AI-Powered Cruise Control to Thwart Traffic

Researchers deployed a fleet of 100 semi-autonomous vehicles to test whether a new AI-powered cruise-control system can help smooth the flow of traffic and improve fuel economy.

“Driving is very intuitive. If there’s a gap in front of you, you accelerate. If someone brakes, you slow down. But it turns out that this very normal reaction can lead to stop-and-go traffic and energy inefficiency,” said Alexandre Bayen , associate provost and Liao-Cho Professor of Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. “That’s precisely what AI technology is able to fix — it can direct the vehicle to things that are not intuitive to humans, but are overall more efficient.”