Unusual Interfaces: People-centred Traffic Lights

"Beating the lights" by Philip Ball describes how traffic lights that respond to local conditions could ease congestion. Unfortunately for our fantasies, it's not the zapper of dreams that would turn every light green... it's more practical: 'If a large enough convoy of cars approached a red light, this would force the light to turn green, while the other lights at the junction turned red.

'Carlos Gershenson at the Free University of Brussels, Belgium, outlines his theory in a preprint published on Arxiv1. He says his system of traffic lights would be able to adapt to changing traffic conditions, allowing it to find a better switching sequence than one imposed rigidly on all situations.'

Advanced traffic management systems already exist which connect the lights to a centralised computer that is constantly seeking an optimal switching sequence. Gershenson's method, by contrast, is to provide traffic lights with the means to act on their own, responding simply to the local conditions.

In fact, in Britain, we already have this kind of mechanism for some lights, such as those that give priority to buses in their own lanes, but not those on busy junctions. Gershenson reckons that this would be possible too.

Associated Link: Nature: Beating the lights

All change at the top for System Concepts
Source: System Concepts Ltd, 3 July 2009
 
Leslie Fountain has been promoted to joint Managing Director of leading usability consultancy System Concepts.

Life in UCD immortalised in fiction: you couldn't make it up
Source: UN, 2 July 2009
 
Sarah Herman's fictitious book on life in a user-centred design company has hit the shelves and The Guardian's book pages...

Interfaces Magazine - Issue 79: The Education Issue
Source: Interaction Group, 1 July 2009
 
The latest issue of Interfaces is now available as a free download from the Interaction Website.

Two new Behavioural research Tools from Noldus
Source: UN, 30 June 2009
 
Tool updates make on-site behavioural data collection easier.

Cell Phones that Listen and Learn
Source: MIT Technology Review, 29 June 2009
 
New software tracks a user's behavior by monitoring everyday sounds.

Top Six Don’ts for Usability Testing
Source: FutureNow Inc., 27 June 2009
 
Six tips for creating quality usability tests to ensure useful feedback from testers.

Usability: ‘Lovely software. But I can’t work it’
Source: FT.com, 26 June 2009
 
In a recent survey by Global Graphics, 77 per cent of office workers estimate they lose up to one hour a week because business software is difficult to use.

And what do you do?
Source: Dexo Design, 25 June 2009
 
How do you describe your job role? Here are the results of a recent 'Preferred UX/UI Title' Poll.

Most Doctors cite Usability as critical to Electronic Health Record Adoption
Source: TMCNet, 24 June 2009
 
It's all about 'meaningful use'.

Glossy monitors look good but can hurt
Source: QUT, 23 June 2009
 
A new advisory cites research which suggests high gloss monitors make users sit awkwardly.