How NVIDIA and NoTraffic use AI to reduce road delays and emissions

NoTraffic, an NVIDIA Inception program member, has developed an AI-powered traffic management platform that significantly reduces road congestion and carbon emissions across North American cities.

Core technology and implementation: NoTraffic’s AI Mobility platform combines NVIDIA’s edge AI technology and accelerated computing to optimize traffic flow and enhance road safety.

• The system utilizes the NVIDIA Jetson edge AI platform and Metropolis vision AI developer stack to predict road scenarios and manage traffic infrastructure
• Integration with NVIDIA’s technology has resulted in 3x faster AI training and doubled energy efficiency
• The platform’s image preprocessing tasks are 40x faster compared to CPU-only workflows, while NVIDIA CUDA libraries have increased model throughput by 30x

Real-world impact in major cities: Implementation of the AI Mobility platform has demonstrated significant improvements in traffic management across multiple locations.

• In Tucson, Arizona, over 80 intersections using the platform have seen up to 46% reduction in rush hour delays
• The system has saved Tucson drivers more than 1.25 million hours in traffic time, representing $24.3 million in economic benefits
• Vancouver’s University of British Columbia reported up to 40% reduction in pedestrian delays and 74 tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions savings
• The platform is operational in 35 states through 200+ agencies across the U.S. and Canada

Technical capabilities and benefits: The platform leverages advanced AI predictions and real-time data analysis to optimize traffic flow.

• Local AI-based predictions analyze traffic scenarios up to two minutes in advance using sensor inputs from multiple intersections
• The system adapts to real-time traffic pattern changes and enables communication between intersections
• Cloud connectivity allows for optimization algorithms to control traffic signals efficiently
• Implementation has led to an 80% reduction in red-light runners in Tucson, improving intersection safety

Economic and environmental impact: NoTraffic’s platform demonstrates substantial potential for both economic and environmental benefits.

• For a typical city of 100,000 residents, the platform saves over 12 tons of carbon dioxide and generates $45 million in economic productivity annually
• The company estimates potential savings of eight hours of traffic time per driver in optimized cities
• With over 300,000 signalized intersections in the U.S., the technology could yield $14 billion in annual economic savings

Future implications: As cities continue to face increasing traffic congestion with a 12% annual rise and 90 million new vehicles globally each year, NoTraffic’s AI-powered solution offers a scalable approach to modernizing the 99% of traffic signals currently operating on fixed timing plans. The successful implementation across various cities suggests potential for widespread adoption, particularly as 5G networks enhance the platform’s capabilities through improved data processing and reduced latency.