AI in Transportation: Building Safe Systems in the Air and on the Road

Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been around for some time, and lately it’s being used more often in creating safer transportation systems. Computers are capable of managing safety features in many cases because they can go through multiple possibilities in a split second and determine the most secure manner of doing something.

AI in transportation is something that affects everyone. It can be a very powerful way to stay safe, but the technology is still learning and that means it can still make mistakes at times.

Safety in the Air with AI

Air safety is important, and now that people are getting back to flying, AI in transportation is becoming more air-based. Computers have long been a big part of the aviation industry, but now it’s used even more. Here are some of the more common uses for AI in aviation.

Weather Forecasting

Training: Future pilots can learn how to manage assorted safety risks by working with the AI in a simulation. The computer simulates various potential issues and allows the pilot to see how things would play out with different scenarios and reactions. It is a very useful way to train pilots in how to manage the worst possible situations without putting themselves in actual danger.

AI co-pilots: Right now, every plane needs two pilots in case something happens to one and to provide backup for making decisions. However, in the near future, it’s possible that AI will ride shotgun.

Safer landings: Information on runways can be sent to the aircraft as it comes in for a landing, and this will automatically be processed to check compatibility with the plane, which includes the approach speed, aircraft weight, weather conditions, and the length of the runway. If anything shows up as being incompatible, the system will let the pilot know. The system can also apply brakes if it predicts the plane will overrun the runway. The ROPS system, or runway overrun prevention system, has proven very useful in preventing crashes.

Air traffic management: AI can also be useful in ensuring that no planes crash or cross paths when it comes to managing the airport. There are constant flights coming in, taking off, and flying around the airport. This is where AI excels and does particularly well at keeping track of where everything is and preventing flights from running into each other.

Air safety is greatly improved with AI around.

Safer Roads Using AI

Road crashes are the number one killer of those between the ages of 5 and 29 throughout the world. What if those deaths could be prevented? What if the millions who are injured in crashes could be protected? AI could be the best option for making that happen.

Making Drivers Better

Fleet drivers can run into a lot of issues on the road. They may start speeding or they could drift off to sleep. Vehicles that cross the center line of the road can crash into other vehicles and cause horrific accidents. One method of improving this is to monitor the drivers themselves.

A system is currently being tested where a camera watches the driver’s face and the system also monitors the GPS. This way, the AI can tell if the driver is speeding at any point and will warn them to slow down. It also picks up if someone is distracted or if they are getting sleepy and can wake them up. The information is all collected by the camera and transferred to the cloud. There, the AI analyzes it all and makes a point of sounding an alarm if it appears the driver is at risk. They can be relieved or pull off to the side if they need to sleep.

While this method focuses on the driver, there are other options that will help prevent many accidents and keep drivers and passengers as safe as possible.

Preventing Accidents with AI

Smart cars are designed with sensors installed. While they may also have cameras that can be used as mentioned above, the computers in the cars will also note how drivers manage different situations they encounter. This information can be processed by AI to learn how to best handle these situations.

A good example of this is Tesla. Tesla vehicles use computer vision software to manage navigation, but they also have multiple cameras that can pick up on people, cars, and other things around the vehicle. Deep learning means that these cars must adapt to new locations and types of roads. While humans can adapt by using previous knowledge and common sense, AI has to learn a whole new coping mechanism. However, the information is all uploaded to the cloud, which means the solution can be found and then downloaded to all cars. So when one learns how to manage on an icy road, for example, they all learn that skill.

However, it goes beyond just learning things. The sensors and cameras on smart cars can also pick up on road conditions and send that information to smart city nerve centers, where the information can be used to adjust traffic patterns to avoid danger. The changes can be made nearly instantly, and this can help prevent accidents and other types of danger.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence isn’t as smart as a human, but it can certainly calculate risk faster than the human brain. That makes it extremely useful in situations where there are safety hazards and risks. If someone wants to be safer, then they may wish to incorporate AI into their decision-making process.

Artificial intelligence still needs to learn every possible instance, as it isn’t capable of making the necessary adjustments that we do. However, with the combination of the two powers, a human brain and a computer brain, it’s possible to create safer streets.

From the sky to the roads, AI in transportation is helping to make improvements everywhere. Technology is only going to keep growing, and that means you’ll want to stay abreast of the latest choices and decisions created by AI.