HOW OUR STREETS ARE BEING UPGRADED TO PAVE THE WAY FOR FUTURISTIC TRANSPORT

Words by Scott Dutfield

What is a smart road? As our cars become more and more technologically advanced, it seems that the logical progression would be for our roads to follow suit. In the UK stretches of ‘smart motorways’ have already been installed up and down the country in order to help manage congestion on especially busy highways such as the M1. These roads work using one of two types of sensor. The first is a series of copper loops installed below the surface in regular intervals of a few hundred metres. Connected to a computer for processing, these loops create an electric current whenever metal - such as a car or lorry - passes over them. Collating this information, computer software can calculate the volume of traffic and its speed.

Alternatively, some smart roads are equipped with side-fire sensors, which are placed on posts on either side of the road and cast a beam bilaterally. As cars pass through the beam, information such as speed, quantity and the size of the gap between vehicles can be monitored. Using either method of data collection, a computer can autonomously alter speed limits to ease congestion and open or close lanes along the motorway through overhanging signs.