Connected tech will link vehicles to everything around them to permit seamless, free-flowing, traffic that will pave the way for autonomous vehicles.
