The Athens-Patras highway in Greece is the first highway to be lit up using a smart lighting system that adjusts automatically based on the amount of traffic.
According to itsinternational.com, the system along a trial section of the tolled 218km-long highway, also known as Motorway 8, adjusts the lighting to best suit the driving conditions. Vinci Highways, the company operating the road, has committed to achieving net-zero emissions on its network by 2050.
The system uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to figure out the best lighting level by analyzing live data, including traffic, weather, and road incidents from various sources. By constantly monitoring traffic the system calculates total traffic and predicts the next hour. When traffic decreases and predicted traffic stays low, the system gradually reduces the lighting intensity.
The system also gets real-time data from the highway’s weather stations and cameras. If there’s a change in driving conditions, it immediately increases the lighting. The trial is set up along the Elefsina to Corinth section and will be expanded along the entire highway.
Vinci states that the system aims to reduce the annual energy consumption for night lighting by up to 75%. It also lessens light pollution for people living near the motorway.
The adaptive lighting system has been developed in collaboration with the National Technical University of Athens and specialist start-ups including Extrabit, Athens-based predictive weather forecasting company Ex Machina and Invision AI.
Source: itsinternational.com
