NC A&T State University researchers testing new ‘smart intersection’ technology

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — At the corner of East Market Street and Dudley Street in Greensboro, there is a steady stream of activity.

Situated just off North Carolina A&T State University’s campus, it’s one of the busier intersections in the city. 

“The intersection is complex,” said Ali Karimoddini, Ph.D. 

Living Lab

There is a consistent flow of vehicles, buses, scooters, emergency responders and pedestrians moving through the intersection in all different directions, and that makes it an ideal intersection to study. 

As director of NC A&T’s Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities, Karimoddini oversees the research. It involves students and faculty from multiple departments.  

“It’s a living lab, meaning it’s real,” Karimoddini said. “Traffic is going on. We can observe information and see what is going on in real time.”

His team, in cooperation with the City of Greensboro and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, placed three types of technology at the intersection: LiDAR, radar and cameras. 

“Each of these technologies provide unique features,” Karimoddini said. “And when we put them together, they provide reliable information about the intersection that can be used for our analysis.”  

‘Real Applications’

The research could impact the way both cars and intersections are designed in the future. 

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“That information can be used for integration into automated vehicles, so improving the safety on the beacon side,” Karimoddini said. “But also for city planners and police departments and others … They can learn what is the big picture about the intersection, what are the steps that can be done or interventions that can happen to improve the safety.”

That includes prioritizing traffic signals for first responders or extending the crosswalk signal for a pedestrian with a disability. 

“The nice thing about this one is the real-life application. It’s not necessarily inside a lab. It’s real traffic, and it does have real applications,” Karimoddini said. “It’s inspired the students that the problems they are solving are not going to stay in a lab. It’s going to be applied to … real-world problems.”