Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Mobile Phones Combat Traffic Congestion

by Evan Shamoon on July 3, 2007 at 09:38 AM

Mobile Phones Combat Traffic Congestion

As you sit in your car amongst thousands of others, sweating even as the AC chugs, the question lingers: how can you remove traffic from your life? Researchers from MIT may have the answer: starting in Rome, they're using data from mobile phone networks to create real time maps of people moving around the city, giving commuters a more detailed, wide-ranging view of traffic conditions -- everywhere, not just on major roads and highways.

Essentially, with all of the GPS devices in taxis, buses, and mobile phones spread about the city, the researchers are attempting to create algorithms that can give drivers a comprehensive look at any part of the city, directing them away from traffic and accounting for the ebb and flow of congestion in real time.

The effect on public transportation could be huge as well; Rome currently runs a service to let people know when buses will arrive via their mobiles; one possible next step is to send buses to where the people are, rather than sticking to fixed schedules. All of which adds up to less congestion, and less exhaust coming out of those tailpipes.

From BBC

Related Links:

Tags: car, cell phone, CellPhone, congestion, MIT, mobile, Rome, traffic

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular