Autoblog

Honda developing tech that helps prevent traffic jams

Autoblog Staff — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST

It happens every time traffic gets too heavy and starts to slow: One inattentive driver panics and slams on his brakes, triggering a chain reaction that leads to a complete traffic stoppage a few dozen cars behind. If everyone could just slow down, pay attention, and maintain an even speed, we could all get where we're going. Honda hopes to deploy a new system to help make that a reality.

The Japanese automaker has developed the first-ever vehicle communications system geared to cut both traffic jams and fuel use by monitoring a driver's acceleration and braking habits and providing information that Honda says will encourage smoother driving.

Honda, along with the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, has developed on-board terminals that connect to cloud-based computing systems to allow communications between cars on the same road that can help drivers maintain a relatively constant driving distance between vehicles. Tailgating is bad for both traffic and fuel economy, and Honda's system discourages it.

The system differs from traffic monitoring systems that have been part of other vehicle communication systems in that it provides color-coded displays to indicate whether the driver needs to drive smoother and make acceleration and deceleration more gradual. The system can also work with adaptive cruise control to automatically regulate speed among a group of vehicles. The first public road tests will occur in Italy and Indonesia starting in May of 2012. Honda says the system can boost average speed by 23 percent and increase fuel economy by eight percent. Not bad for some cloud computing.

Scroll down to read the full press release.

Continue reading Honda developing tech that helps prevent traffic jams

Honda developing tech that helps prevent traffic jams originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Even the Nürburgring gets traffic jams

Zach Bowman — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Europe, Safety

Keep your secrets, friends. That's the best advice we can give you about keeping your favorite roads traffic-free. Once the word gets out that a particular stretch of asphalt offers a challenging drive, you can all bet that every wannabe heel-toe hero in the area will descend upon it. We've seen it happen on hallowed turf like Rte. 129 in Tennessee, and now it appears that the Nürburgring is beginning to suffer the same fate. The track was recently so packed with drivers that a traffic jam ensued, turning the Green Hell into one giant lead-follow course.

Of course, a gaggle of bunched-up vehicles on what's supposed to be a no-holds-barred road course generates its own issues, as you'll see in the video after the jump. With cars careening toward slower traffic, one near-miss ensues when a Porsche 997 almost bounces off a Boxster. The Nürburgring's operators have officially raised lap prices in an effort to make the track safer for everyone. Hopefully those safety improvements will show up sooner rather than later. Hit the jump to see the traffic travesty on the Nürburgring for yourselves.

Continue reading Even the Nürburgring gets traffic jams

Even the Nürburgring gets traffic jams originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Traffic jams and exhaust linked to autism, brain cell damage

Zach Bowman — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety

A new series of health studies may have discovered a link between vehicle exhaust and a range of ailments, including autism, Alzheimer's Disease and more. The Wall Street Journal reports that scientists around the world have conducted studies investigating the impact of exhaust fumes on families living close to highways. The researchers are quick to point out that the results are still circumstantial at this point, but that doesn't make their findings any easier to live with. For example, children who live in areas affected by high levels of emissions typically score lower on intelligence tests than their peers and are more prone to depression, anxiety and attention issues.

Then there are the autism rates. Researchers found that children born to mothers living within 1,000 feet of a major roadway in Los Angeles, Sacramento or San Francisco were twice as likely to be born with autism regardless of factors like race, gender or family education level. In Mexico, the studies found that exposure to exhaust can cause a type of brain swelling similar to what Alzheimer's patients endure.

It doesn't get much better for those of us who are occasionally trapped in traffic jams. The studies found that breathing in high-traffic areas for just 30 minutes can cause increased brain activity in the areas responsible for personality and decision making. Head over to The Wall Street Journal for a look at the full report.

Traffic jams and exhaust linked to autism, brain cell damage originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

How much time and money does your city's traffic cost you?

Autoblog Staff — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

It may feel like you spend half your life in traffic jams, but that's just a delusion. According to this very spiffy - and highly depressing - infographic from Carbuzz, even Chicagoans are spending less than two percent of their waking existence staring at someone's muffler.

There. Don't you feel better now?

Even though it's only two percent of their time, these delays cost drivers over $1,700 a year, so it's easy to see why Chicago and D.C. have already invested in public transportation, and it certainly looks as if it would be easy to justify more of everything that isn't a car.

The full image, complete with world's worst traffic jams and more depressing statistics on just how much time and money are spent being enslaved to overcrowded highways, can be found after the jump.

Continue reading How much time and money does your city's traffic cost you?

How much time and money does your city's traffic cost you? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bill Ford is worried about traffic, talks to TED about it

Chris Shunk — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Ford

Bill Ford, Jr. speaks at TED 2011 - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Most of us are aware of Bill Ford, Jr.'s obsession with green technology that will help conserve fossil fuels while at the same time preserving the environment, but what you may not know that the Ford family scion is also very much interested in the future of gridlock.

Ford spoke at the Technology Entertainment and Design 2011 conference (better known as TED) to discuss the growing problem, and it appears the traffic buildup has just begun. The Ford Motor Company Chairman said in the post-jump video that the population of the planet is expected to jump from 6.8 billion people to about nine billion by mid-century. And with other countries around the world continuing to prosper, we could see cars and trucks on the road grow from today's 800 million vehicles to between two and four billion by 2050. That's a big jump, and when you consider that the typical commute in Shanghai is now about five hours, you can see how big a problem gridlock can become.

Hit the jump to read Ford Motor's TED conference press release, then feel free to watch video of Ford's speech. Towards the end of the video, Ford shows that some solutions to gridlock are beginning to present themselves, including smart vehicles that can communicate traffic information to one another in real-time, but there is still a lot of work to do.

Continue reading Bill Ford is worried about traffic, talks to TED about it

Bill Ford is worried about traffic, talks to TED about it originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

And the winner for most congested European city is...

Noah Joseph — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe

The trouble with European cities is that most of them were laid out long before the advent of the automobile. Little wonder, then, that nearly all of them suffer from terrible traffic congestion. But which is the most jammed of all of them?

Brussels. The Belgian capital is also the seat of NATO, the European Union and countless other international organizations. And this year it's been rated as the most congested city in Europe. Traffic in the UK is hardly any better with three cities listed in the top 10 - second only to France, which features four.

The ratings were conducted by TomTom. The GPS company compiles data from individual units once they're connected to the internet for updates, and calculates how much time was spent citing in traffic jams. Big Daddy is watching, but at least he can give us some useful information once in a while.

And the winner for most congested European city is... originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

UK survey finds that drivers lie about why they're late to work

Zach Bowman — Tue, 24 May 2011 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., UK

Here's a bit of news from the blatantly obvious department: According to a new study conducted in the UK, around 66 percent of those questioned have lied about why they're late for work or social events. Of those, 45 percent blame traffic delays. Another 42 percent point a finger at their vehicle as the reason behind their lack of timeliness.

That's no surprise to anyone who's ever had to manage a flock of wayward workers. Traffic is an easy scapegoat thanks to the fact that jams can turn up just as fast as they can dissipate, and since no boss has ever asked for a note from your mechanic, car trouble is a good second bet.

Of course, with more workers reliant on their personal vehicle as a means to get to work, we wouldn't be surprised if those numbers were much higher here in the States. That is, if American workers would even consider doing something as shameful as lying to their employers...

UK survey finds that drivers lie about why they're late to work originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Texas motorists a little overexcited about first In-N-Out Burger

Aaron Richardson — Sun, 15 May 2011 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor

The first Texas In-N-Out Burger draws a crowd - Click above to watch video after the jump

By all accounts, In-N-Out Burger makes a delicious sandwich. The chain has been a fixture in California for decades, but has only recently begun creeping its way across the country, bringing its much-lauded burgers to those who don't live in SoCal. In-N-Out's nostalgia for 1950s and '60s carhop burger joints and cruise night culture is another big consumer draw.

