Smart Roadways Could Improve Safety And Commute Times
APR 25, 2013
Researchers test new road technology enabling cars to interact with one another.
Smart Roadways Could Improve Safety and Commute Times
Get Inside the Science:
New communication systems would allow vehicles to ‘talk’ with roadways
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
Tom Dingus, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
Inside Science Buzzwords:
- Vehicle Communication Systems: An emerging type of network in which vehicles and roadside equipment communicate to provide information to each other, such as safety warnings and traffic information.
- Human Factors Engineer: A researcher who focuses on the interactions between people and devices, working to design devices including furniture, phones, and computers that are easy for humans to use, taking into account safety, comfort, and productiveness of users. The field is also called ergonomics.
- Global Positioning System: A set of 27 Earth-orbiting satellites (24 in operation and three backups). The U.S. military developed and implemented this satellite network as a military navigation system, but soon opened it up for civilian use.
