A traffic light that switches between red and blue according to the number of pedestrians and traffic speed
1. Idea explanation
A traffic light that uses a sensor and can change and set the duration of the green light by detecting the number and speed of pedestrians on the crossing.
2. Idea utilization method / effect
With intelligent traffic lights, pedestrians are able to cross the street at ease, regardless of their walking speed.
Pedestrians who want to walk slowly, such as the elderly, those with small children, and those with injuries, can cross without hurrying.
While the waiting time for drivers may increase, the traffic signal immediately switches after the pedestrians have crossed the street, eliminating unnecessarily waiting time and optimizing traffic.
The installation of a standard crossover bridge costs more than 10 million yen while maintenance is also costly. Therefore the number of crossover bridges is currently declining. As of 2015, there are more than 10,000 crossover bridges in Japan. By replacing them with intelligent traffic lights, the initial installment cost can be recovered easily.
3. Background of the idea
Town 〇〇 where I live, is home to many family households and a wide range of generations from infants to the elderly.
There are many apartment complexes lined up along the national and prefectural roads, and many people use the crosswalks every day.
There are crossover bridges and underground passages only a short distance away from the crosswalks, but going up and down the stairs is a heavy burden for the elderly, baby-car users and pregnant women. It is also a burden for other generations like women carrying heavy shopping bags, etc.
We came up with this idea as a way to allow all kinds of pedestrians, including the elderly, students, businessmen and pregnant women, to cross the street at ease and without being in a hurry.
4-1. Resources necessary to realize the issue
・Initial development and installation budget
・Motion sensors (requirements: can identify only pedestrians on the road, can detect walking speed)