Scientists from AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, along with researchers from Gdańsk University of Technology, are looking to create a self-adjusting system of communicating smart signs equipped with detectors that will analyse their surroundings. According to the AGH press release, the system will help drivers better adjust their speed to the conditions on the road. The main goal of the project is to improve road safety and prevent the most common collisions.

Under typical conditions, a smart sign will communicate danger or recommended speed calculated in conjunction with information received from similar signs along an expressway section. Signs communicating with each other via a wireless network or controlled remotely can facilitate the movement of vehicles, for example in the situation of a traffic jam and a need for sudden braking on a motorway or a expressway.

"We want signs to change the content depending on the intensity of traffic of cars or trucks, weather, visibility, surface condition, the number of intersections, and even the nature of nearby objects (such as schools). All these features have their own characteristics that can be entered into the database, and based on their analysis you can estimate the recommended speed on the road" - explains Prof. Andrzej Dziech from the Department of Telecommunications, leader of the AGH team.

According to AGH University of Science and Technology, INZNAK is the first solution of this type in Poland and one of the few in the world. The project received funding from the National Centre for Research and Development and the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways. Researchers started their work in October 2017 and will continue for the next three years.

PAP - Science in Poland

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