The future of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is often presented through a utopian lens, but the unfortunate reality is that they too will be stuck in traffic and involved in collisions if roads remain unchanged.
The hope is that roadside sensors and machine learning can be paired such that troublesome intersections, congested lanes and lengthy delays become a thing of the past—for all vehicles. Success will depend on a willingness to trial these technologies in real-world conditions, ideally offering proof that AVs can benefit from smart infrastructure.
What makes a smart road?
The deployment of smart roadside units (RSUs), which support
