Researchers at Iowa State University Use TensorFlow to Analyze Traffic Patterns

The Iowa DOT and Iowa State University researchers have teamed up to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to analyze traffic pattern data such as speed, accidents, weather conditions, congestion, and more. This is accomplished by using the TensorFlow framework from Google to analyze visual data from stationary cameras and cameras mounted on snow plows. The AI can also analyze data from radar detectors. Machine Learning takes the data and makes conclusions about road conditions and in turn helps get first responders to the scene of accidents faster.

Officials in Iowa say machine learning could also be used to predict crash risks and travel speeds, and better understand drivers' reactions or failures behind the wheel. In California, snow may not be an issue, but traffic certainly is, and college students there used TensorFlow to identify pot holes and dangerous road cracks in Los Angeles.

This isn't exactly new. My sister did her phD thesis in 2015 on this exact topic, although she was more focused on the impact of road tolls, light schedules, weather and construction on surrounding traffic conditions in the immediate and surrounding areas. The idea was to create dynamic city wide models based on various conditions. It was cool stuff but even in 2015 it wasn't groundbreaking.

Better driver training plus higher speed limits. Institute both and you'll have better traffic flow.

I'd like to be a strong believer in American exceptionalism. If Germany can have an autobahn then so can the good old U.S. of A. Unless my fellow Americans feel they are inferior to the Germans and other Europeans who happen to use German roads.

You'll never have harder driving tests until human driving is not mandatory.

Once that happens though, you'll see insurance for human driving skyrocket and it will basically price any human driving out of the hands of most people (talking about first world countries here). So the rich will still be able to drive themselves how they want.

Then people will stop purchasing personal cars since they're not driving them anyway, and everyone will just rent rides like you do airplanes.

But hey, despite that sounding like a dystopian future for gear heads, at least all the cars will be networked together and traffic will improve ...even if speed limits dont necessarily increase in most places.


I wish we could increase the difficulty of the driving part of the driving test so much so that about 60% of currently passing drivers fail. Hesitating at a 4 way stop for longer than 10 seconds ...fail. Leave more than 1 car space between you and the person in front of you while making a turn at an intersection, fail. Driving under the speed limit in good weather.... fail. Driving a piece of crap car that can't accelerate to the speed limit in under 20 seconds. Fail. Not using your stupid turn signals when turning, fail. Stopping at an intersection and leaving a 3 car cell phone buffer in front of you... Fail. hypermiling your stops .. Fail. Coming to a complete stop before making a turn when not at a red light or stop sign... Fail. 3 fails and you get to uber the rest of your stupid life. That would improve driving and traffic quite a bit.

The other thing that would help is if civil engineers would stop designing roadways where exit and on ramps have to weave within the span of 1/8th of a mile. Not having traffic lights within 1/4 of a mile of eachother not in sync. not having lanes end within half a mile after an intersection. And for the love of god, stop forcing businesses to bank their driveways with like 40 degree inclines that meet up to your -40 degree curb decline. I dont even have a slammed to the ground car and I bottom out all the damn time, and you have to slow to a crawl to try and avoid damaging your car. Stop it.

Teenyman45 said:

Better driver training plus higher speed limits.

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but you will still have that ONE person.. going slow.. that everyone HAS to try to get around, but alas.. there will be another slow person in formation with them driving equally slow

katanaD said:

but you will still have that ONE person.. going slow.. that everyone HAS to try to get around, but alas.. there will be another slow person in formation with them driving equally slow

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I see a lot of truckers blocking all lanes by pacing and that usually causes my blood pressure to skyrocket lol.

katanaD said:

but you will still have that ONE person.. going slow.. that everyone HAS to try to get around, but alas.. there will be another slow person in formation with them driving equally slow

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Darunion said:

I see a lot of truckers blocking all lanes by pacing and that usually causes my blood pressure to skyrocket lol.

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This is also the reason I'm not a gun owner.