Intelligent Transportation Systems

In our everyday lives as we commute to and from various places, we often overlook the staggering complexity of integrated transportation systems in our cities. We take for granted the technology and thought processes that go into designing, developing, and implementing the transportation systems we use. Because we often take these things for granted, it is important to understand what intelligent transportation systems are.

What is an Intelligent Transportation System?

While transportation systems have been continually reinvented since the birth of mankind, we may be on the brink of the next great technological advancement in transportation systems, as artificial intelligence becomes integrated into transportation.

The aim of intelligent transportation systems is to further integrate different modes of transportation services into helping users experience smoother, safer and more coordinated transportation networks. Even though much progress has been made to improve the efficiency and safety of such means of transportation, fatalities by car accidents are still alarmingly high. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic fatalities are expected to rise 8% in 2015 from 2014 (NHTSA). What this means is that there is still room for improvement.

And Elon Musk thinks he may have the answer.

Tesla Motor’s ‘autopilot system’

As CEO of Tesla Motors, Musk has recently introduced a hands-free driving ‘autopilot system’ into Tesla’s automobile fleet. The autopilot system will still require a human to be seated in the driver seat but all the steering, acceleration, and lane changing will be managed by machine learning and over the air (OTA) updates. Once the user grabs onto the wheel, they will regain full control of the vehicle and autopilot mode will switch off. What separates Tesla’s autopilot system from the pack is its ability to enhance the capabilities of the fleet as a whole based on the experiences shared from every car’s daily activities on the road. The fleet’s network has the ability to learn collectively, turning each car into its own expert system that contributes to the intelligence of the fleet as a whole.  

There are obvious benefits and drawbacks to this automated system. If the autopilot mode is as reliable as Tesla claims it to be, then there are clear advantages in terms of increasing safety and also reducing traffic. Nonetheless, there are some ethical issues involved with this such as if an accident does occur, who is the one to take responsibility? Is it the human behind the wheel or the artificial intelligence system designed by Tesla Motors?

Pushing the speed limit with Hyperloop Transportation Technology

Additionally, another example of how intelligent transportation systems are poised to take over can be seen when examining Hyperloop Transportation Technologies—once again, a concept envisioned by Elon Musk. This innovative idea is perhaps even more courageous and ambitious than self-driving cars.

The Hyperloop Transportation system aims to transport people in pneumatic tubes at near supersonic speeds. In theory, a traveller using this technology would be able to travel from San Francisco to New York City in less than an hour, and this concept may become a reality faster than you think. Hyperloop recently signed an agreement to work with Aecom—a leading engineering company—to join the design process for this innovative transport solution.

What intelligent transportation systems mean for the future

With the integration of artificial intelligence into our transportation infrastructure, there are no limits to what can be achieved in the future. Once we are able to overcome the ethical and financial issues in the development of Intelligent Transportation Systems, the technological advancements will change all our realities. Intelligent transportation systems are poised to take over, and I for one am truly excited to see what lies ahead.