An AI that lets cars communicate might reduce traffic jams

Did you know there's a specific term for the times when you encounter sudden, inexplicable vehicle congestion on the interstate despite no discernible culprit such as rubbernecking or an accident? It's called a "phantom traffic jam," and was first identified around 12 years ago by researchers in Japan conducting a simple experiment. Despite telling 20 human drivers to all drive at a constant speed around a circular track, even the briefest instances of individuals' pressing their brake pedals compounded on one another, resulting in those recognizable traffic fits and starts. This automotive variation on the "butterfly effect" has been carefully studied ever since, and a research group is now approaching the finish line on a potential solution devoid of any sort of half-baked "self-driving" system. As Associated Press recounts, a recent experiment has shown instances of phantom traffic jams can be reduced by linking cars' into a single communication network via utilizing newer vehicles' adaptive cruise control systems.