Traffic lights of the future

For the last hundred years, traffic has been regulated by three coloured circles — red, amber, and green. This now iconic look was shaped by the spherical incandescent lamps which were initially used.

As these technical restrictions no longer exist, we can now make traffic lights look however we want them to look. So, we got together with the UOMP Industrial Design Centre, to reimagine traffic lights for the future.

Here and now

We’ve come up with two traffic light concepts. The first — a modern take on the classic look — focuses on the here and now.

With old traffic lights, people who have colour vision disorders identified a signal by its location. With this new design, this clue is preserved with pictograms where people would expect them to be.

Previously, in order to distribute the flow of traffic going in different directions at difficult intersections, cities had to pay extra to have additional sections installed — in the usual three-circle format. It was the only way to solve the problem. With these new traffic lights, all the signals fit neatly onto one screen.

The vertical traffic light will have no problem replacing the old model now.

Coming soon

The second concept is a square traffic light. It’ll be ready to hit the streets in just a few years.

We chose a square shape so that the traffic light can double up as an interactive road sign.

If the situation on a road changes suddenly, the traffic light changes to give a warning signal.

In the future, this compact and multifunctional traffic light will remove the need to install both vertical models and most signs.

And also...

We came up with some cool animations with pedestrians and cyclists for the new format.

The camera is built into the traffic light’s visor, so you can analyse the situation on the road and keep an eye on the flow of vehicles around you.

Where necessary, a 5G module, Wi-Fi adapter, and sensors to measure temperature, air quality, humidity and noise levels can be installed on the back of the traffic light. This allows you to make the city ‘smart’ (from the point of view of aesthetics and size), without having a bunch of different devices installed on separate poles.

The new traffic lights blend seamlessly into their urban context.

We’ll be happy to help you install the traffic lights of the future in your city. Get in touch with us to discuss the details.