When In-N-Out opened up its first franchise in Texas last week, the restaurant's renown had people lined up for miles to get their hands on one of the joint's never-frozen patties. The line was so impressive that the cops showed up to deploy cones and direct traffic safely through the parking lot and drive through.

While In-N-Out makes a good burger, it can't possibly be worth voluntarily subjecting yourself to a mile-long traffic jam. Let's not forget that this is just the drive-thru line. We can only imagine the chaos inside the restaurant. Click past the jump to see the madness for yourself.

Continue reading Texas motorists a little overexcited about first In-N-Out Burger

Texas motorists a little overexcited about first In-N-Out Burger originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 May 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

GPS data gives us the Top 20 Worst Commutes

Aaron Richardson — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Being stuck in traffic anywhere sucks. Even if it's just for a few minutes, feelings of urgency and anger sneak in quickly. Now, imagine being stuck in traffic multiple hours a day, five days a week. For some people, it's a way of life. To figure out who has the worst commute in the nation, the Daily Beast studied and quantified the Top 20 Worst Commutes in America.

Factors that went into the list included length of the traffic corridor, longest rush hour travel time along that stretch of road and the time it takes to drive a mile along that stretch during the highest-volume rush hour. They also calculated how much worse a stretch of road is during its worst rush-hour period versus normal driving. California's Delta Highway/CA-4 took that honor handily, taking 318 percent longer to travel during rush times.

The data was gathered from GPS and smartphone tracking of four million vehicles by a company called INRIX, which the Daily Beast compiled into the top 20 list. Now, without further ado, the top 20 worst commutes in the nation:

1. Riverside Freeway/Calif. Highway 91 eastbound, Los Angeles
2. Lunalilo Freeway/I-1 eastbound, Honolulu
3. California Delta Highway/Calif. Highway 4 westbound, San Francisco
4. I-95 southbound, Washington, D.C.
5. Bruckner/Cross Bronx Expressways (I-95 southbound), New York
6. I-35 southbound, Austin-Round Rock
7. Connecticut Turnpike (I-95 northbound), Bridgeport8. I-405 southbound, Seattle
9. Bayshore Freeway (U.S. 101 southbound), San Jose, Calif.
10. Kennedy/Dan Ryan Expressways (I-90/I-94 eastbound), Chicago
11. I-5 northbound, Portland, Ore.
12. Calif. Highway 78 eastbound, San Diego
13. I-494 eastbound, Minneapolis
14. Southwest/Eastex Freeways (U.S. 59 northbound), Houston
15. Southeast Expressway (I-93 northbound), Boston
16. Hampton Roads Beltway (I-64 westbound), Virginia Beach, Va.
17. Baltimore Beltway Inner Loop (I-695 eastbound), Baltimore
18. Schuylkill Expressway (I-76 westbound), Philadelphia
19. North Freeway (I-35W northbound), Dallas
20. Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101 northbound), Oxnard, Calif

[Source: The Daily Beast via Kicking Tires | Image: gohsuket - CC 2.0]

GPS data gives us the Top 20 Worst Commutes originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Study: Traffic lights should respond to cars, not other way around

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Anyone who's sat at a red light for minutes on end in the middle of the night when there's no cross traffic can cheer on science for proving what we already knew: lights that adapt to the flow of traffic, instead of dictating the flow of traffic, can improve the flow of traffic. A team of researchers discovered that if you let lights locally decide how to time their signals based on how much traffic they're dealing with, and then communicate that with nearby lights, you get closer to the "green wave" of lights that keeps thing moving smoothly.

The issue with the centralized, top-down system of control is that it is geared to address an average traffic situation that rarely occurs as planned. The variations in rush hour traffic mean that lights are trying to apply one solution to a vast number of situations. In their trial in Dresden, Germany the team found that traffic congestion was eased by nine percent, pedestrian congestion by 36 percent, and bus and tram traffic by 56 percent. With rush hours spreading in time and distance, the proof and implementation of this can't come soon enough. Thanks for the tip, Toy!

[Source: Science News | Image: Corbis/Getty]

Study: Traffic lights should respond to cars, not other way around originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

China's 60-mile long traffic jam ends

Zach Bowman — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: China, Etc.

Here's a little ray of sunshine if you happen to be traveling on the G110 expressway in China. The massive, 60-mile long traffic jam that reportedly cropped up due to road maintenance between Beijing and Zhangjiaku has all but evaporated. NBC News decided to get down and dirty by heading up the afflicted highway to see the mayhem for itself, only to find that the Chinese government had successfully dissipated the clog.

From what the news agency found, the G110 is popular among truck drivers hauling coal from illegal mines in the countryside into Beijing. There are plenty of larger, quicker roads to get goods in and out of the capital, but those highways are heavily monitored and charge drivers based on their load and the distance they travel. Until just recently, the G110 didn't have those hassles.

But after traffic began to go stack up, the government quickly erected a series of toll booths and weigh stations to keep an eye on what's going and coming through the area. For now, traffic is flowing freely along the road, even though the original roadwork isn't set to wrap up until mid September.

[Source: NBC News | Image: AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan]

China's 60-mile long traffic jam ends originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

China unveils... 60-mile traffic jam?

Zach Bowman — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: China

We will never complain about our commute again. Ever. According to MSNBC, gridlock traffic has now grown to cover a total of 60 miles between Beijing and Zhangjiakou. It's been that way since August 14th, and officials say that the situation doesn't look to improve until workers wrap up road repairs on September 13. If that wasn't bad enough, a slew of broken-down vehicles and fender benders have cropped up as a result of the slow-going commute.

Traffic has gotten so bad that drivers have taken to striking up card and chess games while waiting for things to get moving again. Street vendors have also set up shop along the afflicted highway, offering food and drinks at an inflated price. Local government has unleashed a total of 400 police officers to keep crowds calm during the long slog home.

Remember, drivers. It could always be worse. Unless you live near Beijing, that is. Thanks for the tip, Brendan!

[Source: MSNBC]

China unveils... 60-mile traffic jam? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Projected Memorial Day traffic rises to 28 million travelers - Where are you headed?

Zach Bowman — Fri, 28 May 2010 14:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Unless you've had your head glued to a computer monitor for the past month (like we have), odds are you know it's Memorial Day weekend. Thanks to a modestly improving economy and bottom-basement deals on accommodations and flights, this year's summer kick off is slated to see quite a few more travelers than last year. Consumer Reports says that all in all, 32.1 million Americans will be leaving home for a little R&R over the three-day weekend. That number is up a full two million travelers compared to 2009. They won't all be on the road, though. That figure takes into account air travel, buses and cruises, as well as people hopping behind the wheel.

As for us, a few of the Autoblog staff will be brave enough to do battle with the hordes taking to America's roadways this weekend, but the rest of the crew probably won't be going any farther than the back deck. So what about you, loyal readers? Where ya headed? Share your weekend TripTik or other auto-related plans with us in Comments.

[Source: Consumer Reports | Image: David McNew/Getty]

Projected Memorial Day traffic rises to 28 million travelers - Where are you headed? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 May 2010 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Study: Where does your city rank among the road-rageous?

Chris Tutor — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety

Listen up, all you people in New York, Dallas, Detroit and Atlanta. Settle down. You, too, Minneapolis. There's no excuse for the kinds of things you're doing out there on the road. That's right, we saw you. Well, not us, but your fellow drivers who tattled on a new AutoVantage survey about road rage. Those were the five worst cities for road rage incidents this year, with respondents citing hot-tempered drivers and aggressive speeding and horn honking.

But wait - there are two sides to the road named rage. Something must have set off those finger-waving commuters. And that would have been all the other drivers out there who are talking on their phones, tailgating, eating, emailing and checking Autoblog on their netbooks and iPhones. Those people, the survey says, are the ones getting on the nerves of the short-fused.

So where can a mild-mannered driver go and cruise the roads in peace? AutoVantage's survey lists Portland, Oregon as the most courteous city with Cleveland, Baltimore, Sacramento and Pittsburgh following. While we're at it, we'd like to spotlight Baltimore as a shining example of how a city can make a road-rage u-turn. That city moved up from No. 4 on last year's least courteous list. Now why can't the rest of you behave as well?

Here's a few more interesting numbers the survey offers. St. Louis drivers, 92% of them, reported seeing someone talking on a mobile phone every day. It's also a city where you're more likely to see drivers eating in their cars. A majority of Minneapolis drivers surveyed said they witness tailgating every day, and that city's drivers also reported more incidences of red light running. In Miami, you're less likely to see drivers signaling lane changes but much more likely to get a text message from a fellow driver. Maybe they're just texting their intent to come into your lane. "Can U belev I jst got cutof??? Had 2 run light 2 catch up 2 him at 90mph!!!"

Ironically, 7% of the drivers surveyed said they reacted to displays of bad driving by calling the cops... on their mobile phones, we assume.

Check out the press release after the jump. But you might want to wait until you finish your drive home. It's kinda long.

Continue reading Study: Where does your city rank among the road-rageous?

Study: Where does your city rank among the road-rageous? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

VIDEO: Traffic jam shockwave recreated in experiment

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:28:00 EST

Filed under: First Drives

Click above to watch video

Shockwave traffic jams -- the kind where you slow down and speed up (with others behind you doing the same thing) -- have finally been recreated in a controlled environment (woo-hoo!). Theories about the causes of traffic jams have been computer modeled before, but here hasn't been a live demonstration of how a body of traffic goes from highway speeds to a dead stop -- for no apparent reason -- until now.

A team of Japanese scientists put 22 cars on a circular track and told them to drive about 20-MPH. Sure enough, a few laps in, uneven gaps appeared between the cars. Then a group of cars got bunched up. The people at the back of the bunch sometimes had to come to a stop. The car at the front of the bunch would lurch away... only to rejoin the back of the bunch on the other side of the circle.

Now that the phenomenon has been recreated in "lab" conditions, the greatest minds of our generation can get to fixing it. Or, not really, since the cause of shockwave jams is conclusively shown to be -- tada! -- human error. Some folks just can't go with the flow when traffic needs it most. So while fixing human error might not be on the cards, at least there's some hope now for traffic jams. Watch video of the artificial shockwave traffic jam after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Ben!

[Source: New Scientist]

Continue reading VIDEO: Traffic jam shockwave recreated in experiment

VIDEO: Traffic jam shockwave recreated in experiment originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

More common sense - Cellphones make you a bad driver

Dan Roth — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, First Drives

In light of the "backwards-travelling wave" that researchers recently discovered as a cause of congestion, another study has pinpointed a possible major contributor. The University of Utah's Traffic Lab uncovered that drivers paying more attention to yapping on their phone - hands free or not - add to the suffering of us all. Talking while driving leads to drivers who take considerably longer to change lanes when following slow-moving vehicles, drive slower overall, and take longer to arrive at their destination.

Any benefits from slower speeds and more deliberate movements are mitigated by the distraction of a conversation. Thinking along the lines of chaos theory, even the small slowdowns created by poky drivers can grow into exponentially larger traffic problems quickly. Then, when we're all stuck in the stop and go, we call someone else and bitch about how bad the traffic is. Sounds like what they've really discovered in Utah is the fuel for a perpetual motion machine. Car stops, jaw continually flaps.

[Source: Reuters, Photo: hotrodscustomstuff.com]

More common sense - Cellphones make you a bad driver originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The real reason for traffic jams: us!

Dan Roth — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, First Drives

Finally, there's an explanation for those wasted hours we spent on the MassPike today asking no one in particular "what the (dirty word) is this (dirty word)?" A team of mathemeticians from the Universities of Exeter, Bristol and Budapest developed a mathematical model revealing that traffic jams are caused by idiots. Okay, not exactly. The real explanation is that unexpected events, such as being cut off, require slowing below a threshold speed for smooth traffic flow. As we've all observed, when the car in front of you brakes suddenly, you need to brake even harder to compensate for your reaction time; this creates a wave that radiates back through traffic. That "backward-traveling-wave" means that because of one driver's inattention, we all pay for it miles behind.

