Electronic technology is taking over more and more aspects of everyday life. From digital media to sophisticated home-devices to medicine to cars. Especially cars. There is pretty much no function in a modern automobile that is not chip-driven. Navigation systems are as common today as power-steering were ten years ago. Onboard entertainment installations in a new-age family van often include DVD players, flat screens and video gaming devices.
The omnipotent digital life has hit the road!
And not only inside our cars have electronic innovations changed the driving experience. Intelligent traffic control systems make sure that nobody has to wait at red lights anymore. Modern mega-cities have interlinked traffic networks in place that automatically adapt to the current traffic situation. Each road sign and every single stoplight adjusts so that traffic runs as smoothly as ever possible.
This is how it works: Detectors on street crossings and major intersections count how many cars are passing by and how fast. Ultrasound sensors are installed to collect this data. This info is then processed at a large “traffic control tower”. Here all interruptions or jams are reported and evaluated immediately. And automatically. In case traffic is running slower because too many vehicles are travelling into one direction for example, this street will be prioritized at robots. Congestions on major highways can be smoothed out by lowering the speed limit a bit.
Many large cities already feature such intelligent traffic control systems. As one of the world’s leading providers of these wholesome systems, Siemens Industrial Solutions and Services has equipped such cities as Berlin, Warsaw or Hong Kong with solutions to better their traffic situation. (www.industry.siemens.com)
Soon the driver has to do nothing but sit down and relax. With navigation systems telling us how fast we can go and onboard controls indicating when the light is turning from red to green, we can pretty much become the co-pilot in our own car. But then again, doesn’t too much technology take away the sheer pleasure of driving?
