Cell Phones Help With Traffic Jams

From PhysOrg Cell phones used to report traffic jams

Engineers have developed a system for taking anonymous cell-phone location
information and turning it into an illuminated traffic map that identifies congestion in real time.

The system takes advantage of the steady stream of positioning cues--untraced signals all cell phones produce, whether in use or not, as they seek towers with the strongest signals. It is the first traffic-solution technology that monitors patterns on rural roads and city streets as easily as on highways.

Unlike sensors and other equipment along major freeways that is expensive and takes years to deploy, our system takes advantage of existing cellular networks in which wireless carriers have already invested billions of dollars," said National Science Foundation (NSF) awardee and IntelliOne CEO Ron Herman