The results of the study really point up the need to drive smoothly. Roads with heavy traffic volume seem to be more prone to traffic jams, too, but that's not necessarily the case. Heavy volume can proceed smoothly if drivers anticipate and avoid sudden actions. In the end, it appears that the main way to fix traffic jams is driver diligence. The low-tech solution is to pay attention when you're behind the wheel, but we've also now got radar-based cruise control that does this for you, so you can continue blithely on your way. It boils down to common sense; be a smooth driver, expect that everyone around you is a moron, and hopefully you won't be slamming on your brakes, causing a domino reaction.

[Source: physorg.com via Motive Mag, Photo: Ed Edahl/FEMA]

The real reason for traffic jams: us! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Dec 2007 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

President Putin fixes Russia's traffic congestion, for about an hour

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Mercedes-Benz

Here's one way to clear traffic jams - become the Russian President. The above picture shows you how a typical Moscow street looks at pretty much any time of day. It's bumper-to-bumper traffic as far as the eye can see. But to paraphrase Mel Brooks in History of the World, Part I, "It's good to be the Pres." When President Putin has to get somewhere in a hurry, they make sure he can arrive in a timely fashion. The following photo shows how the same streets look when his Mercedes Limo and G-Wagen entourage comes idling through. It's a pretty dramatic difference, as you can see. And with no bystanders, there's virtually no chance someone will point and snicker if you happen to break down. Food for thought, Secret Service.

[Source: English Russia]

President Putin fixes Russia's traffic congestion, for about an hour originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Jun 2007 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Jam Session: Automotive Orchestra

Dan Roth — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:33:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Etc.

One of the curses I've faced as a recording engineer is that the symphony of every day life drills itself through my skull. It can be quite distracting. People try to converse with you, and all you can focus on is the groovy rhythm coming from a rattly interior bit. Avant-garde musicians and composers have been attuned to the music life creates for many years. John Cage, for instance, wrote pieces that use big fans as an orchestral section. Cage's 4'33 would be the perfect cellphone ringtone, but until that's available, I'd settle for a piece penned by University of Maine music professor Philip Carlsen.

Inspired by Cage's work, professor Carlsen came up with "Car Life: a traffic jam session for automobile orchestra." There aren't too many traffic jams at the Framingham, ME campus where the performance occurred, but for a fleeting moment in time, you could close your eyes and imagine yourself in Manhattan. Initially, the idea was to arrange the automotive orchestra by the timbre of their horns and also incorporate warning buzzers and alarms, but it ended up as a more random affair. There was a "chorus" of Toyotas, however. Like many modern artistic endeavors, not everyone will get it. It's as much a cacophony as incidental music or musique concrete ever was, but we definitely appreciate Carlsen's goal of encouraging people to tune in to the sounds of the world as a type of music.

Click here to hear the symphony

[Source: Hemmings]

Jam Session: Automotive Orchestra originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Nissan continues to build a better traffic light

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Nissan

Nissan is about to begin a new phase in its ongoing intelligent transportation system (ITS) project. The idea is that traffic signals can incorporate new technology to help reduce traffic congestion and pedestrian accidents. Using a section of roadway at the company's Kanagawa campus show above, Nissan has fitted new signals and roadside monitors to gather data about traffic flow and pedestrian movements. Some employee cars are actually fitted with data acquisition devices, but they won't need to be as the technology progresses. Rather, the signals themselves will eventually be able to collect all the data in the future.

Of particular interest are things like the length of signal cycles that allow pedestrians to safely cross the street, and the fact that during light traffic times, pedestrians often ignore signals, sometimes with disastrous results. With "smart" traffic lights, the system could offer a walk signal to pedestrians during light traffic for longer periods of time, thus discouraging the practice of jaywalking. There are even implications here for environmental advancements, as signal timing can reduce the idling and stop-and-go situations that add a considerable amount of pollution to the air.

The full release is after the jump.

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan continues to build a better traffic light

Nissan continues to build a better traffic light originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments