AI traffic lights in Hamm to work without AI in the afternoon
Germany's first AI traffic light in Hamm favors cyclists and pedestrians, but hardly gives cars a chance in evening traffic. The AI is to be paused for a while.
(Image: monticello/Shutterstock.com)
In spring, the city of Hamm was still largely satisfied with its first traffic light controlled by artificial intelligence (AI), which has been regulating traffic at the Heßlerstraße/Marker Allee junction since July 2023. Several cameras are designed to detect cyclists and pedestrians there at an early stage. The system then uses AI to calculate when they will arrive at the traffic lights in order to give them the green light first. However, the Westfälischer Anzeiger and WDR reported that the automated system has been causing long tailbacks of cars in evening traffic and complaints from drivers for a few weeks now. The AI will therefore take a break from 15:30 to 17:30 for the time being.
During this period, the traffic lights will be switched conventionally according to the administration's new plan, the reports state. The aim is to allow traffic to flow more quickly during rush hour. The Westfälischer Anzeiger refers to a meeting of the city's district council as saying that the problem is not so great in the morning. One assumption is that the traffic light congestion also has to do with several inner-city construction sites in the vicinity and alternative traffic. If these were lifted, the AI would also run again in the afternoon. Before that, however, new tests need to be carried out.
Second Hamm AI traffic light initially showed permanent red
Hamm is now using AI-based technology from the Munich-based company Yunex at two traffic light locations. The second "intelligent traffic light", which has been regulating traffic at the crosswalk on OstwennemarstraĂźe since April 12, 2024, initially showed continuous red for cars even without pedestrians in sight. This problem is now said to have been resolved.
Videos by heise
According to WDR, the city has not yet been able to say exactly when the temporary AI shutdown on HeĂźlerstraĂźe will take place. The order has been placed and they have promised to reprogram the system in the course of the week. In Essenbach, Bavaria, an AI traffic light has also been annoying drivers for a few months now. At the same time, Google has been testing a new system with machine learning to optimize traffic lights. However, the AI solution is not always smarter than conventional technology.
(vbr)
