I've recently been down the rabbit hole of this guy's #YouTube channel. He's a foreman for a firm in Mississippi that does install and maintenance work for traffic signals and related systems. The complexity of the tech running traffic lights, with camera-based car sensors, GPS synchronization, and so much more, is incredible. Inside those control boxes it looks like little data centers. One fascinating aspect is that they mostly (or perhaps all) have separate hardware that watches for conflicts to avoid the nightmare situation of lights being green in a way that could cause accidents, and mechanisms to force the lights into "flashing" mode when there are failures. Really fascinating stuff. Well, for me, anyway. - https://www.youtube.com/@Trafficlightdoctor
@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
They do not need to be that complicated.
Basic Time-of-Day, Day-of-Week movement schedules is all that is required. If there are road sensors, then the periodic 'dummy cycle'.
The dummy cycle is for the dummies that do not understand why road sensors exist, and the driver either pulls up too far or not close enough to the line to get over the sensor. Then they wonder why they are not getting a green light.
I have seen people not figure this out because the signal controller was not programmed to do a dummy cycle. Needless to say, I passed them and ran a red light at an intersection with no traffic. They probably bought a vowel after I passed them.
@SpaceLifeForm@infosec.exchange Did you watch any of the videos? The sophistication is way beyond what you're talking about, with most of the newer systems using cameras to sense vehicles in multiple zones to adjust accordingly (not the easy to screw up metal plates or induction loops -- both of which are nightmares for motorcycles). Some of these intersections are very complex with multiple pedestrian paths, dedicated left turn cycles, etc. -- not to mention MANY lanes and bypasses.
@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
Not sure which video your are referring to. His top one is interesting in that while replacing the signal controller, there was an accident.
Though, it is much more complicated when there is a set of railroad tracks there too.
Reminds me that I almost got hit by a train long ago at night. I saw it at the last second. No horn. No signals. Today there are signals there.
@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
Did not watch yet. Not going to try on mobile.
I was just relating what I know about traffic management.
I do know that making it more complicated is not the best path. KISS.
One lightning hit to a signal controller is all it takes to cascade problems down the road.
Lauren Weinstein