In this blog post, we will expand upon and discuss how Smart City's technological innovation, together with IoT, could end the age of wasting time in traffic congestion, i.e., the Smart Traffic Light Solution.
Urban mobility is one of the major problems in our modern world, especially in metropolitan areas where daily traffic flow growth and changes are leaving our modern traffic light system outdated.
Traffic light systems are working on simple timers and based on estimated traffic flow which forces commuters to sit and wait in traffic jams even though the other side of the road could be empty.
However, a small number of traffic lights are connected to cameras and sensors to detect cars, but they usually do not fit in with bad weather conditions, like icy roads or heavy rain which automatically slows down the flow and can also interfere with sensors.
That is why cities need to have reliable real-time traffic flow data to be able to manage traffic light systems in real time.

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What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
Internet of Things (IoT) solutions enable everyday objects to be connected and controlled through the internet, which makes these connected devices able to talk to each other, gather data and create actions.
The implementation of IoT solutions in traffic light management can help city traffic management centers optimize and adapt the traffic flow and changing patterns, gain a great volume of real-time traffic data and direct that into better road planning solutions that would save precious time the daily commute of citizens.
What is AutoPi and how is it connected to Smart Traffic Light Systems?
AutoPi is specializing in IoT hardware devices and extendable cloud solutions to securely connect vehicles to the internet and gain data on automotive usage, also called the IoT platform.
AutoPi delivers innovative connected car technology to create a more flexible and human-centric mobility service and enhance the driving experience for citizens.
With the implementation of AutoPi in the traffic light system, Smart Cities could be able to gain real-time data on the vehicles on the road and also communicate with infrastructures to synchronize the light cycles, optimize the number of stops, and guarantee the best traffic flow.
Using AutoPi for Adaptive Traffic Control System
The concept of Smart intersections is to take advantage of wireless communications in the vehicle. AutoPi Iot enabled vehicles can communicate with each other (other connected vehicles), with the infrastructure (traffic signal control systems), or through dedicated short-range communications (smartphones).
AutoPi-enabled vehicles are also equipped with advanced sensors, onboard computer processing, GPS coordinates, and wireless networks.
Compared to the traditional adaptive signal control strategy, where there is only instant vehicle data provided when a vehicle is driving past it, AutoPi advanced solutions can present real-time vehicle states information such as travel time, position, speed, acceleration, or other traffic data.
Communications between vehicles and infrastructure also allow the traffic signal control system to gather much more detailed information about the surroundings of the vehicle.
This real-time data can be used by the traffic signal control system enabled with a cloud platform to make a better green light timing optimization and alter the lights based on current traffic situations.
In reality, the smart traffic light controller can wireless communicate with the onboard AutoPi TMU device, through a cloud solution, and obtain the position and the speed of the vehicle, using this to predict the travel time to the next intersection.
This information can be used to control the offset between traffic signals while adjusting an effective green time lightning.
Meanwhile, traffic control management centers can directly communicate with different sensor sources and smart traffic light controllers to identify potential traffic problems and implement strategies in real-time to address the problems.
Additionally, collecting IoT-connected vehicle data is undoubtedly less expensive to implement and maintain than a dozen detectors.
Using historical data could also help traffic management centers to predict where the traffic could go or in the event of an accident take measures and clear the roads for emergency vehicles and prevent potential congestion.
AutoPi is designed as a collaborative digital platform to allow governments, businesses, and citizens to take initiative in the shaping the future of Smart Cities.