Always priority thanks to the RFID traffic light
It is a pilot project and is supposed to care for more traffic safety in Denmark and persuade more people to ride bikes. With RFID chips in the spokes cyclists may not have to wait in front of a red light anymore.
Traffic light with RFID brain
At an intersection in Aarhus, a city in Denmark, a testing area for an European pilot project with the name RADICAL (Rapid Deployment for Intelligent Cities and Living). The big traffic light is red and also the little traffic light for the cyclists. The cars are waiting for the traffic light to turn green. From far a cyclist is approaching the intersection without getting any slower it comes closer to the red traffic light. Approximately 10 meters far away the little traffic light turns green for the bicyclist and he drives by the cars which are still waiting for the traffic light to turn green.
The background: a RFID chip in the spokes of the bike was captured from a bigger RFID reading device that is installed a few meters in front of the intersection. By passing it, it transmits the central controlling system of the traffic light that a bike is coming close. Immediately everything is taking care of to switch the traffic light for the bicyclist to green so that he can ride on without safely and without any obstacles.
Motivation and more Safety
Goal of the pilot project is to persuade more people to ride bikes. Because of the waiting in front of red traffic lights people would be hold off to more often use their bikes. The "always priority mode" is supposed to motivate everybody to switch from their cars to their bikes. The RFID system also supposed to prevent accidents, which are caused by bicyclists who ignore the red light because they are in a hurry. 2016 this system will be tested back and forth.
Link to the original article with more pictures:
https://www.wired.de/collection/tech/rfid-chips-schalten-ampeln-fuer-fahrraeder-daenemark-auf-gruen
You can find more exciting RFID user reports in the current PANMOBIL reference booklet. Take a look yourself:
